What to pack for New Zealand in February: Weather + travel tips

Nov 19

Sunny summer days make February a prime month for visiting New Zealand — here’s what to pack.

a new zealand beach in february — *Wharariki Beach in late February, 2024. I drove all the way out here to camp by the beach and catch the sunset.*

February in New Zealand promises balmy days and sunshine, and the celebratory mood of summer continues with a string of music festivals and beach getaways.

Of course, that promise doesn’t always deliver. Sometimes it rains all over those music festivals as cyclones roll in from the Pacific and drench everything in their path.

Most of the time though, February is one of my favourite months to travel New Zealand. I usually have plans to escape Auckland city every weekend.

Temperatures in February

Here are some of the average high/low temperatures in February across the North and South Islands:

Auckland: 24° / 16° Celcius, or 75° / 60° Fahrenheit

Wellington: 21° / 14° Celcius or 70° / 57° Fahrenheit

Christchurch: 22° / 12° Celcius or 71° / 53° Fahrenheit

Queenstown: 22° / 9° Celcius or 71° / 48° Fahrenheit

February is one of the best months to visit New Zealand

A Wharariki sunset

Wharariki Beach

February is one of the best months to visit New Zealand. The weather tends to be sunny and settled across the country. While temperatures can soar to 30°C (considered a very hot temperature for New Zealand), averages typically hover around early to mid twenties.

As one of the warmest months in New Zealand, February is a good month for exploring the beaches of the North Island, as well as hikes in the South Island.

Most locals have a favourite swimming hole rivers around the country, and sports like surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and just doing bombs off the end of jetties keep most people occupied on the weekends.

February is a great month for events, with music festivals like Splore and Shipwrecked, as well as other events like the Marlborough Food and Wine Festival.

School holidays generally wrap up in early February, so the domestic summer crowds start to tail off but the good weather continues.

What clothes to pack for New Zealand in February

If you’re visiting New Zealand in February, you can pack summer clothes with a few warmer layers. This list includes my favourite things to pack for a summer road trip around New Zealand.

These are all items of clothes and gear that I own and use — I hope it’s helpful to see what a local wears.

At least one warm layer (long pants and a cosy jumper)

The weather in New Zealand in February is rarely cold. Temperatures might dip to 10°C (50°F) overnight, but unless you’re dancing outside all night at a summer festival, or spending the night in an alpine hiking hut, this is rarely an issue.

I recommend packing at least one warm layer for February, to wear in the evenings, but most of the time you can expect the weather to be mild.

Patagonia Los Gatos Fleece
Lululemon Align Trackpants

Pack lightweight and breathable tops, t-shirts, and shorts for the warm days

Bring a couple of long-sleeved shirts for sun protection and cooler evenings.

You’ll probably want to spend a lot of time outside, so practical hiking clothes are useful. New Zealand’s dress code is usually casual, and even more so in summer.

Outdoorsy clothes with a high UPF rating (around 50) can really help protect your skin from the sun.

RAB Women’s Momentum Shorts
Mons Royale long sleeved merino t-shirt
Lululemon Align Tank
Lululemon Align Shorts
Loose linen shirt (I have this one from Stay Wild Swim, but any shirt that offers sun protection is great)
Big, roomy cotton t-shirts (stay away from V necks or anything too loose around the neck — I just find I end up getting burnt if too much neck skin is showing)

Pack sun protection

A wide-brimmed hat or a cap will protect you from strong UV rays.

Make sure you also bring a good supply of sunscreen — you’ll need it.

My Sunshine sunscreen is my favourite eco friendly sunscreen — it has high protection and won’t leave harmful chemicals behind in the sea.

Footwear

For footwear, I live in Birkenstocks all through February, but any sandals or flip flops will become your default footwear during this month.

Birkenstocks

Swimwear (and surfwear)

Sea temperatures tend to get much colder in the South Island — I’ve been swimming off the southern coast of Fiordland in February and the water was about 14°C, while in Auckland it can be 22°C and I can go surfing without a wetsuit.

Ripcurl surf suit — these are great if you want more sun protection in the water
I have a Sunward Bound surf hat and I love it. I use it for surfing, as I’m out in the water for hours at a time, but you could also pack one if you just want to keep your face protected while swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, etc. I always get compliments on mine.

You can probably get by without a rain jacket in February

February is generally one of the drier months in New Zealand, especially in the eastern and northern parts of both the North Island and the South Island.

However, New Zealand's weather is variable and rainfall patterns can vary from region to region.

The North Island tends to be warmer and drier than the South Island in February.

Other gear

Summer means lots of day hikes, so a day pack can be really handy.

Fjallraven Raven 28L
Drink bottle

More packing lists

If you’re interested in knowing more about the gear and things I love to take with me on adventures, I have packing lists for outdoorsy trips in New Zealand.