Mid-Nov or Late Feb for Franz/Fox heli-hike & scenic flights there & MIlford
Aug 19th, 2022, 08:13 PM
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Mid-Nov or Late Feb for Franz/Fox heli-hike & scenic flights there & MIlford
Can anyone who lives in the South Island or is very familiar make a recommendation? I am having a very had time deciding whether to plan my trip: for November OR for mid-February into mid-March. I'm trying to pick which of these 2 timeframes would give me the best chance of good weather for priority #1) heli-hikes and scenic flights at Fox/Franz & priority #2) scenic flight over Fiordland. If we travel in Nov, we will be in Fox/Franz area for about 3 days - to increase our odds of hitting clear-enough weather- in mid-Nov (like around 11/18 to 11/21) and if we travel in Feb we'd be in that area around 2/24-2/26.
I of course realize that nobody can predict the weather, and there can be unusual weather no matter what month but I in corresponding with heli-hike operators, helicopter operators and other flight operators, I am getting inconsistent remarks. Some said normally the months from mid January to March or April are the most settled, while the worst weather patterns (rain and wind) are normally from September to December. Others indicate that end of Feb isn't really any better for the sorts of activities I want than mid-November - it's really not until March that I'd have a better chance than in mid-November. I suppose if there weren't other factors (that I won't go into here) I would opt for Feb but, but due to those other factors I don't know if it's worth switching my plans from Nov. to February.
I do realize that the West Coast and Fiordland are rainy areas regardless. But I also just read somewhere that some of the beautiful roads (I think it was Haast Pass) can get closed during the very rainy season and that included November) and that I might even need snow chains / snow tires in some areas in November???
My trip includes about 3 weeks on the South Island, including driving from Picton through Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman, Westport to Arthur's Pass and back to the West Coast where I'm planning about 3 days in Fox/Franz area to try to catch good weather for a heli-hike and scenic flight, before driving back down to Haast, Wanaka, Queenstown, Mt. Cook, and of course Milford Sound Area and Doubtful Sound - we will be doing cruises on both and I would like to take a scenic flight over Milford Sound as well. Would be great if we could catch some elusive sun on at least one of these, and was also thinking of trying the Key Summit walk but it might be not be worth the effort - I'm not super athletic - if it's going to be cloudy or rainy as the point of the effort for me is to see lovely views at the top.
So which of my 2 timeframes would you choose? Or should I really be waiting until March...(not an idea my husband is in love with, but he could be persuaded...)
I of course realize that nobody can predict the weather, and there can be unusual weather no matter what month but I in corresponding with heli-hike operators, helicopter operators and other flight operators, I am getting inconsistent remarks. Some said normally the months from mid January to March or April are the most settled, while the worst weather patterns (rain and wind) are normally from September to December. Others indicate that end of Feb isn't really any better for the sorts of activities I want than mid-November - it's really not until March that I'd have a better chance than in mid-November. I suppose if there weren't other factors (that I won't go into here) I would opt for Feb but, but due to those other factors I don't know if it's worth switching my plans from Nov. to February.
I do realize that the West Coast and Fiordland are rainy areas regardless. But I also just read somewhere that some of the beautiful roads (I think it was Haast Pass) can get closed during the very rainy season and that included November) and that I might even need snow chains / snow tires in some areas in November???
My trip includes about 3 weeks on the South Island, including driving from Picton through Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman, Westport to Arthur's Pass and back to the West Coast where I'm planning about 3 days in Fox/Franz area to try to catch good weather for a heli-hike and scenic flight, before driving back down to Haast, Wanaka, Queenstown, Mt. Cook, and of course Milford Sound Area and Doubtful Sound - we will be doing cruises on both and I would like to take a scenic flight over Milford Sound as well. Would be great if we could catch some elusive sun on at least one of these, and was also thinking of trying the Key Summit walk but it might be not be worth the effort - I'm not super athletic - if it's going to be cloudy or rainy as the point of the effort for me is to see lovely views at the top.
So which of my 2 timeframes would you choose? Or should I really be waiting until March...(not an idea my husband is in love with, but he could be persuaded...)
Aug 20th, 2022, 04:25 AM
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How long will you spend in each destination? You mentioned three days for the glacier area, but how about Queenstown, Wanaka, Abel Tasman, Aoraki Mt. Cook? Will you spend a night or two in Te Anau? You mentioned starting your trip in Picton. How will you get to Picton?
When driving down the West Coast, do you plan on stopping in Punakaiki/Pancake Rocks? There are some nice easy walks in Punakaiki and it's a beautiful spot.
https://punakaiki.co.nz/
https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets...aiki-walks.pdf
While in Aoraki Mt. Cook, consider walking the Hooker Valley Track. It's easy and will reward you with stunning views.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/hooker-valley-track
I would plan on two days in Aoraki Mt. Cook to double your chances of at least one day of good weather. You can also take a helicopter flight with a glacier landing in Aoraki Mt. Cook/Glentanner. Or a Glacier Explorers boat ride.
If your husband isn't keen on March, suggest the last three weeks of Feb. I've lived in Dunedin for nearly 11 years and I'm still waiting for that too-warm day in February! But it does get much warmer inland. Alexandra, for example, is known as the "hottest, driest and coldest town" in New Zealand--hottest town in summer, coldest in winter. It's a little more than an hour's drive from Queenstown.
I wouldn't say April is a great month for weather. It can be nice, but also rainy, cloudy and starts to get cold. The days suddenly get shorter because of the time change. School holidays are in April, so it's busy as well as families go off for their last big holiday before winter. On the plus side, the autumn leaves peak in April and they put on an especially great show from Coastal Otago to Central Otago.
Would you be okay walking uphill for more than an hour? If so, then you can manage the Key Summit track. It's not too steep and a good portion of it is under the shade of the forest. Otherwise, it sounds like, even if you don't make it Key Summit, you'll be seeing plenty of spectacular scenery.
I don't expect February 2023 tourist numbers to be nearly as high as in pre-pandemic years. I think Europe will rate higher on travelers' wish lists than NZ because the US-Euro exchange rate is making European travel highly appealing.
I wouldn't worry about Chinese New Year crowds in February. I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese would still be subject to Covid lockdowns next February. I'd be very happy for them if they could be free to travel internationally instead. But the main reason you won't have worry about Chinese New Year crowds in February is because Chinese New Year/Spring Festival starts on January 22, 2023 (the Lunar New Year) and it'll be over by February 5 (the Lantern Festival).
We will still celebrate Chinese New Year in 2023 because about 5% of NZ's population identifies as being ethnically Chinese (on par with NZ's Indian population, which is also at 5%, but growing at a faster rate). Chinese began immigrating to NZ in the 1860s, when they were recruited by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce to work as gold miners in Central Otago, though the very first Chinese immigrant arrived in 1842 in Nelson. If you take either the Shotover River or Skippers Canyon jet boat rides out of Queenstown, you'll be riding on the Shotover River, once known as "the richest river in the world" because of the gold found there. NZ's universities also attract Chinese international students, not only from China but other countries as well, including Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. In pre-pandemic times, about 46% of the international students were from China. So, again, we'll still be celebrating Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival as they're now part of NZ's cultural heritage.
When driving down the West Coast, do you plan on stopping in Punakaiki/Pancake Rocks? There are some nice easy walks in Punakaiki and it's a beautiful spot.
https://punakaiki.co.nz/
https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets...aiki-walks.pdf
While in Aoraki Mt. Cook, consider walking the Hooker Valley Track. It's easy and will reward you with stunning views.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/hooker-valley-track
I would plan on two days in Aoraki Mt. Cook to double your chances of at least one day of good weather. You can also take a helicopter flight with a glacier landing in Aoraki Mt. Cook/Glentanner. Or a Glacier Explorers boat ride.
If your husband isn't keen on March, suggest the last three weeks of Feb. I've lived in Dunedin for nearly 11 years and I'm still waiting for that too-warm day in February! But it does get much warmer inland. Alexandra, for example, is known as the "hottest, driest and coldest town" in New Zealand--hottest town in summer, coldest in winter. It's a little more than an hour's drive from Queenstown.
I wouldn't say April is a great month for weather. It can be nice, but also rainy, cloudy and starts to get cold. The days suddenly get shorter because of the time change. School holidays are in April, so it's busy as well as families go off for their last big holiday before winter. On the plus side, the autumn leaves peak in April and they put on an especially great show from Coastal Otago to Central Otago.
Would you be okay walking uphill for more than an hour? If so, then you can manage the Key Summit track. It's not too steep and a good portion of it is under the shade of the forest. Otherwise, it sounds like, even if you don't make it Key Summit, you'll be seeing plenty of spectacular scenery.
I don't expect February 2023 tourist numbers to be nearly as high as in pre-pandemic years. I think Europe will rate higher on travelers' wish lists than NZ because the US-Euro exchange rate is making European travel highly appealing.
I wouldn't worry about Chinese New Year crowds in February. I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese would still be subject to Covid lockdowns next February. I'd be very happy for them if they could be free to travel internationally instead. But the main reason you won't have worry about Chinese New Year crowds in February is because Chinese New Year/Spring Festival starts on January 22, 2023 (the Lunar New Year) and it'll be over by February 5 (the Lantern Festival).
We will still celebrate Chinese New Year in 2023 because about 5% of NZ's population identifies as being ethnically Chinese (on par with NZ's Indian population, which is also at 5%, but growing at a faster rate). Chinese began immigrating to NZ in the 1860s, when they were recruited by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce to work as gold miners in Central Otago, though the very first Chinese immigrant arrived in 1842 in Nelson. If you take either the Shotover River or Skippers Canyon jet boat rides out of Queenstown, you'll be riding on the Shotover River, once known as "the richest river in the world" because of the gold found there. NZ's universities also attract Chinese international students, not only from China but other countries as well, including Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. In pre-pandemic times, about 46% of the international students were from China. So, again, we'll still be celebrating Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival as they're now part of NZ's cultural heritage.
