On the North Island and the northernmost part of the South Island (the first two and a half weeks of our trip) we had day temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Celcius, with cold nights (mornings/evenings). We saw a lot of sun, which was great with those temperatures: perfect weather for active days. In the last week, we stayed in the south of the South Island and there we had day temperatures between 8 and 15 degrees. It could be really chilly on windy rainy days, so we definitely needed fleeces and softshell jackets. But again, when the sun was shining, it felt really nice.
Sunset was early: between 5 and 6. This was actually an advantage for visiting the penguin colony at Oamaru (the penguins come ashore around sunset).
The best thing about the autumn season (apart from the moderate weather) is that sights were not over-crowded because it was shoulder season. The most crowded place probably was Hobbiton, which has thousands of visitors year-round. Other popular places, such as Te Puia and Milford Sound were quite busy but not flooded with tourists.
Oamaru Public Gardens
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