Summer Fun in New Zealand

While winter may be in full swing in the States, New Zealand is just getting started with its warmer weather and summer months. As they just so happen to bring the sunshine, February and March also offer a whole lineup of fun festivals and outdoors activities. Check out what’s on in New Zealand and see what fun you can add to your list of activities for your upcoming trip.

If you’re in the Hawkes Bay area, the Art Deco Festival brings guests back in time to the 1930s. Celebrate the bygone era over a long party weekend, Feb. 13–17, and join thousands of locals and travelers all flocking to the glittering event. Guests dress in era-authentic costumes and check out hundreds of events, including live music and open-air concerts, fashion shows, parades and incredible cuisine displayed like a Gatsby-esque picnic.

For something traditional, tribal and downright incredible, check out the Te Matatini Festival, Feb. 20–24. The kapa haka, or traditional Māori performing arts, literally translates to line dance. Watch as participants painted in tribal art and dress dance, chant and sing in an impressive lineup of performances. Head to the Northland Bay of Islands for an event or check out another location and time as announced on the website.

Dancers of the Maori Culture village holding a wooden sticks in Tamaki Cultural Village, Rotorua, New Zealand © Pablo Hidalgo | Dreamstime.com

While the specific dance-centric festival occurs at different locations and dates throughout the year, you can always make a point to visit Tamaki Māori Village in Rotorua, New Zealand, for a dip into the incredible culture and way of life.

For all the golfers in the family, you’re in luck — the New Zealand Golf Open turns 100 this year and kicks off Feb. 28–March 3. Hosted at The Hills and Millbrook Resort, fans and tourists head to the green to cheer on the competition at this year’s historic event.

Over in Hokitika, check out the Survivor-style antics of the Wildfoods Festival. Hosted for the 30^th year, guests enjoy live music, entertainment, “feral fashion” contests and more than 50 stalls of odd cuisine to try, including possum kababs and Huhu grubs (or beetle), March 9.

For something even more thrilling for the older kids and more daring adults, check out the AJ Hackett Bungy experience. The Nevis Catapult thrill experience is essentially that, a catapult. Strap into your harness and launch across the gaping, gorgeous wilderness of the Queenstown outback.