NZ Travel - March vs April?

(Sorry if this is a repost. The original hasn't shown up (here) so I'm
trying it again.)

Just wondering what the pros and cons may be in visiting NZ (both North and
South Island) in March vs April, for someone who is not going specifically
to spend a lot of time on the beaches.

Of course, it depends on individual preferences, but I'd appreciate comments
from folks who live there, or who have visited there.

Some considerations that come to mind include:

-weather - temperature, rainfall
-are tourist attractions/services/points of interest open/available as much
in April as they would (presumbably) be in March?
-Is there much difference in rates for accommodation etc?
-Some people posted about sandflies in the southwest areas etc. Are these
better/worse in April/March? (By the way, just curious - are these similar
to what we call blackflies in North America?)
-Any other considerations?

Thanks
Ron B

(to respond directly, please delete the prot)

"RonB" wrote in message
...
(Sorry if this is a repost. The original hasn't shown up (here) so I'm
trying it again.)

Just wondering what the pros and cons may be in visiting NZ (both North
and
South Island) in March vs April, for someone who is not going specifically
to spend a lot of time on the beaches.

Of course, it depends on individual preferences, but I'd appreciate
comments
from folks who live there, or who have visited there.

Some considerations that come to mind include:

-weather - temperature, rainfall
-are tourist attractions/services/points of interest open/available as
much
in April as they would (presumbably) be in March?
-Is there much difference in rates for accommodation etc?
-Some people posted about sandflies in the southwest areas etc. Are these
better/worse in April/March? (By the way, just curious - are these similar
to what we call blackflies in North America?)
-Any other considerations?

Thanks
Ron B

(to respond directly, please delete the prot)

It's obvious that April will be a little cooler than March on average, as
you're heading toward winter. For how much, check out the climate averages
at www.weatherbase.com for the towns you will be visiting.
There shouldn't be a lot of difference in opening of tourist attractions,
most of which would be open year round anyway, Australia and New Zealand
don't generally follow European and American practices of closing things
down for the winter.
A factor you should consider is that accommodation may be harder to obtain
in some areas in April because of Easter and the school vacation period,
which is 9 - 26 April 2004.

Regards

David Bennetts
Australia

March will have better weather and no school holidays


Just wondering what the pros and cons may be in visiting NZ (both North
and
South Island) in March vs April, for someone who is not going specifically
to spend a lot of time on the beaches.

Of course, it depends on individual preferences, but I'd appreciate
comments
from folks who live there, or who have visited there.

Some considerations that come to mind include:

-weather - temperature, rainfall
-are tourist attractions/services/points of interest open/available as
much
in April as they would (presumbably) be in March?
-Is there much difference in rates for accommodation etc?
-Some people posted about sandflies in the southwest areas etc. Are these
better/worse in April/March? (By the way, just curious - are these similar
to what we call blackflies in North America?)
-Any other considerations?

Thanks
Ron B

(to respond directly, please delete the prot)

in article , RonB at
wrote on 16/1/04 7:12 AM:

(Sorry if this is a repost. The original hasn't shown up (here) so I'm
trying it again.)

Just wondering what the pros and cons may be in visiting NZ (both North and
South Island) in March vs April, for someone who is not going specifically
to spend a lot of time on the beaches.

Of course, it depends on individual preferences, but I'd appreciate comments
from folks who live there, or who have visited there.

Some considerations that come to mind include:

-weather - temperature, rainfall
-are tourist attractions/services/points of interest open/available as much
in April as they would (presumbably) be in March?
-Is there much difference in rates for accommodation etc?
-Some people posted about sandflies in the southwest areas etc. Are these
better/worse in April/March? (By the way, just curious - are these similar
to what we call blackflies in North America?)
-Any other considerations?

Thanks
Ron B

(to respond directly, please delete the prot)



For somebody on a short trip, beaches are not a major consideration when
visiting NZ anyway. As for seasonal activities, most tourist operators will
at a minimum, work on peak season being up to & including the Easter
holidays. This may affect opening hours and frequency of tours, but in
general it should not affect you as a tour will likely have twice as many
customers when it runs 3 or 4 times a day in peak season as when it runs
only twice a day in off-season.

If you come later, start in the SI to ensure that you don't strike cooler
weather - or start in the NI if you hope to see early snow on the mountains.

Vicki