SeasonMapNew Zealand in May
May is one of New Zealand's weaker months (rank 10 of 12): its 17 destinations average 67/100, led by Rotorua at 80 — 13°C and 10 rainy days — while Tongariro is cooler at 7°C and scores 68.
#10 of 12 months for New Zealand · 17 destinations · updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Where in New Zealand in May
| # | Place | Type | Feels-like high | Rain | Comfort | At its best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotorua | Trekking hub | 13°C | 106 mm · 10 days | 80 tier A | — |
| 2 | Auckland | City | 16°C | 92 mm · 12 days | 78 tier B | — |
| 3 | Napier | City | 17°C | 58 mm · 9 days | 78 tier B | — |
| 4 | Wellington | City | 13°C | 91 mm · 11 days | 73 tier B | — |
| 5 | Christchurch | City | 13°C | 56 mm · 8 days | 72 tier B | — |
| 6 | Lake Tekapo | Trekking hub | 8°C | 109 mm · 11 days | 72 tier B | — |
| 7 | Dunedin | City | 11°C | 48 mm · 10 days | 71 tier B | — |
| 8 | Paihia | Beach | 16°C | 79 mm · 8 days | 70 tier B | — |
| 9 | Te Anau | National park | 9°C | 150 mm · 16 days | 70 tier B | — |
| 10 | Nelson | City | 16°C | 148 mm · 12 days | 69 tier C | — |
| 11 | Tongariro | National park | 7°C | 176 mm · 14 days | 68 tier C | — |
| 12 | Taupo | City | 12°C | 124 mm · 11 days | 66 tier C | — |
| 13 | Aoraki Mount Cook | National park | 8°C | 285 mm · 16 days | 63 tier C | — |
| 14 | Kaikōura | Beach | 14°C | 84 mm · 11 days | 63 tier C | — |
| 15 | Franz Josef | Trekking hub | 11°C | 380 mm · 17 days | 62 tier C | — |
| 16 | Queenstown | Ski resort | 11°C | 120 mm · 14 days | 44 tier F | — |
| 17 | Wānaka | Ski resort | 9°C | 99 mm · 12 days | 41 tier F | — |
Comfort is SeasonMap's 0–100 score; each place is judged through the lens that suits it — beaches on beach weather, ski resorts on snow. "At its best" means May is one of that place's own top three months. Feels-like highs fold in humidity, wind and sun.
What's on in New Zealand in May
- Autumn colour in the parks · Christchurch · 10 Apr – 20 May (usually)
- Larches turn on the lakeshore · Lake Tekapo · 10 Apr – 15 May (usually)
- Milky Way season · Lake Tekapo and 1 more place · 15 Apr – 15 Sep (usually)
- Sperm whales, all year · Kaikōura · 1 Jan – 31 Dec
- Seal pups in the streams · Kaikōura · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)
- Albatross season · Kaikōura · 1 Apr – 30 Sep (usually)
- Autumn colour in Arrowtown · Queenstown · 5 Apr – 5 May (usually)
- Royal albatross chick season · Dunedin · 20 Jan – 15 Sep (usually)