Franz Josef Westland National Park Hari Hari Glacier Heritage Highway Hokitika Climate New Zealand is a mountainous country, surrounded by ocean. It is located in the Southern Temperate Zone in a latitude with a prevailing westerly windflow. The ocean environment provides a mild climate with very few extremities, while the combination of mountains and westerly winds account for remarkable climatic differences, especially in rainfall and temperature from west to east.
Majestic mountains form a barrier to the winds and are the major factor controlling rainfall.
New Zealand's spring season runs from September to November, summer from December to February, autumn from March to May and winter months extend from June to August.