Curiously, native fauna is limited, with the only indigenous mammal being the bat. Bird life, however, has thrived. Tongariro National Park in the North Island and Te Waihipouna-mu in the South Island.
Temperatures are a few degrees cooler in the South Island, and both islands receive snow in winter.
Winter falls in the months of June through August and summer from December through to February. It is important to remember that New Zealand's climate is maritime, rather than continental, which means the weather can change with amazing rapidity and consequence. The busy tourist season falls in the warmer months between November and April, though ski resorts, such as Queenstown, are full during winter. Lonely Planet Publications Pty. Ltd. All rights reserved.