New Zealand
Milford Sound in December
☀️ SummerPleasant and very wet. Watch for flood risk.
🎒 Pack: light layers · compact umbrella or rain jacket · waterproof sandals
Why December scores 7.9What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.5
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (19°C highs / 10°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 9.7°C)
- !Wet: ~585 mm rain, ~17 heavy-rain days
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~3 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards8.5
- !Flood: ~17 heavy-rain days (≥10 mm) in an average December
- Safety baseline9.5
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.9 Very good | 8.0 Very good |
| Season | ☀️ Summer | ☀️ Summer |
| High / low | 19° / 10° | 20° / 11° |
| Rain | 585 mm | 667 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 10° | dew pt 11° |
| PM2.5 | 3 µg/m³ | 4 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Milford Sound weather-station normals. Rainfall: Milford Sound Airport weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Boxing Day 25–28 Dec · 4 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore Milford SoundEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA fiord in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, with sheer cliffs, waterfalls and Mitre Peak, usually visited by cruise from the end of the Milford Road.
Great Walks seasonDate variesUsually late October to late April
The period when huts are staffed and bookings are required on the Milford Track.
Why go: Bookings open months ahead and sell out quickly.
Where: Milford Track and other Fiordland Great Walks
Kepler ChallengeDate variesUsually early December
A long-running mountain run around the Kepler Track.
Why go: Te Anau accommodation is busier that weekend.
Where: Kepler Track, Te Anau
Milford Sound cruise
Boat trips to the Tasman Sea and back past waterfalls, seals and sometimes dolphins.
💡 Rainy days make the waterfalls more dramatic; it is one of the wettest places in New Zealand.
Milford Road
The scenic road from Te Anau through the Eglinton Valley and Homer Tunnel, with stops such as Mirror Lakes.
💡 The road can close for avalanche risk in winter and spring; check conditions and carry chains in winter.
Sea kayaking
Guided kayak trips on the fiord for close views of the cliffs and wildlife.
Milford Trackgreat in Dec
A famous multi-day Great Walk ending at Milford Sound.
💡 Huts must be booked well ahead for the Great Walks season.
Scenic flights
Small-plane or helicopter flights from Queenstown or Te Anau over the mountains, some landing at Milford.
Lady Bowen Falls
A large waterfall close to the wharf, visible from the foreshore and on cruises.
Fiordland crayfish
Rock lobster caught along the Fiordland coast.
💡 Restaurants in Te Anau
Whitebait fritters
Tiny juvenile fish bound in egg and fried, a South Island favourite.
💡 Seasonal, mainly spring
Southland cheese rolls
White bread rolled around a cheese mixture and toasted, a Southland speciality.
💡 Cafes in Te Anau and Southland
Bluff oysters
Wild oysters from Foveaux Strait, available in season from about March to August.
💡 Southland restaurants and fish shops
Pounamu
New Zealand greenstone carved into traditional Māori designs.
💡 Reputable carvers and galleries; check it is New Zealand stone
Merino and possum knitwear
Warm knitwear made in New Zealand from merino wool blended with possum fibre.
Mānuka honey
A dark honey from New Zealand mānuka flowers.
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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