New Zealand
Rotorua in December
☀️ SummerPleasant and some showers.
🎒 Pack: compact umbrella or rain jacket
Why December scores 9.4What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.9
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (21°C highs / 12°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 12.5°C)
- !Wet: ~117 mm rain, ~3 heavy-rain days
- Air quality9.9
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~6 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline9.5
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.4 Excellent | 9.6 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Summer | ☀️ Summer |
| High / low | 21° / 12° | 23° / 13° |
| Rain | 117 mm | 94 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 13° | dew pt 13° |
| PM2.5 | 6 µg/m³ | 4 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Rotorua weather-station normals. Rainfall: Rotorua 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 RotoruaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyNorth Island town on an active geothermal field, known for geysers, bubbling mud, hot pools and Māori cultural experiences.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
Rotorua MarathonDate variesUsually late April or May
One of New Zealand's oldest marathons, run around the lake.
Why go: Roads around the lake close on race day.
Where: Around Lake Rotorua
MatarikiDate variesPublic holiday in June or July, date moves each year
The Māori New Year, celebrated with events and gatherings.
Why go: Rotorua often holds cultural events around this time.
Where: Nationwide
Te Puia and Whakarewarewa
A geothermal valley with Pōhutu Geyser and a Māori arts and crafts institute.
Whakarewarewa Living Māori Village
A village where residents use geothermal heat for cooking and bathing.
Wai-O-Tapu
A geothermal park with colourful pools such as the Champagne Pool.
Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest
Tall Californian redwoods with walking and mountain biking trails, and a treetop walk.
Polynesian Spa
Geothermal hot pools on the shore of Lake Rotorua.
Skyline Rotorua
A gondola with a luge track and lake views.
💡 The whole town smells of sulphur; you get used to it.
Hāngī
Meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an earth oven.
💡 Māori cultural evenings
Rēwena bread
A Māori sourdough bread made with potato.
💡 Cafes and markets
Kūmara
New Zealand sweet potato.
💡 Restaurants and hāngī meals
Pounamu (greenstone)
Carved New Zealand jade.
💡 Specialist carving shops
Māori carving
Wood and bone carvings.
💡 Te Puia and local galleries
Mānuka honey
Honey from mānuka trees.
💡 Supermarkets and gift shops
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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