The Joys of Spring

With every uncurling leaf and unfurling bungy cord, New Zealand’s spring announces its intention to inject energy and new experiences into your life.

	Kauri Cliffs, Northland
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A time for doing

More than any other season, spring gives you the urge to get out there and do things. Think about a landscape that appeals to you, then find an adventure that puts you there.

White water rafting is always a blast, but this trip takes the thrill to a whole new level.
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Maybe you’re craving altitude? If that’s the case, consider a custom-made helicopter trip to a remote mountain summit for a high-level picnic lunch. Sky diving, hot-air ballooning, bungy jumping and canyon swinging are other ways to get some air.

In our national parks the walking tracks are ready for action. It’s a great time for hiking - spring fever infuses the forests with fresh growth and there are fewer walkers on the trails. Every lake, waterfall and stream is at its scenic best. Mountain biking tours and horse treks will also let you interact with the wild places.

Along the coast, water clarity is amazing. From a sea kayak you can peer into marine reserves and visit wildlife colonies; from inside a full set of scuba gear you can explore kelp forests, black corals, red hydrocorals, submarine archways or shipwrecks that have become living reefs.

On the menu

	Fresh seafood cooked at the beach - one of the simple joys of life in New Zealand.
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Spring specialties from the garden include asparagus, strawberries and fresh herbs; the sea gives us scallops and crayfish; and our farms produce the newest lamb and veal. The abundance of ingredients inspires restaurants to ‘spring clean’ their menus and wine lists, shaking off winter’s comfort food in favour of lighter, brighter flavours. Imagine a warm salad of Golden Bay scallops and shitake mushrooms served with a lively Marlborough sauvignon blanc - possibly the perfect partnership for spring.

Luxuriant landscapes

Even if you’re a hard-core adventurer, try to make time for some of the season’s gentler activities. Up and down the country, public parks are bursting at the seams with flowers - frivolous cherry blossom and yellow daffodils, elegant camellias and

Koru - Unfurling Fern Frond
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Our native species are also turning on a show. In the forest you can enjoy yellow-flowering kowhai, pretty white clematis and the massive creamy flower heads of ti-kouka, our iconic cabbage tree. The birds are running riot - tui and korimako (bellbird) win first prize for sweet singing at this time of the year.

Something special to look for when you’re walking in a nature reserve or national park is the unfurling frond of a ponga (silver fern). In Maori tradition, its spiral shape (koru) represents new life. Without a doubt, it’s the perfect symbol of a New Zealand spring.