Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Public Holidays
NZ's main public holidays:
New Year
1 and 2 January
Waitangi Day
6 February
Easter
Good Friday and Easter Monday; March/April
Anzac Day
25 April
Queen's Birthday
First Monday in June
Labour Day
Fourth Monday in October
Christmas Day
25 December
Boxing Day
26 December
In addition, each NZ province has its own anniversary-day holiday. The dates vary: when
they fall on Friday to Sunday, they're usually observed the following Monday; if they fall on
Tuesday to Thursday, they're held on the preceding Monday. Provincial anniversary holi-
days:
Southland
17 January
Wellington
22 January
Auckland
29 January
Northland
29 January
Nelson
1 February
Otago
23 March
Taranaki
31 March
South Canterbury
25 September
Hawke's Bay
1 November
Marlborough
1 November
Chatham Islands
30 November
Westland
1 December
Canterbury
16 December
School Holidays
The Christmas holiday season, from mid-December to late January, is part of the summer
school vacation: expect transport and accommodation to book-out in advance, and
queues at tourist attractions. There are three shorter school-holiday periods during the
