New Zealand @ New Year

Hey people,

Well it looks as though I'll be spending my Christmas & New Years in sunny New Zealand this year I was just wondering if anyone could give me some tip on the best places to see in the New Year,

Also I know it's the height of summer & it might be a crazy question but is there anywhere I can see snow for Christmas or failing that I'll settle for even somewhere cold like the glacier region of New Zealand,

Hi,
I was in NZ for Xmas in '02 and we headed up to the Bay of Islands for the sun and had a barbecue Christmas dinner!
As it happened, that year, the south island had an unusually hot time too, but I dare say the only way you're going to see ice is to sit by a glacier. I've no idea how busy those places will be though.
For partying, I suspect Auckland or Wellington are your main options.
Enjoy the difference

Quoting stevieh

For partying, I suspect Auckland or Wellington are your main options.

Most of the locals looking for a party at New Year's actually head out to either the Bay of Islands, or to the beach at Mount Maunganui. (I know because this latter place is where I ended up for New Year's.)

The only way I can see you walking through snow in the summer is by taking a helicopter flight with glacier landing from either Lake Tekapo, Mt. Cook village, Franz Josef or Fox Glacier. If that's out of your budget, Lake Tekapo probably has the highest chance of enjoying clear weather so you can at least see snow capped mountains - though the snow on Mt. Cook as seen from Mt. Cook village is much more impressive (it's just that clouds often linger eternally around Mt. Cook village; though either way, those two places are less than an hour's drive apart, so you could base yourself in either location).

Cheers for the reply guys,

I've almost decided that I'll spend New Year in Queenstown, still unsure on Christmas Day I just like the idea of seeing snow at Christmas even if it's looking up a mountain (Guess i'm a traditionalist) I was in Oz last Christmas & did the BBQ on the beach thing felt nothing remotely like Christmas

Now I need to decide on my mode of transport about the place (I have 10 weeks) so many options not content with there being 3-4 coach/bus companies they then each offer 10-15 different passes just to confuse the hell out of you,

All I know is I land in Christchurch & 10 weeks later leave via Auckland I guess the rest will just have to come together........

If you want to do something you wont be able to do anywhere else, Gisborne (east coast of the north island) is the 'first to see the sun' on new years, basically the first city to experience new years, because of the time zones and whatnot. (I think theres a small island which has the official first new years, but Gisborne is more accessible.) Gisborne hosts Rhythm and Vines, a great New Years concert, held in a really nice vineyard, and with some pretty good acts, relaxed lazing around listening to music and sampling some of the NZ wines. This year the festival is 3 days, whereas before its only been one, so should be bigger and better. Theres a rhythm and Vines campsite that opens, so you will be surrounded by like-minded people, and sure to meet a crwod to hang out with.
Just an option.
As someone earlier said, the trip over the glaciers is pretty much your onl chance of snow at xmas, good luck with that!

If your in NZ for xmas and new years your going to have to forget about the snow and come party it up on the beach.
It awesome though.....Mt Maunganui or Whangamata are the places to be for New Years!