5 best places to stay in New Zealand in July

The temperature is dropping, but the cold isn’t slowing us down this July – it’s a calendar full of events in Aotearoa.

Dates, ski season, school holidays, and of course, the FIFA Women’s World Cup… it’s going to be a big month.

Here are five of the best places to stay in New Zealand in July.

Greytown

Have you ever wanted to have a cold Christmas in NZ, with twinkling lights, mulled wine… and snow? Every July, the town of Wairarapa hosts its Christmas Festival, its main street lit up with magical lights and displays and a full program of festivities for the month. There will be night markets every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and on Friday and Saturday nights, you sit outside the Town Hall to hear the “snow waves”.

Although you may feel like you’ve been transported to the north of the world, you’ll be reminded that you’re still in Aotearoa with special Matariki events on offer over the long weekend (July 13 to 16), including free stargazing sessions. and harakeke weaving workshops for children.

Bay of Islands

Although Matariki celebrations will take place all over the country, one of the best places to immerse yourself in this special time of year is the Bay of Islands, which is hosting the Matariki Pēwhairangi Festival from June 30 to July 22.

The main event, Te Tau Hou Māori, will be held on the Paihia Waterfront on Friday July 14, with music, storytelling, kapa haka, street food and a spectacular display of light, waka and fireworks. You won’t want to miss out on the Matariki Festival either, with top Northland restaurants and producers hosting special kai events.

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds will be running a program of events, exhibitions and talks throughout the festival, with a free open day on July 16.

Christchurch

Ōtautahi is set to light up this July with a number of high-profile events. Kicking off the month on Saturday July 1 is the Winter Fireworks Spectacular, which takes place at New Brighton Pier from 5.30pm.

The spectacular Tīrama Mai festival returns to the city center from July 7 to 15, with a series of events lighting up Victoria Square. For a unique experience, consider booking a special evening excursion with Punting on the Avon.

Tune in to the annual Go Live music festival at Christchurch Town Hall on July 29, with Kiwi music legend Tiki Taane headlining a line-up of local artists.

Queenstown

Queenstown is the place to be during the school holidays when the ski season gets into full swing, with the slopes producing exciting events throughout the month. Coronet Peak has a very busy calendar, including night skiing parties every Saturday of the school holidays, Matariki constellation viewing on July 14 and children’s day on July 15.

On July 14, you can also visit Arrowtown for the Matariki Arrowtown Lights event, where the main street will present an amazing display of colorful and illuminated stories. There will also be kapa haka performances, stargazing, food stalls and fireworks.

Cities hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup

The FIFA Women’s World Cup will be one of New Zealand’s biggest ever, and will kick off from July 20, with matches in four host cities – Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin.

Auckland will take the ball to the opening ceremony with the opening game – New Zealand vs Norway – at Eden Park on July 20.

But even if you can’t make a match, each host city has a favorite venue where you can take in the action on the big screen, with food and entertainment on offer too. In Auckland the fan zone is at The Cloud on the waterfront, in Hamilton it is at the Claudelands Event Centre, in Wellington at Shed 6 on the waterfront, and in Dunedin at the Town Hall & Glenroy Auditorium.