The 5 best things about New Zealand in spring
 
It’s springtime in New Zealand, and it’s hard to imagine a better place to be.
 
From the weather to the scenery to the food, there are countless amazing things to enjoy in New Zealand at this time of year. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting in spring, you can be sure to look forward to a few of these sights and experiences! 
 
1. The cute lambs
 
It’s a quintessential sight around New Zealand from August through to October – fluffy white lambs frolicking around fields all over the country.
 
No matter where you’re headed, it’s likely you’ll drive past countless cute lambs during your travels. Even for locals, it’s a special sight every single year. Of course, you may also spot calves and foals in fields up and down New Zealand.
 
2. The new ferns in the Waitakere Ranges
 
Spring is a huge time of excitement and growth in the plant world, and one of the most gorgeous sights is that of the tiny new ferns popping up all over the Waitakere Ranges.
 
Come with us on a New Zealand eco tour to the Waitakere Ranges and we’ll help you find some of these vibrant new ferns, including the iconic ponga – the silver fern.
 
3. The gorgeous weather
 
The rainy and cold months are over, but it’s not yet the height of summer – springtime in New Zealand brings with it fresh and crisp mornings, warm and sunny days, and the perfect conditions for getting out and exploring.
 
In Auckland, the temperature will usually sit around the high teens (Celsius) most days, so you can get out on a walk or an adventure without getting too hot or too cold.
 
4. The fresh produce
 
With a new season comes a new crop of fresh fruits and vegetables, and it doesn’t get much better than locally grown produce.
 
You can look forward to Hass avocados, juicy strawberries, tasty asparagus, mounds of boysenberries, and sweet tangelos. If you’re in town, you’ll find these tasty treats in the supermarkets, but one of the best ways to buy them is from honesty boxes on roadsides, where people leave bags of produce at the gate, and you simply pay by leaving the cash in the box.
 
5. The wildflowers
 
When the sun comes out in springtime New Zealand, so too do the wildflowers. The scenery around the country is already some of the best in the world, but a smattering of brightly coloured blooms just makes it all the more spectacular.
 
The pink and purple lupins in Tekapo are some of the most well known, but you’ll be able to spot wildflowers up and down the country. In west Auckland, you can see South African wildflowers at the Waikumete Cemetery, and if you get the chance to visit the Chatham Islands, you might even spot forget-me-nots in bloom. 

Conservation roadmap released for the next 20 years
 
The New Zealand government has recently released its roadmap for conservation and environment science, which will cover the next 20 years.
 
Its main purpose is to identify areas of scientific knowledge that the government needs that will help with decision making in the areas of environmental policy and conservation. Long-term, it is hoped that it will help address any current policy gaps, reduce duplication between departments with similar goals, and improve research coordination throughout the country.
 
There are six themes to the roadmap, each of which will play its role in the future of New Zealand. These are; environmental monitoring and data management, Matauranga Maori, climate change, biosecurity, integrated ecosystems and processes, and social and economic factors.
 
Conservation Minister Maggie Barry spoke about the road map at the recent annual Bluegreens forum, saying “we need to focus our research efforts on innovative technologies and take the long view if we want to improve New Zealand’s sustainability and resilience in the face of increasing conservation challenges”.
 
The map was created by taking account of a number of factors such as existing policies, international obligations, government objectives, as well as public feedback on future research policies from a formal consultation process last year.
 
Of course, New Zealand has set some challenging and exciting goals, such as one to become predator-free by 2050, and another to grow the population of kiwis to 100,000 by 2030. Initiatives such as this roadmap are essential to help such goals come to fruition, and to keep conservation a main driver for policy decisions.
 
You can read more about the road map on the website for the Ministry of the Environment here.