Elms Hotel

Re: Mosuitos/Flies (Visiting South Island in May)

by Kakapo2

It surely is better than summer ;-))

The colder it is the better - because in cold weather the sandflies die. So there are good chances that you will not have problems in the normally most horribly affected areas like Milford and Doubtful Sounds, and everywhere in Fiordland.

The other hotspot - meaning: badly affected region - is the West Coast which has milder climate, so there could still be sandflies. Best you stay ON the glaciers, no problem there ;-)))

The same applies to Abel Tasman National Park which does not get terribly cold winters.

No problems along the east coast of the South Island.

How serious the problem is depends on the weather and what you do. When it is windy and you are walking the sandflies cannot bite you because they are too slow and too lightweight. In humid and overcast conditions the risk of being bitten is high.

There are no real problems with mosquitoes. Even in places where you find them, their bites are nothing compared to mosquito bites in other countries. And nothing compared to sandfly bites.

Best you always have some insect repellent at hand, so you can keep them away from you and avoid bites. In case you are bitten, I have found out that tiger balm stops the itching immediately and speeds up the healing.

Best you buy repellent in NZ.

If you are lucky you will not encounter any problems.

Can I please direct you to my New Zealand page. I have posted a huge write-up about sandflies with links to more info sites in the Warnings & Dangers section.