New Zealand was the last major landmass in the world to be discovered. Even now, there are only four million people living on the isles, where population density ranks number 201 in the world, a fair hop from China's placing of 75. The quietude is broken, of course, by the country's 40 million sheep, and Australian tourists cracking jokes about them. But New Zealand in September, October and November has much more to offer than spring lambs, as adorable and (subsequently) delicious as they are. We've collated six compelling reasons to visit Aotearoa before the year is out.

1. Fashion Week

New Zealanders are so stylish that even their rugby team understands the enduring sophistication of wearing black. Fashion Week takes place late this month in the country's first city, Auckland. The event provides a showcase for designers such as Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester and hopefully whoever makes the animal sweaters Brett wears in Flight of the Conchords. It's also a great excuse to explore the City of Sails. Auckland is set on an isthmus, surrounded by beautiful beaches and strewn with dormant volcanoes.
NZ Fashion Week, 16-21 September, Auckland. Web: www.nzfashionweek.com

2. Wearable Art

The capital city, Wellington, is home to the World of Wearable Art show. As the name suggests, the event features artworks that you can put on but probably wouldn't meet the office dress code. The artworks range from Polynesian-influenced pieces to the outlandish and cinematic, things that wouldn't be out of place in a Guillermo Del Toro film. Del Toro is, coincidentally, in Wellington these days working on The Hobbit.
World of Wearable Art, September 24 until October 4. RMB 230-1,625. Web: www.worldofwearableart.com

3. The Life Aquatic

Kaikoura means 'meal of crayfish' in Maori, but the marine life there is also a feast for the eyes. The ocean falls away to a deep abyss just off Kaikoura's coast, prompting scientists to search there for giant squid. The deep water also brings killer whales, pilot whales and sperm whales, which can grow up to 20 metres long and weigh 50 tonnes. Visitors can take a boat out in search of whales (RMB 650) to watch them spout and flash their flukes before diving back into the depths. In Kaikoura you can also snorkel with Dusky dolphins and Hector's dolphins (RMB 700), whose innate curiosity makes them happy to entertain.
Web: www.dolphin.co.nz, www.whalewatch.co.nz

4. Oenophilia

New Zealand's premiere wine party, Toast Martinborough, takes place among the vines in an elegant country town in the Wairarapa region, just an hour and a half by rail or car from Wellington. The area's vineyards partner up with top restaurants from the capital city to ensure that you don't go hungry, and each one hosts a series of bands. Expect to see young professionals from Welly losing their jeans and jandals cavorting under the grape vines.
15 November. RMB 280. Web: www.toastmartinborough.co.nz

5. Adventure Tourism

With no military rivals or even dangerous animals, New Zealanders have had to engineer opportunities to frighten themselves.

Modern bungy jumping is derived from a Vanuatu rite of passage called 'land diving,' where men jump off towers with vines tied to their feet. A Kiwi named A. J.Hackett began the first commercial bungy operation, replacing vines with latex ropes in 1988, and encouraging the public to jump off picturesque Queenstown's 43 metre high Kawarau Bridge. The bridge jump is still in operation, as is The Ledge (pictured), situated 400m above the city.
RMB 770. Web: www.bungy.co.nz

Rotorua, which provides many visitors with their first introduction to Maori culture, is also home to the epitome of rolling culture, the Zorb. Created in 1995, the Zorb invites thrill-seekers to step inside a large inflatable ball, often partially filled with water, and ride it down a hill. The experience is akin to being a sock in a washing machine, or a gerbil on a wheel, or maybe a gerbil in a washing machine?
RMB 230. Web: www.zorb.com

6. Snow Sports

Although the weather is already warming up, New Zealand's ski fields are 'sweet as' through September and October, and often into early November. Ruapehu ski field is New Zealand's largest, with a wide variety of runs, and it's your best bet in the North Island. In the South Island, the Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Mount Hutt, and Cardrona (known for its snowboarding park) all offer good skiing.

Lessons are easy to come by, and more advanced skiers and snowboarders who are looking to get off the beaten track can choose from a number of heli-skiing operators on the Southern Alps. A one day lift pass costs RMB 280-460.
Web: www.fourcorners.co.nz/new-zealand/skiing