Australian Visitor Arrivals Increase

Visitor arrivals from Australia reached 1.48 million in the September 2025 year, up from 1.33 million the year before, according to data released by Stats NZ today.

This was an increase of 153,500, or 12 percent, compared with the September 2024 year.

"For September years, 2025 was the second highest for the number of visitor arrivals from Australia, after 2019," international travel statistics spokesperson Bryan Downes said.

"The increase in visitor numbers from Australia in the September 2025 year coincided with an increase in flights between Australia and New Zealand, and a Tourism New Zealand marketing campaign from early 2025 targeting the Australian market," Downes said.

Extra flight connections between Australia and New Zealand in the September 2025 year were with Queensland (Cairns-Christchurch, Coolangatta-Hamilton, and Coolangatta-Dunedin) and New South Wales (Sydney-Hamilton).

There were a record number of visitor arrivals from Australia for both a September month and quarter in 2025, exceeding the previous highs in 2019.

About one-quarter of visitor arrivals from Australia in the September 2025 year were New Zealand citizens, a similar proportion to the September 2019 year.

Annually, Australia is the largest source of visitor arrivals to New Zealand. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows New Zealand is the second most visited destination by Australian residents taking short-term trips overseas. Indonesia overtook New Zealand as the leading destination from the August 2023 year. Overseas arrivals and departures, Australia - 2024-25 financial year from the ABS includes more detail.

More Australian visitors hop over for a holiday

"Holidaymakers drove the growth in visitor numbers from Australia in the September 2025 year, followed by those visiting friends or relatives," Downes said.

Almost half (633,900) of visitors from Australia gave a holiday or vacation as their main reason for travelling to New Zealand in the September 2025 year. This was up 94,200, or 17 percent, from the year before.

Visiting friends or relatives was the second most common reason for travel, given by 582,000 visitors from Australia. This was up 60,500, or 12 percent, on the year before.

Queensland leads annual growth of visitors from Australia

"Among Australian states and territories, residents of Queensland contributed the most to visitor growth from Australia in the September 2025 year, up almost 65,000, or 18 percent," Downes said.

The 418,100 visitor arrivals from Queensland were a record for any year from that state, and the latest in a succession of annual records starting with the April 2025 year.

"New South Wales remained the largest source of visitors from Australia to New Zealand in the September 2025 year, followed by Queensland and Victoria."