We applied 5 pesticides, along with bromide as a conservative tracer, at 2 field sites (Northland and Manawatu, North Island of New Zealand), and their distributions in the soil profile were monitored through soil core and suction cup sampling for 18 months. Field-measured values were simulated using LEACHM, HYDRUS-1D, GLEAMS, and SPASMO models and compared against the measured datasets at both these sites. All 4 models predicted the measured dataset for each of the compounds with reasonable degree of accuracy; however, some discrepancies were observed. Prediction by GLEAMS was by far the best, as indicated by the goodness of fit parameters. Pesticide leaching parameters, organic carbon partition coefficient (K_oc), and degradation half-life (T_1/2) were optimised using the PEST optimisation package. For diazinon and terbuthylazine the parameters obtained for each of the models were generally close to the literature range. However, K_oc and T_1/2 values for atrazine, hexazinone, and procymidone were found to be slightly lower than the available literature range data.