deedee

I have seen the weather in New Zealand generalised so much since i started reading this forum.Its always from people who hav'nt been to NZ.Well i have to say the weather here is nothing like Blighty at all.There are so many micro climates across NZ it is quite simply impossible to describe it in one sentance.Nowhere in the UK has rain like the West coast and Fiordland,nowhere in the Uk is as dry and scorched as Cantabury and there is nowhere that sees -10 nights and 35 degree days like Central. I only have a longer term view of Otago and Southland so as for the North i could'nt really say.However,the last twelve months have shown -20 in ST Bathens,several feet of snow on the hills,still there now and sunburn that i have only experienced worse in India.I've seen it go from not a cloud in the sky,within 10 minutes black and thunderstorms and then back to scorching sunshine. One day it snows,the next its 30 degrees,then it snows again.As for the sun,it may be the same ball in the sky 93million miles away but here it so much more intense.17 deg in the sun here feels more like a UK 35!This winter i've got sunburn on my hands that i never ever got in the summer of the UK.I don't think i've seen a grey cloud since coming here either.Bring your sunblock,you will need it down here in the South for sure.

hamiltonnz

The noth Island is varied as well. I Ilive in the Waikato(central north island) which can be foggy and damp and miserable in the winter, mind you weve had some nice winter days recently. I hate the winter here which is one reason why im getting out of the place. Tauranga is 1 1/4hours drive away and dosnt get the fogs or as much rain as I do. South of Tauranga in Napier and gisborne the weather is milder as well. Auckland weather is average and the weather is nicer north of auckland. 2 hours south of me(taupo ) it gets freezing in the winter but the skifields are not far away. I wouldnt live in the southern parts of the north island. its boring and gets cold and damp in winter. Wellington ( our capital and bottom of the north island is windy and a bit of a hole. I lived there for 6 months) Mind you I think Aucklands a bit of a hole as well because its spreads out over the land in an ad hoc disorganised mess. Some areas in auckland are nice but I wouldnt live in auckland for quids. Tauranga is my pick. Got great beaches close by. Probably dull for night life but that wouldnt bother me.

Don

I formed pretty much the same impression of Auckland as you! But if I had to move there for work, I figured north of Auckland just off the motorway - say, Orewa - could be quite a good place to live and good for weather too. What do you think?

bondipom

Sunny and it felt about 20C today in Auckland. Great views when I was in the ranges. I hear in rains a bit here. Back to Sydney soon though.

hamiltonnz

Orewa area is excellent and there are some fantastic beaches that are fairly quiet(except at Xmas time, not far away from Orewa as well. a bit further up theres the bay of islands and its very nice up that way as well.

southerner

http://www.emigratenz.org/NewZealandClimate.html

This site is a useful summary of NZ weather (and a few other things besides), and allows you to compare the weather of NZ cities back to London and other UK cities.

It would suggest that Wilf is in fact wrong on another thread when he says Dunedin weather is not as good as Londons. More sunshine and not as cold in the winter makes Dunedin the winner for me at least. All the other NZ cities leave UK for dead on weather front, although they have not factored in the average Wellington wind speed.

GetMeOutOfHere

Talking about Sunburn, is the ozone layer worse in the South than the North?
Is it true that NZ has a very high skin cancer risk?

Can someone clarify this area

rickandkara

I am sure I read somewhere that more people down under get skin cancer than in Britian but the of those people that get cancer down under the survival rate is higher (%) because they are more aware of the dangers.

southerner

The hole in the ozone originates over the antartic (for some reason - strange as there are no cars, industries or cows to cause harmful gases down there). It then grows and drifts up over NZ during the summer, and is over the south island more than the north island.

At least that is what I remember from about 10 years ago.

Slip, slop, slap is what they say. Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. Personally I always stayed covered up in the summer between 11am and 3pm.

Anyway, the whole set up in NZ is very sun conscious. The TV weather lists burn times, schools are into sun safety, and you cannot buy sunscreens with less than a 15+ factor.

GetMeOutOfHere

I guessed that people are more aware and therefore use suncream daily, whereas in the UK people go mad when the sun come out and burn as many don't bother with sun cream.

Interesting to here others views.

robernelli

Interesting that you say the Caterbury area gets so hot. My job opportunities are likely to be in either Christchurch or Wellington though I have visited neither...only north and mid North Island. We will not be able to check them out til we get there - hopefully Jan 04. The weather is quite a bit factor for my wife, as she really suffers with the cold and generally good health follows good weather. Plus I dont like to idea of high winds in Wellington much. I'm surprised some people have called it a hole elsewhere in this thread though, and in another thread someone was having a dig at Christchurch which I found even more surprising. Any more insights would be appreciated...

Rob

Watt Dabney

I've lived in Canterbury for 10 months now. My take on the weather here is this. Its definately drier here than the Uk. It tends to rain at night more, when it does rain it tends to for a couple of days then its gone. In the winter it gets pretty cold at night and you have a really sharp frost in the morning but these are usually followed by clear blue skies. You don't often get snow (so I'm told) we had a very light dusting this year (not what I call snow).
Summer was beautiful and hot. I found it a dry heat, not at all muggy. You have to slap your suncream on straight away you burn in no time. The temps are often driven by the wind. If you get a norwester its a lovely warm wind, great for drying washing even mid winter. Everyone puts their washing on if a norwester is forcast. I have also heard somepeople attribute it to giving putting you in a bad mood, something to do with + or - charged ions I beleive. If you get a southerly even though the sun is out the wind is bitterly cold as it blows straight of the Antartic.
What I love is the amount of blue sunny skies you get here, even in winter it might not be warm but the sky is clear and the sun is shinning. Having said that it looks abit grey today!

Paula

deedee

according to the weather forcaster who lives down here in the south,the sun tan factor isn't just because of ozone.Its because of lack of particals in the atmosphere over this island.Polloution is what causes these particals,fumes,fuel,industry and everything else thats blown out into the atmosphere.
On another thought,Cantabury has NZ's largest sheep station,Molesworth(about the size of West Yorkshire) and it's sheep are reffered to as having a "cantabury tan".They all have a yellow look to the wool caused by the excessive dry heat and sun.Plus,if you go on Moleswoth you will see how partched, scorched and dry it really is.Quite an awsome place to see though.

MaryMc

We're near Orewa, and you're right we have some fantastic beaches.

We're usually 2 degrees or so warmer than Auckland city. Plenty of rain this winter though. Summer is hot and dry.

As for , Slip, Slop, Slap, yes, is the way to go!

MaryMc

Don

That sounds right. Fastest place to get a suntan in the UK is Sutherland or the Hebrides (even when the sun isn't out) - no pollution.