Jo_Paul87

Help please! Wot's the weather like there everyone? Can I be optimistic and pack our t-shirts or is it jumper weather yet? We fly out on 23rd May so any useful info would be welcomed!

Am Loolah

Crikey - have a look at the Today's Weather thread!

Where are you heading and is it for a holiday or permanent? Just incase you are doing both islands as the weather varies to put it mildly!

irnbru14

If you are moving out permanently...

One bit of advice BUY CLOTHES THERE, fill you bags to their weighty limits on decent quality clothes at a decent price, especially decent shoes, clear out your local branch of Clarks!!!

Will be a shock to the system the shops in NZ

Actually forgoe the clothes and stuff as much IKEA flatpack in your bags as you can

If only a short holiday, pack for 4 seasons in one day, its the start of NZ winter and god only knows what that will throw at ya

Persephone

Depends where you are going but it is freezing cold here in the Manawatu in the NI
Bring gloves, hats, waterproof clothing and woollies
Mind tomorrow it may well be sunny and warm. I just don't know, bring everything you own???

Seriously if you're only out here for a temporary holiday bring a good mix of clothes for sunny beach type activities,waterproof and winter clothing. Definitely bring jumpers and a warm jacket and what you would normally wear for a winter's day in the UK. Just enough to layer up when it gets cold.
Sue

lardyl

Weather is less predictable and more variable than in most of the UK. So layers, layers and more layers is the best way to go.

In a couple of years I've found plenty of use for:

capalene vests and thermals - great base layers from Patagonia and the equivalents from berghaus, C&A (bless em) and M&S
Paramo shirts and jackets (Nikwax breathables) - although the puffy jkt gets less use that I'd like!
training tops - the wind stoppers are great
lightweight SPF30+ shirts, long sleeve to protect from the sun which is very powerful here
micro fleeces - various weights
a good hat - although you can live with 50 cent baseball cap from the op. shop. (like Oxfam or charity shops but often on a much larger scale!)
a decent pair of sunglasses - if you need a prescription it might be best to get a couple of pairs before you come as opticians here can be rather expensive.
although Kiwis (us included) love sport some of the gear can be expensive - I got two pairs of footie boots from ebay for the same price as I could get one over here (and in a style that is not available in NZ). But in other cases there isn't a great deal of difference in cost, if its made in China and not a Euro import it will be reasonable in NZ.

lots of this stuff (the fleeces, vests, etc) can be gotten from Khatmandu, NZ/Oz version of Milletts but never buy at full price..........their sales show the true mark-ups. Quality Kids shoes can be hard to come by - we have to drive 25km to get the feet measured properly but then lots of Kiwi kids (ours included) prefer being barefoot most of the time.

You can tell that I am a frumpy miserable bugger............but then all my italian suits (and yes I have a couple, plus trendy designer shirts) have sat in the cupboards, all except the lacoste short sleeves that are great casuals and hard-wearing.

Going into the office or out to a meeting overdressed and being told you are so can be a little embarassing. Little in the way of a "dress code" here compared to same industry in the UK where we were supposed to wear business attire to burned out buildings. yeah right.

Browner_

Snow settled on beaches in the North Island today !

lapsed kiwi

It was hail!

Not sure if that is better or worse

Jo_Paul87

Many thanks for all your varied replies! To answer Am Loolah we are on a two week holiday to the North Island - off to buy 2 more suitcases now for all those extra layers!

scrubbedexpat094

Enjoy your holiday. Whereabouts are you going on the North Island?

Layers are definitely the way to go. Can you bring some good weather with you, I'm so over this rain!

Dustybin

Pair of jandles, stubbies and a singlet obviously..

Browner_

Is that the wrong kind of snow?

CarolineSwan

It all depends .. for you you could well feel warmer than we all do.. my friend has been here the past 2 weeks and she thinks its hilarious cos im wearing like 10 layers and she walking about in vest tops and sunbathing in my garden ... she thinks its roasting but then it is compared to back in the uk, its 2 degrees where she lives ... it is roasting

i would just pack mixed clothes with a few cardis etc for night time

caz

luvwelly

I agree with Caroline..when you've been here a couple of years, you forget how to cope with outside cold...I was complaining it was cold outside today and the sun was shining and there was barely any wind...I hardly ever need my thick winter coat here..it just sits in the wardrobe....I suggest t-shirt, (jumper) and waterproof...or maybe even just long-sleeved t-shirt/top and waterproof. Some houses here are colder inside than the temperature outside but hotels should be adequately heated. Lower NI gets a lot of sunshine even in winter.

sr71

Really depends where you are going and at what time of year - but in Auckland I have never known it to be cold enough that a combination of t-shirt, jersey or polar fleece and a shell jacket isn't enough. Layers as someone said.

Much colder in high country or the South Island obviously.

lapsed kiwi

The difference, getting slightly technical, is that snow tends to fall where the surface temperature is close to or below zero. Hail, on the other hand, forms at high altitude in very active cumulo-nimbus clouds so the presence of ice is not indicative of the surface air temperature. All to do with the adiabatic lapse rate. I'm reliably informed that it has never snowed at Tauranga.