[nick w]

hi...we are initiating a move to NZ within the next two years. Here in the UK, I suffer badly with SAD disorder. For those not aware of this, it is caused by insufficient natural light/winter blues, needing SAD light box therapy..........aaaaaahhhhh. I am aware that a sunnier brighter climate will be brilliant for my health and invariably I am happiest and fine when the weather is better. Unfortunately the UK does not supply this..........The last 4months here it has been dull, when it should be sunny and I really can't function in this environment anymore.
Do any members have any NZ experience of this problem? I am particularly interested in any recognition of the disorder over there, light box therapy, where the weather is sunniest and the amount of sunshine versus UK per annum. For those lucky people over there, its mid August and people are walking around town with hats, coats and scarves. Car headlights are necessary during the day, its raining most of the time and temps are 10-15 degrees.
Thanks for listening and I look forward to any responses.

[mossum]

Hi there ,

My husband used to get quite down over winter in the UK , we've found it far far better here in north canterbury - with winter days fine & sunny - albeit cold . This site may help.... http://www.niwascience.co.nz/edu/resources/climate/overview/

vic x

[Familyofmonkeys]

The NZ Weather section of this Website lists several NZ cities and UK cities...and compares sunlight, rain, and temperatures. As the seasons are reverse here, this figures have been adjusted so you can compare. BBC website also has something similar for several countries, but afraid I don't have link anymore.

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi Nick It’s awful isn’t it!

I know exactly where you’re coming from because I used to feel just the same.

I’ll be quite honest, NZ isn’t some sunny haven, but my SAD problem has completely gone.

We do have winters in NZ, but we don’t get that endless depressing grey. When the weather is bad here its really really bad, so you can enjoy a good storm. When its bright its dazzling. The summers are amazing, the autumns are bright, with golden brown leaves hanging around for months. Spring is amazing, its still late winter here, but with the amount of flowers springing up, its more like a late UK spring.

Hawkes Bay is very hot in the summer, but very wet in the winter. Wellington is smoother, the summers aren’t as hot as HB and they don’t arrive as early but the climate is temperate and the summers are hot. The place has a name for bad weather but my response is “you’ve got to be kidding”!

Poorly insulated houses, and poor heating systems exaggerate the winter in NZ , my advice is buy an old house, stuff in some double glazing and a central heating system, and the winter will go in the bat of an eye.

The weather is weird here, you can drive out of bad weather in a half an hour, the Hugh hills create so many micro climates that if your really peed off, most days your only a short drive from something better.

The thing I didn’t realise was that being a SADooo, isn’t just about getting enough bright sunshine, to me its all down to the mundane grey. A storm with 100k winds is quite entertaining, and being indoors watching it is actually quite exciting.

When you step out into the rain in Wellington it can be like stepping into a power shower set on freeze, when the sun comes out its outstandingly beautiful, and amazingly bright.

The greatest treat is in the middle of winter you can wake up freezing, see the frost on the grass, set off to work and spend the afternoon in gloriously bright sunshine (that’s in the middle of winter). It was around 15C today but very bright and quite warm in the sunshine.

I saw an odd thing today, an African lady that’s works in the same company as me went to her car at lunch time. She had all the windows wound up and spent her dinner break snoozing in her car. I got in my car (to pop to the shop) and burnt myself on the steering wheel. Again its winter here, and the climate is all a mater of perspective, but I have to say that winter is punctuated with fine weather and crazy storms.

I’d hate to face the UK weather now, the summers are lovely, but for me autumn, winter and spring were simply one big depressing wait for the UK summer. Then even a summer rain used to get me down! And I felt like I spent ¾ of the year in darkness.

Jump on a plane and give it a try, Bob

[Familyofmonkeys]

If you take vitamin D supplements, I would advise stocking up before a visit, and such things can be harder to locate here, until you know where to find them.

[DMcG]

My OH really hated winter when we were in Scotland. The endless days of greyness and drizzle would really get to her. Up in Auckland, the weather seems to move really fast. You can have sunshine in the morning, a thunder storm at lunchtime and sunshine in the afternoon again. There's very little of that oppressive greyness that the UK gets.

Not sure where in NZ you're aiming for, but one of the beauties of Auckland is that you're seldom more than half an hour from a beautiful beach, which means that even in the mmiddle of winter you can walk along in the sunshine and watch the breakers crash in :D

Dougie

[Angelonthemove]

I suffered for the firt time we arrived in Wellington last year, but we had come from Cyprus 40 degree summer. One year later and I have not had to use it. the sun feels like it is always out in Welly. The storms are entertaining but only last for a few days at the most. I certainly not using my lamp we got here last year. (OH actually made it and the guy siad they use the tubes for therapist reception areas here)

I never thought you could drink coffee outside all year round, but with garden heater and the sunshine, you get to go outside most of the time in cafe.

[Kim39]

I'm one who has suffered to a degree from it back home. Usually starts just after the clocks go back, and we have those stupid nights we all have to supposedly celebrate like Hallowean, Bonfire night, and then Crimbo. Along with these dates we have the sad horrible miserable days when the skies remain grey for days on end, even weeks. I never felt the need to drag my butt out of my pit. Yes i hated those days, which often felt like you were carrying out your daily duties in near darkness. I think it helped that i switched to permanent nights on the trucks, so i knew my arse was in the bed when those grey days were around. Couldn't wait for spring to spring that's for sure.

Now the flip side of the coin is going through a NZ winter and i must admit there has been a day or two when i have thought "this isn't much different to the UK" but we know there is a chance that the following day will be different to the last. Only last week it felt that the Pennines had followed me to TA, miserable drizzle all day long with low mist cover...yuck!!

Anyway, today has been half decent with a temp of 17, so roll on Summer.

Kim