[Mildred]

As most people know, as a family we still are not ready to make the final move to NZ until we know that financially we would be able to survive.

Last summer I had to have a tiny area of skin on my face treated for sun damage. At the time I asked the Dermatologist whether going to NZ would be a bad idea due to the high rates of skin cancer, but he was a bit non-committal.

This morning I've been back to my GP as I've got another area of skin on the other side of my face that is really painful and feels like sandpaper. My GP has again referred me back to the Dematologist.

I'm not the type to sunbathe, but I am a faded red-head with freckles and obviously fair. Would I be foolhardy to go to NZ if I'm having a problem with sun damage in this country?

At the moment I'm on the end of a long hospital waiting list (last time I was working so had private health care) and I'm feeling a bit down :(

Advice please even if its not what I want to hear

[Moorf]

I do hope your specialist appointment goes ok.

I guess in the UK most don't wear sunscreen, whereas here it's a daily routine - when here as long as you are wearing a high factor sunscreen on a daily basis all year round I can't really see that you'd be at more risk? Just my thoughts, I'm not qualified to give you a definitive answer :?

My father had melanoma so I'm pretty careful although I have a more olive skin - I must admit to being a bit slacker than I should be :? You can get mole maps done here and frequent checks, there's alot of awareness about skin cancers.

[jocalla]

The sun is very 'harsh' out here and being fair myself I routined myself to put the sun cream on.
My dad had a skin cancer removed last year, and with all the skin damage I have had over the years growing up in oz, has made me ultra aware of the sun.
And there are plenty of 'cool' hats to put on :nice1

Joanne

[freeflyer]

I would echo the other replies ,
although the sun does seem much stronger , I wouldnt let it stop you moving.
There is big culture of sun/skin protection in NZ.
burn times are even listed with the weather, and all school children have to take sun block and wear wide brimmed hats in the summer.
So if you cover up and layer on the sun block you should be fine, and you won't look out of place either, as most people do it.
good luck with your appointment.

Anna

[RoadRunner]

I guess in the UK most don't wear sunscreen, whereas here it's a daily routine

I've heard that people in NZ wear sunscreen all the time and I was always wondering if they meant that they wear it only when doing outdoor activities (e.g., biking, swimming, tramping) when they would obviously be getting sun or do they wear it even to do things like grocery shopping?

[sarahw]

I put it on first thing in the morning (also a redhead that burns easily!) I have a cream called P20 - (you can buy it at the airport) - you put it on once & it lasts all day no matter how many times you're in the water - I swear by it - never got burnt with it. EVERY DAY during the summer whether I'm going to work, grocery shopping or swimming it goes on - the sun is so harsh (no ozone layer over us!) that 5 mins in the sun can burn me.

Also - hats!!! I always wear a hat out - something I have never done before but it only takes burning your scalp once or twice to make you change your habits!

I noticed a lot of people on the beach sit almost completely covered up (well in Welly anyway!) even on hot days - long sleeve t-shirts, board shorts & hats.

I'd recommend you invest in some P20 (around £20- a bottle at the airport by Reimann - Danish co. I think) - doctors recommend it for patients with scar tissue after operations (my friend told me about it after her dad had a heart bypass) but I'd also keep my face covered at all times with a hat.

:nice1

[RoadRunner]

Thanks for that Sarah! :nice1

It will definitely take some time to get used to putting it on every day but I'm sure it is a good habit!

RoadRunner

[Carol]

I'll never forget seeing my best friend and her very s "sunbathing" in New Zealand on the beach.
I was horrified.
It took me less than a year to realise the damage that can be done.
They wouldnt be told though.......they were determined to go home "with a tan".


Different mind set here completely.

[Mildred]

Thanks to you all for posting. I've woken up this morning feeling a little more positive. No fear of any sun here today, really overcast.

Sarah I found your post in particular really helpful.

:nice1

[wayne]

I think the sunbathing thing is very much hyped up than it needs to be those that should pay particular care are the fair skinned and young children, and those who have just arrived and whose skin is not prepared for the strength of the sun .
My in laws never cover up and have a healthy glow all year round , my MIL is in her 70's and has never been bothered by melanoma's and the like. Its all down to the "nanny" times we live in ,we have had a memo round at work telling our builders can no longer take their T shirts off when working outside as the employer does'nt want to be liable for skin cancer claims!!!!!! :?

[Carol]

Its all down to the "nanny" times we live in :?


You dont think the huge hole in the ozone layer is even the TINIEST reason? :uhoh

[Diny]

Its all down to the "nanny" times we live in

Hmmm - I think it's better to be safe than sorry. We are a family of blondes and redheads (like something off a Persil advert).

The rebelious streak in me usually means I kick against all kinds of guide lines and recommendations, but I'll be buying a bottle or two of that p20 stuff that Sarah told us about (thanks for that Sarah) and will make sure that my boys get a good lathering every morning :eek

In the autumn sales I went into 'Accessorize' (part of Monsoon) and bought the most outrageous bright pink, floppy sunhat. I simply can't wait to look like the English woman abroad wearing it down Thames high street (much to the cringing shame of hubby & kids) :nice1

Diny

[wayne]

The area of Ozonic depletion is in fact not proven to be that "huge" the, main reason for the sun being stronger is in fact the lack of pollution blocking the suns rays, whereas europe no matter how clean we think it is shrouded with pollutant rubbish which does a good job at filtering the harmful rays,
So its a choice of pollution and weak sun or clear air and stronger sun,I know which one I want as you can protect yourself against the suns power but you have little chance with the polluted air over the UK.
Its all about being careful in the suns presence the odd afternoon sunbathing will do little harm if you act sensibly , but to go to NZ lilly white and spend a whole week sunning yourselves you will burn and burn badly,If being naked to the suns rays was so bad how come there are so many "sun" clubs in NZ

[jan]

In the autumn sales I went into 'Accessorize' (part of Monsoon) and bought the most outrageous bright pink, floppy sunhat. I simply can't wait to look like the English woman abroad wearing it down Thames high street


:laugh :eek :laugh :eek :laugh :eek :laugh :eek

Diny that just so sounds like you. I can see you now http://tcwozere.co.uk/smileys/pinknyah.gif. Who cares.

Jan xx

[Diny]

Oh Jan you should see it, it's fantastic. I shall wear it on our camping trip so you'll never loose me :laugh

I have a green and white spotted one too (with matching hand bag) which is a touch more conservative but no less attractive. Do you want to borrow it?

Diny

[Moorf]

Wayne - I tan very easily (have to question my parentage sometimes as the rest of the family all burn under a 40watt lamp :uhoh )

BUT - here in NZ I can burn in 10 mins - it really would be a mistake to underestimate the power of the sun here. Our family came over last Xmas and thought "what the hell, we'll get a tan and sod the suncream" - no tans, just red faces in more than one sense of the word - they were in pain after 15 mins sitting out having a coffee. :?

We even had to upgrade our sunglasses on arrival - the sun is just soooo bright.

[veronica]

Wayne, think you are generalising a bit to say its the nanny state , we have lived in Australia and here and I have to say the sun is stronger here than there. At the moment we are running a backpackers and several of the people who have come here from months in Oz with a good base tan have burnt in a very short while. It really surprises them. I can't answer on the scientific side because that would only be what I have read, I am no expert on the ozone layer but I am surprised to read that pollution acts as a filter because clouds don't. I've seen people burnt on a cloudy day.

Since I have been here (11 months) I haven't worn suntan cream BUT I tend not to go out in the sun during the middle of the day and running a backpackers certainly hasn't left time for sunbathing. I am very lucky that I have an olive skin tone and don't tend to burn, in fact I have trouble going brown. Pete (hair getting a bit thin) wears a hat a lot of the time he is out here and he too has a skin that tans easy, but tends to follow the family trait of keeping in the shade in the middle of the day.
Certainly if I had a fairer skin, I would be slapping on the cream every day.

[wayne]

Wow I seem to have caused a stir,sorry i didnt mean to upset anyone but I stand by my posting that treat the sun with respect but dont be scared of it, its just that these days when there is no new news in the papers they print a good old "scare " story like "diet soft drinks cause cancer" or "tuna fish are too poisonous to eat more than twice a week" and of course the skin cancer thing and so many people get to believe it all ,and then you have some bored MP decide to grab a few votes by passing stupid laws about it.
We dont need Hysteria about these things just common sense
OK rant over and I will never mention it again if you see a very sunburnt bloke riding a blue harley around the Hibiscus Coast next summer say Hi! :mrgreen:

[Moorf]

Nooo you haven't stirred it up at all!! :no

It's a good discussion point and all opinions are necessary to get a balanced view :nice1

It's just that it is a very big issue out here (although any issue is as big as you want to make it) ;) It's the commonest form of cancer in NZ and NZ has the highest rate in the world.

Always good to back things up with some facts so this is a Met Service site: http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php?alias=newsreleases&pr=431

It's a bit like the "to wear a cycle helmet or not" discussion a while back - some may chose to ignore it (although not wearing sunscreen isn't against the law :laugh ) and some chose to err on the side of caution. :nice1

[veronica]

just out of curiousity wayne where are you living at the mo. and no you haven't stirred me up at all, just curious what your experience of the sun over here has been.

[wayne]

Hi Veronica at the mo I'm living in the Uk but and will return to NZ in august prior to that I lived in NZ 1980-1982 (on my firstPR) then back to Uk but have spent 5 weeks in NZ 1990 and again 1996 again 2001 and again 2003 , spent so much money to-ing and fro-ing we have decided to move out again now the boys are grown up .
I hate having to wear a crash helmet also and dont get me started on seatbelts :?

[Mildred]

I felt a bit silly posting this topic in the first place, but so glad I did as all the replies have been worth reading.

and dont get me started on seatbelts
Wayne, having had 13 years in the police force I know what happens when you don't wear the seatbelt. I went to more than one fatal rta where someone had gone through the window. Forget mouth to mouth, forget resucitation, forget asking the next of kin to id the body, because the face isn't there anymore.

My biggest pet hate, is parents that allow the kids in the car without them on, and even worse those who have kids on their laps.

Look at that, I've managed to hijack my own thread :laugh :laugh

[wayne]

Frances I know all about fatal RTA's and seatbelts being in accident repair and recovery most of my working life you'd think I.d know better but I'm 47 and fed up of being told whats best for me, (grumpy old bu**er syndrome ) :laugh

[wayne]

Frances what part of Kent you at we live in Whitstable a lovely little seaside town not too far from Canterbury

[Mildred]

Wayne,

We live 5 mins walk from Joss Bay in Reading Street Village if you know it.

Interestingly my first posting in the police force was Herne Bay/Whitstable and two of that fatals I was referring above happened on your patch, the first in Thornden Wood Road, the second on the OLD Thanet Way.

[Mildred]

Sorry, don't know what happened to my grammar/spelling!!!!!

[Simon & Emily]

Going off topic slightly here, but is suncream expensive in NZ? Being fair skinned and blonde with two toddlers even fairer I expect to get through a bottle or two a year ......

Thanks,

Emily

[wayne]

Frances we are diversing here but I worked as a panelbeater in Whitstable and yes we dragged alot of wrecks fro Thornden wood road also up by the Roman galley was another hot spot, since the law on seatbelts was passed an awful lot more people walked away from the smashes(I still dont like being told what to do though) ;)

[jocalla]

Going off topic slightly here, but is suncream expensive in NZ? Being fair skinned and blonde with two toddlers even fairer I expect to get through a bottle or two a year ......

Thanks,

Emily

Can't remember the price but I do remember thinking it was a good price. I used to pay alot more in the uk, but again in comparison with wages not too sure. I too am fair and used LOADS :cool

Joanne

[Moorf]

This is the one we use and it's $32 on this website - I am sure it's cheaper in PaknSave etc... http://www.thepharmacy.co.nz/thepharmacy/sunsense/ultra.html

[Diny]

Silly question coming up .........

What about the winter sun. Do we need protection against that?

Diny

[Moorf]

On days like today, cold but clear and sunny, I would say yes you do - I assume you can still "burn" even though it's cold, the sun is still strong.

Just my thoughts, I liken it to when you're on the slopes in winter - easy to burn (although reflection off snow does magnify it).

[veronica]

One of our guests here came in a bit sunburned yesterday. he has a good base tan ( been travelling for a good while ) and is not a fairskinned person. but was caught out yesterday thinking that as its winter he wouldn't need suncream.
And on the subject of being on the slopes in the winter. Its a definate must, far more than Europe, whatever the skin tone.

[Simon & Emily]

I know this should have registered with me before now, but it hadn't :oops: :oops: . It's going to come as a bit of a shock to have to put cream on everyone everyday.

Emily

[xanctus]

I was reading stuffs.co.nz last night and found that skin cancer in NZ was third worst in the world... :( :uhoh :no :no
as Moorf said, that even during winter sometimes need to apply sun cream because the sun is quite strong? mamamia...

[Carol]

I too am olive skinned as are my kids and we do tend to be a bit slack towards cream. :oops:
Hats are always on though.
In fact we have enough to start a shop.
They live all over the house!

The school policy is "no hat no outside unshaded play"
in the two "summer" terms.

ie from April to October the kids aren't told to wear hats outside.

[Lil]

Apart from the risks of skin cancer I should think the ageing effects of too much sun would be enough to remind folks to cover up. I've seen a lot of prematurely aged old faces here, particularly of women whom I would guess to be in their 50-60s.

I notice even in myself these days - now I'm getting more paranoid the nearer to 40 I get - that a sun tan no longer looks good on me, it just makes me look so old.

[Moorf]

True Lil - people do comment on mine, and other Brits, skin looking "younger" which I guess has alot to do with having lived in Scotland for the last few years :laugh and a huge Clinique bill :uhoh

I'm still saving for my first face lift though :laugh :laugh

[clarabell]

:laugh and a huge Clinique bill :uhoh



Whats the price of products over in NZ like compared to Britains?
I doo like my Clinique and Dior products...my one true indulgence :yes

[Moorf]

Wellll (let's hope Woz isn't reading this) - I bought my usual Dramatically Diff Moisturising Gel (125ml) and Deep Cleansing Emergency Mask the other day as I'd run out and it came to *cough* approx $120. That's about £45, so about the same if my memory serves me right. Just feels more expensive when on a Kiwi salary! I don't know if I can buy it cheaper elsewhere, I was in the mall and it was convenient. I bet you could buy it online cheaper - I'll probably be on Oil of Olay after Woz reads this :laugh

Perhaps stock up at Duty Free shop on the way here?

[clarabell]

Cheers for that :nice1

Oh, yes, how I love the duty free :mrgreen:

[Hannah-NL]

On Ebay:
http://search.ebay.co.uk/clinique_Moisturisers_W0QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsacatZ21 205QQsocdpfcatZ21205
:laugh

[Moorf]

Personally I wouldn't buy this sort of product on Ebay due to the amount of "fakes" on there... I'd want to be sure that what I'm putting on my face won't take my face off :laugh

[Mildred]

Well I had my appointment with the Dermatologist a couple of days ago and am really relieved that it was only more sun damage. I was convinced this time it had gone a stage further. Had the top of my mouth sprayed with the cryo spray that they use for warts and veruccas. Absolutely agony and I now have a fat lip with blisters on top - like botox gone wrong I s'pose!

I asked the Dermatologist to be honest about the risks for me moving to NZ. She said most damage is done when we are kids and it takes years to come to the surface. She said there was no reason I shouldn't go to NZ to live.

Well I'll keep slapping on my Factor 50 - funny thing is that it doesn't seem to stop you going brown or is it just that my freckles tend to spread out in the summer :laugh

[Carol]

Kenny has just had a biopsy done on a dodgy mole on his back.....

He is red haired - freckly - and unfortunately careless.....shirt off in the garden type of guy - suncream when he remembers....

Kind of hits home when you are told "THAT needs looking at"!!!
:uhoh

[Mildred]

Typical male - my husband is dark and also gets his clothes off at the slightest bit of sun! His back can go beetroot colour, but of course he never admits to getting burnt.

I'm sure Kenny has nothing to worry about. Hopefully it will be a wake up call with regard to sunbathing without sunscreen on.

[Diny]

Brilliant news Frances, I've been wondering how you got on. Will PM you.

Carol - your old fella sounds alot like mine. He's had an ugly lump on his neck for years now that I've been wanting him to get removed. The doctor refuses to operate on it though as he says it's his head :laugh

Diny

[Mildred]

http://tcwozere.co.uk/smileys/jump.gif

[Mildred]

http://tcwozere.co.uk/smileys/jump.gif

[Simon & Emily]

I put it on first thing in the morning ... I have a cream called P20 - (you can buy it at the airport) - you put it on once & it lasts all day no matter how many times you're in the water -

Can I ask a dumb question?

Is this infamous P20 one particular make / brand that you all use, or is it a generic term for any suncream of a SPF of 20? I have bought a couple of weeks ago from our doctors an Ultrasun cream with a factor of 28 - at great expence - which claims to last all day, but have seen that the children do burn even through this if they are in the pool all day. I have therefore been backing this up with a 'normal' child sunblock every hour or so (at least during the recent mini heatwave), but am disapointed that they still went red.

Thanks,

Emily

[jan]

http://www.p20.com/

Here take a look at this site. It should explain everything.

[selchie]

If the kids are in the water, most sunblocks will wash right off. Look for something that specifically says that it stays on well in water. In the US, Bullfrog is such a brand. For basic daily wear, SPF20 seems to be ok. But if one is spending a lot of time in the sun, for instance an hour or more of exposure, I recommend SPF 45 or higher. Most of the ones I use are rather sticky, though when I'm gardening or tramping most of the day, I want protection.

I found that in NZ, even using SPF 45, my arms became very dirty brown and scaly after a few days in the sun. At home, I don't get that effect unless I go without sunblock for a while.

For those of you who don't know what the SPF indicates... an SPF of 20 means that one can be exposed to the sun 20 hours with the stuff and get the same effect as 1 hour with no sunblock. SPF 45 = 45 hours. At least, that's what I've read - please correct me if I'm full of road apples.

[Simon & Emily]

Thanks for the link Jan.

I have to say that I did treat the suncream with a claim of a 'once a day application' with a big dollop of scepticism :oops: . Although I had to trust in on my son at school all day - as the school don't seem to really care as much as the pre-school where they don't go out unless they have hats / cream on - I always carry another bottle for a top up. The last thing I want to do is entrust my children's safety to a marketing man's waffle.

I guess it's just one more thing for us parents to worry over, no matter how old the children are.

Emily

[alihow]

frances,

i lived in new zealand when i was a kid and lathered up the baby oil and sat outside and burnt myself to a crisp, terrible when you think about it.

since those days though most kiwis are very conscious of wearing sunscreen every day. the kids wear what's called rash shirts in the water which have a uv of 50 too. my niece and nephews wear sunscreen everyday too. i think if you're careful you will be fine.

thought you might also be interested that there are clinics all over nz which map you're entire body of all of you're moles and they keep an eye on them.

check out:-

www.molemap.co.nz

[Mildred]

Thanks Ali.

[Debbie]

OH has just seen the specialist today and been told he has to have two moles, (well more like a freckle with a fuzzy edge and an itchy freckle with a black dot on it) removed for examination. Bit of a shock to the system, I'd always looked out for the large dark raised mole type things but these are just large freckly bits. OH does favour the low sun factor creams and has spent a long time sailing, (but generally covered up).
I wandered if I could resurect(sp) this thread to ask
-if any on has had this mole mapping done and is it very expensive?.
-we have PR in principle but haven't sent off our passports as yet for our stamps. Will this effect our visa? I know it is a large part of what NZIS don't know won't bother them but I worry especialy if OH is going to have ongoing monitoring for this which seem likly.
-the link for sun protection clothes was great, do they sell that type of thing in NZ?
Thanks loads Debbie

[G&K]

Hi Debbie

Sorry to hear about the OH - but try not to worry about it too much.

I was diagnosed with a melanoma back in 2000 - which they successfully removed along a proportionate surrounding area to be sure they had all of the cancerous cells. This resulted in 3 monthly check ups for the first 18months followed by 6 monthly for the next 3 and a half years.

During this time I must have had 20+ moles/freckles removed - so kind of got used to going to the "chop shop" as it became affectionately know. All of which then turned out to be benign

All this had to be assesed by NZIS before granting first my WTR visa then finall PR which we got Friday (yay!)

Having been here (Wellington) since August and now done a Kiwi Summer, the sun is harsher, but I seem to have come through it unscathed - though I don't "sunbathe" I still lead an active outdoor life, Tramping Kayaking swimming etc...

I think what I am trying to say is that Skin check ups are part of life here as is in the worst case skin cancer. THEY ARE VERY WELL SET UP FOR DEALING WITH IT HERE - AS IT IS A COMMON THING.

Mole map is a very thorough way of recording changes to skin conditions and worth investigating (if only for peace of mind) What price your health - eh ? But think it worked out about 75pounds. The NHS told me to photograph myself and look for changes - that 's the same as looking for changes in the solar system in my case, so not ideal !

DON'T be put off by NZ or scared by the C word if indeed that is what it turns out to be. AND IT HASN'T YET... Many many freckles / moles change shape / colour without them being malignant. I know. The thing that everyone should try to avoid WHEREVER they live/holiday is burning - so slip slap slop etc...

Good luck with everything - but I'm sure things will be fine

PM me if you or OH need to chat

[Debbie]

G&K
Thanks for your reply, I was just a bit shocked when the Dr said he wanted to take two of these 'moles' off. I was convinced that he would say they were just odd freckles. Well the lesson for the day is look at your freckles not just those large moles.
I hadn't realised how serious skin cancer could be until I did some internet searchs after the event, I guess I thought that you could always just cut that bit of skin off, not like having cancer in an internal organ.
We will definatly be having those mole maps done when we get to NZ regardless of cost, I was just trying to gage how much $ to put to one side. Unfortunatly, I have burnt badly serveral times dispite high factor creams and constantly wearing a sun hat, a side effect of have Scottish genes.
Thanks again for your support.
Debbie

Has anyone seen the sun protecting clothing in NZ, seems like good idea to me?

I'll say it again for everyone, as I don't think it can be over stressed,
CHECK YOUR SKIN WELL, NOT JUST THAT ODD MOLE BUT ALL YOUR ODD FRECKLES AS WELL AND STAY SAFE IN THE SUN.

Debbie

[katandbob]

G&K


Has anyone seen the sun protecting clothing in NZ, seems like good idea to me?


Debbie


you said thanks for the link to these clothes? which thread was it on? or can you send the link...ta

kat...ps off to get my moles looked at next mth when I am off, childhood spent in SA and got burnt bad on back when I was a kid, so I am careful and check periodically..so far so good....fingers xd

[Debbie]

Sorry, I was reading so much stuff last night that I thought the link was on this thread.
Debbie
My husband also grew up in Hawaii and has lots of sun damage/sun sensitivity. An uncle of his is dying of melanoma now. It's very sad as it can strike so early.

I've found Solumbra (with high SPF factor) shirts to work well for him. I'm planning on stocking up in a big way before we move to NZ!

http://www.sunprecautions.com is the site that I got the shirts from, but they might be available elsewhere too.

[Jameelka]

We are coming over to NZ end of May/June, North Island,having never been before should we bring lotion for that time of the year? and if so is it cheaper in the UK or NZ?

[StevieD]

The sad fact is at we are going to have to get over the myth that "suntanned" is a 'healthy' look and be sensible. I used to pour on all sorts of junk just to get a tan, as do most Brits who are sun starved at the best of times. Come the first sign of a few rays of sunshine and the shirts are off! I am not saying total coverage a la Michael Jackson ( :laugh ) but being sensible about it.
One only has to look at the sunbed culture here with (mostly) kids going around looking some funny shade of brown/orange!
Is it down to the ozone layer? Or has it always been there? One thing is certain, and that is we have to be careful :yes

[Debbie]

Thanks everyone for the support, OH got his results back yesterday and both were fine so we can carry on with selling the house and moving to NZ.
Debbie

[katandbob]

Thanks everyone for the support, OH got his results back yesterday and both were fine so we can carry on with selling the house and moving to NZ.
Debbie

Glad you got good news Debbie, and thanks for the link for the clothing.

you prompted me to get an appointment myself - 21st April, to get mine checked out....childhood of running amok in South Africa, and I got some serious
sun burns during that time so I have always kept an eye on my shoulders (thats where the burns were), but the moles seem to be appearing on the bits that dont get much sun...?? oh well, last time I had them checked they were ok, but this time I asked to see someone who is more knowledgeable about them, hence the wait.

Cheers

Kat :D

[Smiler]

Debbie

That's good news for you and OH.

Now you can carry on with all your plans. :nice1:nice1

Good luck!

[Juniper]

i've found it useful to check out weather.com for the UV forecast, and compare it to where i'm living now. i've only been doing it for a couple of weeks, but i've been surprised to find that the UV index for Wellington has been around 3-4 (which is pretty mild) compared to 5-7 in coastal California. it's autumn there, spring here, and they have actually been getting way more sunshine lately!

www.weather.com has forecasts for many new zealand cities, the major ones anyway (including hamilton, palmerston north, nelson, probably several others that i didn't check). you can also save one city to the top navigational bar, so you don't have to redo the search every time.

go to the "world" segment on the top navigational bar, type in the city and country, then when the city info comes up, click on "sunrise/sunset" and that's where you'll find the UV info.

i've also been watching the wind speed for welly to see if it is really that much worse than here!

[Debbie]

Juniper, Thanks for the link I will look at that this week.

Kat, Hope all goes well with your apt. OH Has moles all over and the DR wasn't at all bothered by them he just wanted these two fuzzy freckles off. 1 was on his arm and probably got a fair helping of sun but the other was on his chest wall which is always covered. OH sails but always wears a rash vest.
OH and I have agreed that it will be mole maps for us when we get to NZ. I've got pale skin and unfortunatly and accidentally I have burnt and lost skin in several areas on several occations. Again, all the best for the 21st.
Debbie

[Angie and Mick]

Going back to the P20 used that years ago when in Turkey you could buy it cheaper on the plane at the time. You j :o ust need to remember to cover all exposed skin as one young girl on holiday did not, and the area she missed burnt, she had a zig zag line down her leg.

[Debbie]

Yep,
I've done that. First and last time I asked OH to rub sun cream on me, I had white hand marks where he had been and red boiled look where he missed.!
I find it safer to reapply regularly and DIY.
Debbie

[katandbob]

found some clothing at TK MAX that was factor 40, wind proof and quick drying...and only £6 upwards, so me had a BIG shopping basket.....he he. :D

Kat