[Juniper]

i heard NZ basically didn't get any summer weather last year - how's the sunshine this year?

i'm looking into finally doing a three-week trip to check this country out with my own two eyes (and hubby's two eyes make four!)! i'm thinking sometime Feb, Mar, or Apr. air new zealand has some nice web special rates from california, woo hoo! ($900-$1000 USD incl. tax and all that.) i'm thinking of starting with a few days in Auckland, a solid week in wellington, and maybe the rest checking out some south island sights?

anyway, is this a good time to visit? i'm imagining about equal amounts rain and shine? (i don't want to get too much of a rose-tinted view, so a bit of autumn rain is fine with me!)

[GeorgeM]

'Tis beautiful today in Christchurch - no clouds, temp prob about 23 degrees so not too hot to enjoy things.

And it's set for this for the weekend, according to the forecasters. The BBC suggests it will be 38 degrees on Monday (thats 100F)!

February and March are good times to come here, weather wise. But beware - this IS New Zealand and anything can happen at any time.

[dave k]

Yip. Glorious sunshine here in Wellington today - I think it's about 26.
But we've also had bleak, cold rainy weather only 2 days ago...like George says, anything can happen weather-wise.

Keeps things interesting if you ask me :cheers , and definitely has a bearing on the national character ( to cross-reference from the other thread) too.

[Amerikiwi]

Just had a peek out the window next to my computer, and the weather`s "fine" in Auckland, as the kiwi news channels say... that`s sunny and beautiful to you, Juniper!! Stays around 75 degrees fahrenheit most days, 60`s at night, and always a refreshing sea breeze.... PERFECT!! Bring your shorts and COME ON!! :nice1

[Moorf]

Here in Waddington the thermometer outside tells me it's 28degs - sunny as, and not a cloud in the sky... G&T time methinks... :cheers

George - thanks for the advance "buy an inflatable pool" warning :nice1 38 in Chch is going to mean 40+ for us :eek:

Recent temps here where we are in Canterbury demonstrate how changeable it can be - 3 days of 28+, 2 days of 30+, 1 day of 15 and drizzle then back up to 2 days of 28+ !!

[Smiler]

Dave my car temp thingy says 32 :eek::eek::eek: but on Tuesday (or was it weds) I couldn't see out of the window and had furry slippers and a fleece on.

Juniper we were here for a month in Feb 05. It was a good temperature month, sun , little breeze not much rain, but hot in the far north. Pretty much like today in welly GORGEOUS.

But anything can happen in the next half hour.

D x

[Diny]

Our garden thermometer which at this time of the day (4.15 pm) is in the shade is saying 25c.

Clear blue sky, gentle breeze - lovely day. However, I've experienced a variety of different weather conditions during the months of Feb, March & April over the years - I agree that anything could happen.

Diny

[MB]

I think that imagining conditions something like a mix of US Northwest weather and Northern Californian weather is a reasonable guide... at least to the top half of the N.Island of NZ. To us Auckland weather sure feels more volatile than Seattle weather, but on the whole West Coast Americans are better off thinking of the upper portions of the West Coast for a comparison, than of the solidly year-round-warm areas such as L.A.

Folks who want solid, year-round heat are maybe better off looking to somewhere like Perth or Brisbane, in Oz. Those who can easily tolerate Seattle, Portland, N.Calif or London weather -- i.e., the absence of perennial heat, or extremes, which is what broadly allows me to put those places in the same 'box' -- will feel fine in NZ (North Island, at least, as that's our only experience).

[GeorgeM]

George - thanks for the advance "buy an inflatable pool" warning :nice1 38 in Chch is going to mean 40+ for us :eek:But that's only the BBC forecast! They do tend to over-predict at times!

I think that there must be a kiwi mole squirrelled away at the BBC who just wants to make the brits envious at the sort of weather we have out here and ends up over-egging the pudding.

[Moorf]

Looks that way George, local weather saying 26 for Mon.... whew... or is that phew...

[Moorf]

I'm melting!! It didn't quite hit the BBCs predicted 40 (I don't think :uhoh ) but my thermometer in the shade hit 34 :eek: so I do wonder if it might have hit 40 in the sun... whichever way, it ain't half hot mum! Luvverly...

[Smiler]

See you made me go and check the thermo on the windysill.

34 in the shade too but when I was out earlier it was roastin in the sun. :nice1

Beats yesterday and the thick fog.:confused:

Deborah

[StevieD]

Bloomin freezin up in the frozen north guys, just to make you feel that bit better down there! :D

[Moorf]

I could soooo do with freezing right now :wah, but give it a few months and I'll be moaning it's too cold :laugh and you can tell me how warm it is!!

It's still 24degs and it's nearly 8pm!

[Diny]

Absolutely boiling here today, 34c in the shade, bright blue sky and a good old case off sunburn (THROUGH F30 SUNSCREEN) to boot. !!!!!!

Diny

[sweetpea]

Definitely hotter than hell in the Manawatu today!

I wouldn't count on any sort of weather. I travelled in January, expecting generally pleasant summer weather. Things on that front didn't exactly go as planned! When I was in Christchurch, it was beautiful 50% of the time, pouring down rain the rest. One night I went for a drive just to run the heater in the van. The West Coast, contrary to its image, was completely sunny. Nelson and Marlborough mostly miserably rainy (2000 hours of sun a year my @**).

The one thing is that you actually want to do is go albatross and penguin watching on the Otago Peninsula on a windy, somewhat rainy day. That was super thrilling, saw tons of wildlife, including the two species of my beloved penuins! The tour operator said they have the best days in terms of sightings when the weather is the worst and no one wants to go.

:)

[Juniper]

yeah, i've heard the hallmark of NZ weather is that it changes very quickly, no matter the season! the trip might occur a little later, march/april, so i definitely won't count on lots and lots of sun :-) i want to see what the rain and wind are like (although i want it to be semi-nice, not heart-of winter, so autumn might be the ticket!)

we've lived in a rainy climate before (oregon), but what got to us was not so much the rainfall, but rather the fact that the sky can be overcast for months and months without a day of sun! at least it sounds like NZ has bright days to cheer you up, in the middle of otherwise blah/yucky weather systems ;-)

great tip about the penguin watching btw...cute!

[pineapplehead]

We visited in April-May last year and had a mix of sunshine, warm days and southerlies, which made it colder than I expected, even in Aukland. Wind can change everything on this island in the ocean. That's the thing - it is changeable, so you can expect all seasons, all year.

Since we've moved to Welly from LA, Calif. six months ago, weather has been one of my adjustments. In LA, I took took good weather for granted - all year long. Here, I have learned to use a good day wisely, be flexible and adjust your plans to suit the day. If it's warm, forget you have no food in the fridge and go to the beach! You can always go to the supermarket later, when the wind picks up and the weather turns.

We also lived at the LA coast and had lots of fog and overcast, where ten minutes inland was sunny and hot. I'd say that in Wellington, I am getting more sun, so no worries about months of overcast.

And my partner watched the NZ weather for a year before we moved. He is pleasantly surprised that it is warmer and sunnier than expected. He was afraid he would never wear shorts here, but we are getting lots of summer this year. Not quite as warm as Christchurch reports, but fine just the same, for us....