[zardell]

Hi Guys.

I'd like to ask for your opinions if I may........

This question is really directed at those of you that have experienced a NZ winter.

I'd like to compare your findings for as many regions as possible for both the North and South Islands.

I've done some research on the web and also on some previous forum threads and come up with this - dry,cold south / damp,warm north. Very vague to say the least. :confused: What I am trying to avoid is cold AND damp ! Cold and crisp - can cope with that. Warm and rainy - can live with that too, but I don't want dank. You know what I mean - not rain particularly, but the cold, dank, damp weather that 'gets right through to your bones'

I believe that the way that some homes are constructed is an issue that MUST be taken into consideration and is a contributory factor to damp/mould etc, but that's not the point of my question.

I would just like your honest opinions on the climate. I appreciate that NZ has not got a Mediterranean climate, but something a bit better than the 8 months of winter in Lancashires 'Dark,Satanic Mill' towns who's occupants are riddled with arthritis and bronchitis in their later years, has just GOT to be an advantage ! (Alright - it may not be THAT bad, but...........Hell yes, it CAN be that bad !! )

All thoughts appreciated.

:cheers

Julie

xx

[Avalon]

The wairarapa is turning out to be quite mediteranean! Its been a long hot summer (compared to home) and when I say hot - 34/35 degrees some afternoons - and definatley siesta weather imho.

You can tell its autumn now - the mornings are a bit chill and I know it can get cold because it was when we moved in in September. We do get frosts here (The vineyards spend a lot of money protecting thier vines from frost) - but strangely enough - not once last winter when I lived in Wellington city did we have frost in the morning.

Also - throught NZ - in winter it doesnt get dark so early. Welly was 5 / 5.30 pm at the earliest. That makes a big difference imho.

[Nienke]

Is Wellington very different from Auckland in winter? I'm buying some new clothes for my 3 year old son and I am trying to consider the Auckland winter, without exactly knowing what it's like :o .

[zardell]

Good question Nienke.

I think I am right in saying that Auckland winters will be warmer than Wellington winters (certainly less windy, I would have thought ! ) but because I don't know for sure, this is why I started this thread.

Maybe we will get some more good responses like Avalons - thanks Avalon.

Some people may think that there are more important life changing issues to consider than the weather and they would be right, but to me its all part and parcel of the immigration thought process and reading about other peoples experiences ( good or bad ) on this forum, to me is invaluable.

Thanks guys.

Julie

xx

[katandbob]

Zardell

....but something a bit better than the 8 months of winter in Lancashires 'Dark,Satanic Mill' towns who's occupants are riddled with arthritis and bronchitis in their later years, has just GOT to be an advantage ! (Alright - it may not be THAT bad, but...........Hell yes, it CAN be that bad !! )

:laugh :-)
Know what you mean.......hopefully the weather will be better in NZ than the dismal bone chilling weather we have at the moment....the occasional burst of sun may be nice :) but I dont care....I sooo want to go now its drivin me crazy watching the clock...calendar and having to leave rob sleeping peacefully in the morning while I get up to go to work! :wah Thank god I finish at the end of the month :nice1

then all I need is rob to get a short contract to last till we fly...and I can kick him out the bed for a change.....(ran out of smilies) HA HA HA

[jubjub]

We had a winter in Auckland and it only fell below 0 overnight a couple of times. Yes, it did rain, sometimes for a week, but its mainly at night, and it tends to rain, then stop, dry up in the sun, then start again :laugh .

but I did not find our house feeling damp at all, although there was a fair amount of condensation around, going to try dehumidifier this winter to see if any different, and a tumble dryer is pretty much essential if you have kids, as good "drying" days are hit and miss, and sometimes you just have to get things done!

but on the whole, there were only a few weekends that we could not go out as planned cos of the rain, oh, and the tornado! :uhoh

[Singel]

I'm buying some new clothes for my 3 year old son and I am trying to consider the Auckland winter, without exactly knowing what it's like :o .
If your house is poorly insulated and not north facing, then you will need to put on the thick woolies. You will find that outside is warmer than inside the house.

We have gone through 2 winters in Auckland and just felt like bad summers. More rainfalls and average temperature is about 15 degree. At home, we are in shorts and t-shirts.

In Auckland, it depends very much on the type of house that you live in, it does make a world difference.

[toesonthenose]

Julie,
Have not spent a winter in NZ. But was the "dark, satanic mills", a lyrical reference from Sting's "We Work the Black Seam" from the great 1985 album "Dream of the Blue Turtles". I am going to go listen to it now!
Aloha, Shaun

[Amerikiwi]

Last winter was my first in Auckland, and there was frost on my car windows only twice. You really don`t need a heavy jacket here at all, and I usually wear a corduroy type cardigan/jersey over a cotton shirt when outdoors, which kept me warm enough last winter.
I always think of winter in Auckland as the "rainy season", more so than "winter"... and a lot of your indoor comfort, or lack of it, has to due with the type of house you`re living in - we`re in a former "state house", and sturdy houses they are, but not one batt of insulation in the whole place, no central heat, and the corner walls between windows are actually wet on the inside during the winter months. Mold/mildew appears on the couch cushions in the lounge and the bedroom mattress, as well, which isn`t really a nice thing. So look for a house with some insulation, at least, but be prepared to run those electric oil filled radiators and a dehumidifier during the cool, damp months. You`ll need one for each room you spend any length of time in, or will find yourself rolling them around from room to room. Even most of the newer, high end homeowners use them, as central heat is a rarity here and very expensive to run, I`m told... underfloor heating or "through the wall" combination heat pump/a.c. units are about all that`s available, apart from those I just mentioned.

[Moorf]

We've only been through one and a half winters but in that time I've found Chch area to be cold but dry - crisp, dry, sunny winters days are my fav and I remember plenty of them. Surprisingly not many frosts, but we were pretty coastal in both our properties. Snow fell in Chch and it lasted ohhhh, about half a day! Locals tell me that it does happen occasionally but not to expect snow in the city itself. Having said that, last year was atrocious as far as snowfall went :( , fingers crossed for better dumps this year.

Not entirely sure about damp, we were in wooden houses in Chch and neither suffered from, or felt, damp. One of those houses wasn't heated and the other was wooden with a woodburner. In fact, I haven't encountered any damp at all here (in any of the 3 houses we've had!) except for when it's been caused by blocked drains (in our rental). I guess it also boils down to how you heat the house, and how much, how well insulated it is and also how much sun you get. I hear that houses in Lyttleton suffer from damp as they lose the sun early in the afternoon in the winter.

I remember from Scotland how I found it harder to heat the house when the damp "drizzle" hung around (200 yr old house with 3ft thick stone walls!), and I personally felt it was colder here than back there, but I think I need a few more winters before I can make a good comparison!! And from the sounds of it the UK is having a very cold time of it at the moment!

Roll on winter and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.... :D :D

[Moorf]

Even most of the newer, high end homeowners use them, as central heat is a rarity here and very expensive to run, I`m told... underfloor heating or "through the wall" combination heat pump/a.c. units are about all that`s available, apart from those I just mentioned.

Spookily we were chatting to a flooring co. about underfloor heating today. They actuallly wouldn't recommend it for rooms larger than, say, a bathroom as they are a pain if they go wrong - i.e. they'll be lifting your entire room carpet. They also "blow" some hard/vinyl floors. We're looking at alternatives (wall mounted radiant heat / ceiling heat) etc but to be honest, our Juno coal burner and the open fire are keeping the place toasty. However, I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has had experience of using the wall mounted radiant heat panels and/or ceiling radiant heat systems.

Coal/woodburners aren't for everyone. We actually enjoy getting our burner and open fires going - we have competitions :laugh to see who can get the best burn going!! But I know peeps here who shudder at the thought of either... they can be dirty, you may need to go outside in the cold and dark to restock, you really need to be able to damp them down at night to keep the heat going (I see no point in heating a house only to wake up in the morning to a freeeeezing house) and you need to keep them well maintained.

I had the coalburner serviced yesterday and was chatting with the guy (a Brit!) about other alternatives - he said that he is seeing many central heating systems being installed and also an increase in diesel heating systems (which he assured me were clean and efficient!). We had oil central heating in Scotland and it was fab (although probably very expensive to run these days!).

Sorry... I'm babbling... :o

[jubjub]

Toes, the dark satanic mills originally comes from the poem "Jerusalem" by William Blake, also well known as rousing hymn.

But you have reminded me, not listened to Sting in ages!

http://progressiveliving.org/william_blake_poetry_jerusalem.htm

[foolsgold99]

Snow ??

In the unlikely event that I ever want to see snow again, it'll be through a very large powerful telescope:nice1

Winter in Auckland doesn't really exist, we go from a longish autum, slowly into spring. It does rain a bit, has to be said.

Even in June last year, it was warm enough for me to sit out in the sunshine on the deck, in shorts & tee shirt.

[zardell]

But was the "dark, satanic mills", a lyrical reference from Sting's "We Work the Black Seam" from the great 1985 album "Dream of the Blue Turtles".




Hi Shaun.

Not sure about Stings album, but don't think so.

The line comes from an 18th century poem by William Blake.

The poem is better known in England as a hymn entitled Jerusalem and I do know that Emerson, Lake and Palmer recorded Jerusalem on one of their albums. See, ask and thou shalt receive !!

Getting back to my thread - thanks to all of you that have taken the trouble to reply..........you're giving me just the info I needed. Keep 'em coming guys.

Julie

xx

[zardell]

Toes, the dark satanic mills originally comes from the poem "Jerusalem" by William Blake, also well known as rousing hymn.

http://progressiveliving.org/william_blake_poetry_jerusalem.htm


OOOOOPS :o .....Sorry Sal.......I missed this.

Julie
xx

[katandbob]

http://jbrunod.free.fr/toshop/smileys/HU06_T.gifBrrrrrrrr (Cold - freezing in Grimsby) amazing (ref poetry) what you can learn from a forum....

hey guys over in NZ, do you feel the need to wear gloves while typing?

I am at a desk (admitidly its an old georgian building) with the radiator on full blast - but my fingers are getting numb...so I am sitting here typing with my gloves on!!!

my work wear this week has been like this..http://jbrunod.free.fr/toshop/smileys/TJ37_T.gif hopefully it wont be as bad over there all the time :laugh

[zardell]

I am at a desk (admitidly its an old georgian building) with the radiator on full blast - but my fingers are getting numb...so I am sitting here typing with my gloves on!!




Hey Kat.

Funny you should say that. I had cause to drive into Manchester today on business and it turned out that my appointment was in an old Edwardian building.

Beautiful place, high ceilings, fantastic mouldings, original fireplaces etc., but absolutely freezing !!

They had the central hearing on, (Oh and replacement double glazing by the way) but you could still see your breath !!

I was damned glad to get home.......

Julie

xx

[katandbob]

yep so you know what I mean.http://jbrunod.free.fr/toshop/smileys/TJ13_T.gif

[Diny]

We arrived at the start of winter last year and I have to say that the outside temps were pretty mild. Nothing like the winters we have back home (like the one they are experiencing now I understand).

We had alot of bright, crisp days. Clear blue skies, lots of sunshine but that lovely wintery crisp feel to the air (just made it all seem so much fresher).

Yeah we had rain but not so much that it effected us in any adverse way, and I also agree that it rained alot at night.

Outside the winter is pleasant - definately bearable. I remember one frost but it wasn't hard (I'm sure there must have been more).

I agree with the comment regarding the inside of houses being colder than outside. It's the old 'NZ housing chestnut'. Some of the places over here seem to hold the damp and we all know that damp air takes alot more heating than dry air.

We have a 1910 bay villa which has been relocated to this site. While it was being 'rebuilt' it was FULLY insulated, floors, walls and roof. We have a woodburner the size of a mini cooper which throws out a massive amount of heat, we also have a night storage heater in the hall and warm air 'circulation' heating. We have no need for a dehumidifier as we don't have any damp or condensation (although I have 2 of them in the garage 'just in case').

I agree with Moorfs comments regarding the woodburners that can be 'banked up' over night. We do that with ours and we just open up the flu first thing and it leaps into action (but also keeps the house toasty over night). The newer woodburners are designed so they can't be 'banked up' but our chimney sweep has told us that each time one of his customers gets one of the new models installed he 'modifies' it for them to allow them to keep it going over night - so all is not lost on that front.

The trick is to get your house up to temperature and then keep it that way, alot easier and cheaper than getting your place warm and then letting the fires go out and hence the temps plunge to Siberian standards again.

So to sum up ...... winter indoors 'can' be damp and cold but if you make sure you buy a house which is fully insulated (both old and new houses) and work out a 'routine' for keeping it warm 24/7 you'll be fine.

Winter outdoors - mild, crisp, fresh and nowhere near as icy and bone chilling as back in the UK.

Diny

[sizzlingbadger]

We're waiting to see how this winter turns out here. Last year it was a very mild winter but we still had the woodburner going every evening. Apparently they do have frosts here, only 5 last year and it doesn't go below 0 degs :D

Going back to the heating here. We've just had a pellet fire put in. We put it on last night and within about half an hour the place was toasty warm. Again put it on this morning and it's been running an hour and the place has heated up nicely. The fan is a little noisy but you don't have to have it running all the time.

Seems it may be a good alternative to a woodburner and a more efficent option than a gas fire. We'll see how it goes and report back, so far it seems better than a woodburner as you can flick a switch and it gets going.

[Diny]

Something I forgot to mention regarding wood burners. The 'trick' is to keep them going, last year the longest we had ours burning between 'lightings' was just over 3 weeks.

They look great when they're 'raging' but get them up to heat and then keep them idling is the way to go. One BIG log will keep it trundling along for hours then the smaller logs can be put on during the evening to make it look nice and cosy for sitting around.

This is just how we do it - guess there's no right and wrong way. But you definately have to learn how to 'drive' your woodburners but once you've mastered the art they are delightful, warm and VERY efficient.

If this house wasn't on the market we would look into one of those pellet burners - maybe in the next house.

Diny

[Hannah]

If your house is poorly insulated and not north facing, then you will need to put on the thick woolies. You will find that outside is warmer than inside the house

Absolutely Singel!!! I've found this over the summer, and even during the winter when we travelled around NZ. I have often found myself going outside to warm up! Houses here can be like fridges.

When we travelled in winter we found, on the whole, South Island to be colder, with more frosts although little rain across both Islands (generally raining at night). When the sun came out it felt warm enough to just wear a jersey - even in the South. Dampness was not a problem outside (i.e. it was not cold and damp like the kind you get in Britain) but the motels we stayed in were often damp, and smelly as a result, and we had mould growing in the campervan blankets! Good heating combats cold and many motels do not have this, relying on electric blankets at night. If our current rental house is anything to go by then i guess many houses are the same too. In terms of outdoor weather during winter it's pretty mild from experience.

What i love here is the long sunny months over the spring ...and summer... and autumn period. Even on days when it rains it is often sunny at the same time. Very cheerful. During our winter travels it was sunny most of the time. maybe we were just lucky, but the sun sure shines out here more than it does in Britain... (but then New Plymouth is meant to be the second most sunniest city in NZ!)

[zardell]

Hi Guys.

Thanks once again for all your responses - invaluable info as always.

So basically the top and bottom of it is that yes, as people keep saying, its not necessarily the location, but the housing standards that will (and do, apparently) raise the damp problem.

PLEASE keep those posts coming......like I said, your opinions are invaluable.

Julie

xx

[Avalon]

Going back to the heating here. We've just had a pellet fire put in. We put it on last night and within about half an hour the place was toasty warm. Again put it on this morning and it's been running an hour and the place has heated up nicely. The fan is a little noisy but you don't have to have it running all the time.

Seems it may be a good alternative to a woodburner and a more efficent option than a gas fire. We'll see how it goes and report back, so far it seems better than a woodburner as you can flick a switch and it gets going.

Id be really interestd in what you think!

We have just had the first quote in for heatpumps (we need cooling AND heating) - when they are in ill post and let people wkow what the costs look like

[clg]

Insulation and sun do make a big difference. We added heat to our house, diesel powered radiators. While the system was a bit pricy to install it was really all we could do besides heat pumps with our house. It has worked quite well and does not seem to cost that much to run. We have not run it in July or August yet but September and October cost about 200 a month in fuel. We only really need to run it in the mornings to heat up the house. If there is a little sun it stays warm from there, on cloudy days though it runs durring the day. We do a fire in the evenings which keeps the temperature up. We found the fire does not really raise the house temperature much but it will sustain it. That is due though to our weird floorplan. Woodburners can easily keep an insualted houst toasty if you have a decent floorplan.

[Singel]

We have just had the first quote in for heatpumps (we need cooling AND heating) - when they are in ill post and let people wkow what the costs look like
Our heatpump costs $10k including GST and it consists of a compressor and 3 blowers for living/dinning room, master-bedroom and study-room.
:cheers

[Singel]

Insulation and sun do make a big difference.
Our new build is well insolated and our master-bedroom is north facing, thus it is really warm. So throughout the winter, we have to switch on the airconditioning (cooling from the heatpump) when we sleep.

The heatpump has filters to trap the dusts and circulate fresh air back to the house. If I cook any stir-fry, the smell is gone the next day.
:cheers

[Avalon]

Our heatpump costs $10k including GST and it consists of a compressor and 3 blowers for living/dinning room, master-bedroom and study-room.
:cheers
Cheers -
1st quote is at about $18k. BUT that is for a 5 bed house with a whacky roof design (3 seperate roof spaces) and 2 floors.

One of the options which they think is essential is to have Solar Powered vents in the main roof space above the top floor - which allows hot air (talking sauna hot) to leave the roof when the sun is on it and considerably lowing the "radiator" effect upstairs.

[Avalon]

http://www.wmac.org.nz/gladstoneweather/

Gives you a actual look at the weather in Gladstone - which is the next village out past us from Carterton.

502 hours of sunshine so far this year :D

[stephen p]

We are south of Auckland , and arrived in May last year . The nights were a little chilly but we only had a couple of fosts all year . But boy did it rain . But on the whole its been a lot warmer than the UK , and I would certainly agree that at times its a lot warmer outside , than in .
I have only put on long trousers a couple of times since being here , the rest of the time its shorts all the way . Lee my wife has had to rush back to the UK , and could'nt find any winter clothes , so we had to buy some , thats really odd .

[Avalon]

. Lee my wife has had to rush back to the UK , and could'nt find any winter clothes , so we had to buy some , thats really odd .

Hope everything is OK

Hugs

[StevieD]

Emerson, Lake and Palmer recorded Jerusalem on one of their albums. See, ask and thou shalt receive !!

Emerson Lake and Palmer Julie? You old hippie! :laugh

[zardell]

Emerson Lake and Palmer Julie? You old hippie! :laugh


Yep, can't deny it Steve - thats me !!

[zardell]

Has anyone spent a winter in the Bay of Plenty (Tauranga/The Mount or Rotorua) or the Hawkes Bay areas ??

Would love to hear your opinions.........

Thanks again,

Julie

xx

[Jules]

Hi Julie

We are in Rotorua, the winters here are not too bad, mostly rain, not too cold at nights. If we get a frost in the morning you know it is going to be a nice crisp sunny day :nice1

Hope this helps.

Jules

[jazz]

Hi,

I have had several winters in Christchurch.(back in Uk at mo,coming back this year..)and i have to say i`ve been colder there than my native south east England.
And this is even when climate wise, ChCh has more sunshine and has on average warmer temps.
So why was it colder?-the answer is central heating is none existant!Most homes have log burners(we had electric oil heaters)So the mornings were a tad parky to say the least.
Christchurch also has a very high smog level in winter because of the afore mentioned heating.Not the clean green place we were led to believe!
The beautiful crisp clear(after the smog has lifted)days are worth it though,and only one year did we have a month of "weather bombs"from the South Pole(another story!)
So,if you are used to centralGas heating in Europe/America and are planning to live in South Island bring a jersey.And your sunglasses!

[zardell]

We've just had a pellet fire put in. We put it on last night and within about half an hour the place was toasty warm. Again put it on this morning and it's been running an hour and the place has heated up nicely. The fan is a little noisy but you don't have to have it running all the time.

Seems it may be a good alternative to a woodburner and a more efficent option than a gas fire. We'll see how it goes and report back, so far it seems better than a woodburner as you can flick a switch and it gets going.


Hi All.

Seeing as how you are all in the middle of winter, I thought I would resurrect this old thread.

Was also wondering how you are getting on with your pellet burner SB ?

Julie

xx

[Bergita]

Omw, I've just read this whole thread and the temperatures mentioned have got me scared. It's winter now in South Africa, today was 17 degrees, tomorrow will be 15 and I'm freezing!! How will I cope with temps down to 0?

Long johns for me.... if my husband truly loves me, he won't run away screaming. :D

[katandbob]

hi Julie,

Well after our week in Chch when it was ....oooh like living in the deep freeze in the appartment :( (which is now fixed in the apt) and it being bitter when you stepped out the door....I did a massive Thermal undie shop!

Invercargill hasn't been so bad, we have had 1 day of mostly rain, and a few gusts of winds, the rest of the days have been good.

the weather reports say we are going to get rain/sleet/snow....we get slight frost at 6.45am when I am getting rob off to work, then its a bit chilly when I am walking to work (just coat and scarf, havent worn a hat - AND I had one on my head constantly in Chch)....then the suns arrived, and it was so warm yesterday, when I was in the office, I took my jumper off!

its supposed to be sleet/Cold today...will let you know later...when I get back from the shout (boss is buying beer for Jan who I am replacing as its her last day) :cheers

At the weekend, it was supposed to rain, and I think we had one or two spots, but we were walking in the reserves so we didnt get wet and it had stopped by the time we reached the open countryside.

I know that we are on the bottom of the island but so far we have escaped the worst weather....but I am told that it can get colder, but this is about as normal as a winter they get here! :nice1

I am going to wear my thermals just in case...but I'd rather be too hot than cold!

The major difference here in NZ is that their winters are basically the same as ours with variations on severity ..ie huge snow fall in Canterbury, rain in Welly and surrounding areas....BUT the houses are rediculous....no insulation, thin windows...one heater for whole house!!!

THATS what makes an NZ winter dismal...cause you are colder in the house than outside!

I am seriously thinking of building...as then I can put insulation/heating/double glazing (yes it is available) and also the electrics in this rental are the original. and as yet I havent looked around houses for sale, the houses I have been in have the same fuse boxes./light/sockets from the 50s!!!

ttfn
Kat :confused:

[sizzlingbadger]

Hi Julie

Thanks for asking about the pellet burner. It is really good apart from the fan noise that is quiet annoying (slowly getting used to it) the place is really warm. We also put another layer of Pink Batts insulation in the ceiling a couple of weeks ago and it's now warmer inside than out :D OH had the burner going all day yesterday and it got really hot, so much so a couple of layers had to come off (still had a couple of layers on mind you :) )

Definitely recommend it to those who don't want a woodburner or a heat pump, it seems quite efficient and we've still got quite a few bags to use up. Hopefully another month and we'll be going into spring with warmer and drier weather.

[Diny]

Winter so far for us here in the Manawatu has been wet wet wet - with abit more wet thown in. I agree with Kat when she says that apart from a few slight variations there's not alot of difference between winter here and in the UK.

Our new house is well insulated and is one of the few in the region which is actually warmer inside than outside. It's true, it's the stupidly inadequate houses which make winter over here seems so bad.

The best way to keep a constant warmth in your home is to learn how to 'drive' your heating supply - in other words, if you have a woodburner then keep it trundling along all the time. If you let it go out the temperature will instantly plummet and you have to start the great warm-up process all over again. When buying your wood get some nice dry pine to get the fire going, then get a good supply of gum - it's heavy, solid, slow burning and gives off a good heat.

Do all you can to eliminate damp too - it's easy to heat up dry air, you never actually manage to get any heat out of damp air.

Try to ignore what the glossy mags say about NZ's mild climate - spending the winter months in an NZ house will soon dispell all the myths about 'mildness'.

One thing I can say in defence of NZ houses, once the winter has passed they are great - really geared up for the warmer weather and during the summer months they are a delight to live in.

I'm finding winter here in NZ to be miserable (it was last year too) - but summer is good, and hopefully spring isn't too far around the corner.

Diny

[jo-and-jeff]

Bear in mind that I grew up in a place in Midwest U.S. which has very cold winters with lots of snow. Usually each winter there will be a brief stretch where it's unbelievably cold and dangerous to be out with unprotected skin (the worst I remember was a stretch of 12 days with subzero temps and up to -45°C windchill factor). So perception of cold is all relative.

Having said that, I'm cold almost all of the time (comfortable house temp for me is 23°C) and I hate being cold. As most have said, without double-insulated windows and central heat, it's harder to stay warm here, but I run the Fujitsu in the living room and an oil heater in the study and it's fairly comfortable. Of course, that gets reflected in our electric bill.

I've found Auckland to be quite like Seattle, which in the U.S. has a reputation for being exceptionally rainy. But in all the times I've visited there, I've found that it will usually rain for a couple of hours, then clear off and be a nice day (unlike where I grew up, where if it rains, it pours for the whole day, and often for several days). I've found Auckland to be similar to Seattle in that it will rain for a little bit and then the sun will come out (although in winter, as in Seattle, it rains a lot more). Since I got here 2 months ago, most days I've been going out walking briskly for an hour, and it's often warm enough that I just wear a cardigan but no jacket -- which is pretty amazing to me, in the middle of "winter". There've been many days where we've been able to sit out on the deck with our jackets on and have a glass of wine, despite the fact that 7 stories up we get a bit of a breeze.

So I would say that winter attire in the Auckland area is probably comparable to your late autumn attire when it has started to get cold but it's not yet really winter.

Jo

[K&CS]

I agree with Diny about the wood burner, although I do feel guilty that I am adding to the Christchurch smog. Our house isn't too bad as it goes. We've got double glazing downstairs and we don't have too many problems with condensation. The wood burner gets it toasty - in some ways it isn't that much different to having central heating. It takes no time to get it going and within half an hour you really feel the effects of it (same as with central heating). Also if I'm going out for a few hours, I just close it down and then open it up again when I get back and, as if by magic, it comes back to life! Can't manage to keep it going overnight though. Think that's because it's a rental and probably not a very good quality burner. I will miss my cosy nights by the fire once the better weather comes, I have to say (although I am looking forward to the better weather....)

[Xaviera]

[QUOTE=Diny]apart from a few slight variations there's not alot of difference between winter here and in the UK.


From the BBC World Weather site:

Average maximum temps mid winter...

July

Auckland 13C
Wellington 12C
Napier 13C
ChCh 10C
Dunedin 9C


January

London 6C
Edinburgh 6C
Birmingham 5C
Plymouth 8C
Belfast 6C
Cardiff 7C

[spudulike]

Omw, I've just read this whole thread and the temperatures mentioned have got me scared. It's winter now in South Africa, today was 17 degrees, tomorrow will be 15 and I'm freezing!! How will I cope with temps down to 0?

Long johns for me.... if my husband truly loves me, he won't run away screaming. :D

I know the feeling Bergita - I got into bed last night and put my socks on first :laugh Who says romance is dead.... Fortunately we already have 2 children as I don't anticipate taking enough layers off to make more :no

Seriously though, we are in Wellington and I have never experienced such a huge amount of rain at any time in the UK. I can honestly say my first winter in NZ has been thoroughly miserable. We are freezing all the time we are indoors due to poor housing. The only thing that gets me through is knowing we will only have to endure one more winter here before going back home to the UK!

I think the worst thing is people asking if the children have developed any respiratory problems 'yet' (as if it is a given they are going to). How do people live like this?????

Moan over (for now) :o

Louise

[Avalon]

How do people live like this?????

Moan over (for now) :o

Louise
Thats why coffee is so popular here - its something warm :)

[ENZ]

I think the worst thing is people asking if the children have developed any respiratory problems 'yet' (as if it is a given they are going to). How do people live like this?????


English speaking countries all have poor records on respiratory problems. Australia has the most cases and Canada and the USA have least. In terms of UK and NZ:

12 month prevalence in children:

Wheezing: UK = 32.2%, NZ= 30.2%
Severe Wheeze Limiting Speech: UK = 8.5%, NZ = 8.0%
Exercise Wheeze: UK = 29.1%, NZ = 40.3%
Night Cough: UK = 42.3%, NZ = 30.0%
Ever Had Asthma: UK = 20.7%, NZ = 24.4%


http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/reprint/12/2/315

[spudulike]

English speaking countries all have poor records on respiratory problems. Australia has the most cases and Canada and the USA have least. In terms of UK and NZ:

12 month prevalence in children:

Wheezing: UK = 32.2%, NZ= 30.2%
Severe Wheeze Limiting Speech: UK = 8.5%, NZ = 8.0%
Exercise Wheeze: UK = 29.1%, NZ = 40.3%
Night Cough: UK = 42.3%, NZ = 30.0%
Ever Had Asthma: UK = 20.7%, NZ = 24.4%


http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/reprint/12/2/315

Wow - they're shocking stats!! Wonder why everyone blames the housing and lack of heating here then as UK is far better in these areas... Wonder if smoking is a factor :confused:

Very interesting though - thanks!!

Louise

[Marie P]

This photo was taken on sunday at a beach in East of Auckland .

[http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c379/wilson1964/IMG_0252.jpg]

I even had a paddle in sea .

Marie x

[Diny]

Xaviera - welcome to the forum. Where abouts are you? Averages are all well and good .... maybe I'll take the middle of the road stance on this and say that we're having a colder than average time of things at the moment.

Marie - what a brilliant pic. If only we could have a few days like that down here - just soooooo fed up of the rain and bitter wind, our garden is ankle deep in mud and today has been particularly cold.

Ha !!! Listen to us lot talking about the weather - somethings never change no matter where we are.

Diny

[Diny]

Hey Stevie ..... looks like there's more of them there pesky micro climates over here than we first suspected !!!!!!!

http://tcwozere.co.uk/smileys/girly02.gif

[Xaviera]

Thank you for the welcome Diny. And you are quite right - it has been a dreadful winter wet,cold and long. Still I'm happy to report that here in Napier today it is a lovely sunny day.... finally! :)

[kiwidebs]

I don't mean to brag (well, maybe a little) but it's a glorious day here in Auckland today. Lots of sun, if a little cold at the moment. I can't believe I've been walking around in t-shirts in the middle of winter. In London I would've been in thermals and layered up for any trip outside, even on a sunny day!

As for the wheezing and asthma, I'm amazed at the UK stats, I always thought NZ had one of the highest rates in the world and truly thought the UK would be miles behind. :confused:

Debs (off to enjoy the sunshine)

[K&CS]

I'm pleased to add to this that it's beautiful here in Christchurch today as well. It just takes a bit of sun to lift the spirits, doesn't it? I'm going to rescue my washing that I forgot to bring in before all the rain that started on Wednesday (I suppose I could just leave it there....)

[Smiler]

Weather report from Welly after the rain and slips of this week.

Gorgeous sunny day with a blue, blue sky. It's clear enough for me to see the snow on the top of the Kaikoura's. :clap

[Moorf]

And another beautiful day ( so far...!! ) in Waddington - not a cloud in the sky, gorgeous in the sun, polar in the shade.....

[katandbob]

hi just to add a bit of info for southland, so far I watch the news, read the paper...then keep an eye on the actual weather, so far....we were predicted snow for friday (yesterday)...we had a few rain showers then sunshine and the temperature was mild...they are saying 9degrees for today...we will have to see.

today its a bit windy, its sunny..but raining off and on, and the temp is mild.. I'll have to go out and have a check of the thermometer, it was 5degrees yesterday morning at 7am.

so so far its not too bad...but I certainly would like to hop over to the 37 temp that the uks got at the minute...typical that they get a good summer the minute we leave :laugh

[Diny]

This morning was wonderful - bright blue sky, lots of sunshine. Now it's clouding over again - just looked at the thermometer in the back garden, it's reading 7 degrees c.

Just driven over to Feilding and there's a mass of daffodils out in bloom, and a paddock by the side of the Napier Road out of/into Palmy is full of snow drops. Yay for the spring !!!!!!

Hey - how about an actual thread where forum members from all over the country can periodically sign in with the days temps and forecast. It may be actually of some use as well as interesting.

Diny

[Moorf]

Brilliant idea!

[zardell]

Hey - how about an actual thread where forum members from all over the country can periodically sign in with the days temps and forecast. It may be actually of some use as well as interesting.

Diny



That is a wonderful idea Diny - It would be a very interesting read to all forumites from all over the world, not just the weather obsessed Brits !!

What is striking me at the minute, is the actual length of the NZ winter. It seems to be so much shorter than here in the UK.

It also seems to be from the comments on this thread an awful lot brighter. I know that some of you have suffered terribly with rain/flooding and I am not ignoring that fact, nor do I wish to make light of it, but NZ does seem to have those grey, rainy days interspersed with bright blue skies and sunshine. Here in the UK, we seem to have those grey days for 8-9 months of the year!!
Very depressing.

Thanks once again for all your replies - you've all been generous with your comments as always. And SB, I'm glad you like your pellet burner - thanks for your input.

Julie (another weather obsessed Brit !)

xx

[Diny]

What is striking me at the minute, is the actual length of the NZ winter. It seems to be so much shorter than here in the UK.

Julie (another weather obsessed Brit !)

xx


Now this I do agree with. The winter over here is definately alot shorter than back in the UK ... this was confirmed for me today when I saw all the daffodils and snow drops.

Diny

[StevieD]

Already!! Saying that, we can't complain about this weather we having here, although, being Brits, you can guarantee they are :laugh

[jubjub]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/asjohnstone/IMGP1390.jpgWell it has been lovely today, but now sun has gone in, its bloomin cold, more wood just been chucked on the fire....

[K&CS]

We had the most magnificent day here in Christchurch. At the hottest part of the day, it was 18 degrees in the sun. We sat outside Dux Deluxe in town and had to strip off fleeces etc. We then went down to the beach in Sumner - all the kids were paddling in the sea and running around in t-shirts. We sat outside The Rock (for those who know it) and had to move away from the patio heaters - it was just far too hot. It really felt like spring today. It's cold now obviously, but I do actually like the cosy evenings by the fire and, believe it or not, it's one thing I'll miss when the winter's over.

Diny, that sounds like a fab idea. I know I'm very sad, but I've always been weather obsessed. One thing though, in the UK, I always lost interest in the weather forecast during the winter months because I knew it would be crap. Here, I know that if you get any crap weather thrown at you, you just need to sit tight for a few days then it will be nice again - even in the middle of winter. I had to laugh with a fellow Brit the other day - she says she always waits till a nice day in the winter to speak to the folks back home, then makes sure she gets some shots on the beach, getting the kids to take off their jackets and hats! Well, you have to make people a little bit jealous, don't you...

Kate

[miep]

We went back to Holland for the frst time in 5 years last christmas and I have to say I completely forgot how grey and miserable its gets there! Despite the seriously bad weather of the last few weeks (see the other thread in "the Lounge") it just doesn't seem as depressing as there. You just never get days like today, sunny and hot, in the middle of winter:cool: .
I used to get mildly depressed over winter in Holland, just like everybody else, but here the days are longer and when the sun comes out it really shines.
After today's sun we don't need to put the heating on (well insulated house built for passive solar heating) at all, whereas I cannot remember a day without central heating (in an equally well designed house) between october and april back in Holland.
Diny, I think you need to move out of the Manawatu!:exit

[Diny]

Diny, I think you need to move out of the Manawatu!:exit


Hey - that's not such a bad idea !!!!!

[Singel]

So I would say that winter attire in the Auckland area is probably comparable to your late autumn attire when it has started to get cold but it's not yet really winter.

Jo



In Auckland, I don't think we actually have winter. It is more like Autumn changing over to Spring :D :nice1

[veronica]

thats cos us in the south island have your winters for you. Brr been chilly here this winter. its our third winter here and so far they have all been totally different. the first was very dry, a few frosts and chilly days, a couple of wet snowfalls and lots of sunshine, last winter was a joke it was so warm apart from a late snowfall in Oct. and this winter has equalled anything we have had at home. Go figure