Best climate in NZ

[RWood]

Why "better"? Frost followed by sunshine was always preferable to damp mild days, for me. The BOP can get pretty humid, too, when you're considering summer maxima.
.

A fine day without frost is better, Sunny BOP has less frost.
Does Whangarei have a better winter climate than Alexandra ?

With regard to the northern humidity, places like Noosa Qld in Summer, Raratonga in Winter and Hawaii are far more humid than here, these are places that Kiwis flock to for the weather.

Whangarei is far too wet - one of my brothers spent 1974 there - one of its sunnier years - and didn't like it at all.
Alexandra gets fogs in June & July but away from "basin" places like that, many SI locations have good winter sunshine totals and far less rain than the likes of Whangarei. You can keep it!

On a couple of occasions Blenheim exceeded 200 hours in June - and July 1952 saw both Blenheim and Nelson exceeding 225 hours, accompanied by quite a number of frosts. I'll take that over the cloudiness, thanks.

[NZstorm]

Interestingly NIWA are saying the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne were sunniest places in NZ in 2013. Could be the start of a trend due to climate change?

[RWood]

Interestingly NIWA are saying the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne were sunniest places in NZ in 2013. Could be the start of a trend due to climate change?

The lists are incomplete, and the contest - manual sites (mostly not available yet for 2013 totals) vs. EWSs - is not a fair one. I can list 15-20 places that are getting far higher totals with new EWss than they did with manual methods, Whakatane having one of the highest anomalies. Napier manual has an issue with some of its recent recordings and would certainly beat Gisborne EWS if it were converted - it's historically sunnier.

NIWA concedes in its annual report that the New Plymouth EWS numbers are clearly "off the chart" - to be inbestigated. Given the clear differences already demonstrated historically and very clear in the case of Paraparaumu, Hokitika and Greymouth (all running manual + EWS, with very large differences in each case). A monograph I read some while back by a person in the UK also stated that the Kipp-Zonen equipment used is prone to drift off calibration quite readily.

To its 1-item list of (EWS) potential "offenders" NIWA should add Whakatane, Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, Turangi, Paraparaumu, Hokitika, Greymouth, Franz Josef (its last 6 or 7 monthly values have been absurdly high in intercomparisons with the other Westland sites), Cheviot, Ashburton, Rangiora, Akaroa and Balclutha (Possibly the most extreme case).

Some manual sites do also have issues with site deterioration or similar issues in my opinion - including Napier, Palmerston (SI) and Alexandra (the latter seems to get "cloudier" every time the site is changed, probably a horizon issue).

[Storm Struck]

Its interesting all this talk because it really does show what people prefer in terms of what they have acclimatised to, for me I cant stand muggy heat its awkward to work in and slows me right down completely drains you.
That's of the muggy days weve had here which is 1-2 days of significant note per year, one year on one day we had 90% humidity with 30C that was uncomfortable.
I would prefer a dry heat like the NWer brings because I am used to it.

I think Nelson has its own microclimate in a small area between Nelson and Ruby Bay, similar to that of Christchurch with the warming up of the daytime temperatures and then a sea breeze except the sea breeze comes in during the late afternoon/evening there unlike mid morning for Christchurch.
Mot still does get those kinda days but not always it can often remain little wind in the township, I reackon the moutere hills must hold some early 30C temperatures during the summer which was recognised by many for viticulture in the area along with the rich sandy loam soil.

[David]

one year on one day we had 90% humidity with 30C that was uncomfortable.

Sorry to nitpick... but that would give a 28C dewpoint, which is, as far as I am aware, impossible in NZ.

[Storm Struck]

Must of been an incorrect reading I think it was from one of the chch weather stations I checked at the time, but that day certainly would have been up there in terms of humidity as there was also showers.
Would have been about 2007 I think

[Manukau heads obs]

Interestingly NIWA are saying the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne were sunniest places in NZ in 2013

El-nino would give that
and yet we have had a good number of NE rain events as well...
(expected since its been basicly neutral or slightly La-nina)

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I like the way that the Bay of Plenty and the Gisborne regions get high sunshine totals yet, they get a lot of warnings and watches for heavy rain.
Must be lots of quick clearing up periods after significant rainfalls?

[RWood]

Interestingly NIWA are saying the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne were sunniest places in NZ in 2013

El-nino would give that
and yet we have had a good number of NE rain events as well...
(expected since its been basicly neutral or slightly La-nina)

Refer my post. Point not conceded. The Gisborne reading is at least within the bounds of credibility, but the Whakatane one at 470 hours above the old average is ridiculous. Totals at Nelson and Blenheim were somewhat below their averages.

[NZstorm]

The Tauranga sunshine reading of 2515 hours looks ok so they can have the title of sunniest for 2013.

[Richard]

This thread really does show that we all have our own preferences as to what is the ideal climate, take many of the locations already mentioned , maybe a great area to enjoy camping & holidaying but may not suit your lifestyle if were to take up residency.
Does this forum format allow for voting ...now that would be one way to come up with a common census

[Orion]

Welcome to the forum, Alessandro

[RWood]

The Tauranga sunshine reading of 2515 hours looks ok so they can have the title of sunniest for 2013.

It's probably OK, but it is true that its (manual) readings have been higher since the days of centralised checking were done - may be slightly optimistic. The Blenheim total appears not to have included an estimate for several missing days in September, though the gap would be too wide for it to catch Tauranga.

[spwill]

Whangarei is far too wet - one of my brothers spent 1974 there - one of its sunnier years - and didn't like it at all.
Alexandra gets fogs in June & July but away from "basin" places like that, many SI locations have good winter sunshine totals and far less rain than the likes of Whangarei. You can keep it!
.

A lot of people would find winter in Central Otago too cold. My parents moved from Alexandra to coastal Otago for that reason. There is a massive temperature advantage for Whangarei and dispite the Winter rain there Winter sunshine hrs are very respectable over northern NZ by NZ standards

[Michael]

Auckland not up there.....

[Michael]

What actually be ideal,though it only occurs a month or two is march/april type weather,lows from 7 to 12 and calm sunny days around 21-23c.

[RWood]

Whangarei is far too wet - one of my brothers spent 1974 there - one of its sunnier years - and didn't like it at all.
Alexandra gets fogs in June & July but away from "basin" places like that, many SI locations have good winter sunshine totals and far less rain than the likes of Whangarei. You can keep it!
.

A lot of people would find winter in Central Otago too cold. My parents moved from Alexandra to coastal Otago for that reason. There is a massive temperature advantage for Whangarei and dispite the Winter rain there Winter sunshine hrs are very respectable over northern NZ by NZ standards

The only reason my family - and many others I knew down there - tolerated Dunedin's and In'gill's climates was the potential to escape to the hinterland. You can keep coastal Otago (or Southland, for that matter). You'll never sell me Whangarei, with its high rainfall and modest sunshine hours.

For me it's simple: NZ is in the "changeable maritime" zone - the range of annual Tmeans is not all that big. But sunshine is not very generous by world standards, and rainfall generally too plentiful for me. I can dress for the temperatures and use appropriate house heating/cooling - but I can't push the clouds away! When my family moved south the warning from the north was "you'll freeze"! I didn't register much change of temperature - but the greyer skies were immediately noticeable to me even as an 8-year old - "...why is the day just glowering, instead of doing something? ..."

[spwill]

.For me it's simple: NZ is in the "changeable maritime" zone - the range of annual Tmeans is not all that big. But sunshine is not very generous by world standards, and rainfall generally too plentiful for me. I can dress for the temperatures and use appropriate house heating/cooling - but I can't push the clouds away! ..."

The range of annual temperature means are big enough to be noticeable . The cloud /rain helps give us our reasonable standard of living ( grass growing). You can push the clouds away by moving to OZ.

[RWood]

.For me it's simple: NZ is in the "changeable maritime" zone - the range of annual Tmeans is not all that big. But sunshine is not very generous by world standards, and rainfall generally too plentiful for me. I can dress for the temperatures and use appropriate house heating/cooling - but I can't push the clouds away! ..."

The range of annual temperature means are big enough to be noticeable . The cloud /rain helps give us our reasonable standard of living ( grass growing). You can push the clouds away by moving to OZ.

You're in the (admittedly sizeable) "warmth bunny" category. Mine is different, but far from unique. Not going to move to Oz at my age - even if they were handing out pensions.

We don't have to have a "primary producer" economy forever, just because that's all we've done so far. In a "smart" economy, the clouds and rain would be irrelevant in the "helping" sense. In the unfriendly globalist regime now holding sway, we're not doing that well anyway. FWIW - amongst North Island climates only I would rank Whakatane first among the towns, but about equal with Napier, the latter because it wasn't far behind in the old longterm sunshine averages, and largely compensates with a much lower mean annual rainfall.

[Manukau heads obs]

whakatane/BOP in a moist strong notherly is not very pleasant at all
lots of salt spray in the air and lots of low cloud and very dull with lashing rain

its not always nice weather in the BOP

[RWood]

One of the reasons I rate Napier about equal with Whakatane, despite less sun.

[spwill]

I think the worst weather form in NZ is the onshore southerly when it is cold and wet, Napier catches it , BOP is sheltered.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Upper Hutt has a good climate. It's sheltered from the cold southerlies that Wellington gets.
It my be 26C in Upper Hutt but in Wellington it will be just 19C.

[bpo]

Is Tekapo NZ coldest town ?

Lake Tekapo village is more of a locality than anything. It's basically a gas station stop with a couple hotel/motels and cafes. The population hovers around the very low 100s most of the year.

And it really cops the winds. Some weeks are sandblast hell off the lake shore.

[melja]

Yes I find Twizel much better than Tekapo, much less wind and warmer summers but less sun in the winter with the fog. Tekapo also catches the NE wind over burkes pass and that shaves a good 5C of the temps.

Nobody has mentioned the West coast! Stats don't tell the true story of a climate, and yes I know it gets lots of rain in mm terms but this falls very quick and often clears very quick too.
Having a bach there for many years I have learnt that the forecasts for there are very poor and often say heavy rain all weekend when in fact it was sunny and warm most of it but a few 20min heavy showers.
I would have to say in fact that the climate over there is far better than the coastal CHCH area overall and much more stable(not 35 one day and 16 the next).