Climate of New Zealand

Rain! That is what everyone informed me before I moved to New Zealand. It is not green for nothing! was the theme from numerous conversations. Living in Africa this became a bit of a worrying concern as the Big Day loomed closer and closer. Internet research produced some frightening statistics especially when comparing it to a much dryer African climate.

If you Google New Zealand average rainfall you get this sort of result:- New Zealand’s average rainfall is highbetween 640 mm and 1500 mmand evenly spread throughout the year. Now, compare this to an average of less than 150mm a year and you think that you must start improving your swimming fitness..

So we arrived and it was Green. Everywhere. Granted it was spring, and we have subsequently established that you can get dry seasons in some parts of the country where it can get brown. But still the greenness was very green. And there was water all around you the sea, rivers, and lakes. And then on our second day it rained not the ordinary sort of rain but the tropical showers than ensured you got wet within 20 seconds. You couldn’t escape it and I soon noticed that everyone just accepted getting wet but then you soon dried out.

After a while I realised that the rain was actually not that bad and what I should have been more worried about was the Sun. It is unbelievably strong. In 16 C (approx 60 F) I was getting sun burnt. And in mid summer when temperatures get up to a very comfortable 26-27 C (81 F) you could fry within minutes. To put all this in perspective:

The UV Index in the Mediterranean in mid-summer reaches around 9 or 10. People in Florida are get fried only on just a few days each summer when the index reaches 12. In New Zealand the summer index often exceeds 12. And if you travel to the Northern parts of New Zealand, 14 can be reached during summer.

No wonder New Zealand has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world! Besides the hole in the Ozone layer that seems to hover over New Zealand at certain times of the year the lack of pollution also adds to the fry-up. So putting on sun cream every morning is just one of the habits you learn very quickly. Having said all that, the climate in the upper part of New Zealand around Auckland is very mild and temperate. No extreme lows and no extreme highs either. Moving further south, if you prefer a wider temperature range you can find it with snow during the winter months. But all very liveable and fits the laid back lifestyle we so enjoy and what makes New Zealand such a relaxed special place to live.

And what makes it more attractive is the access and variety if you get the urge to search out the snow you can. Without travelling too far you can find a ski slope from autumn through to spring. And in summer you are surrounded by amazing coves and beaches, mountains and rivers, with summer evenings stretching through to sunset well after 9pm. Each year I find the next most amazing beautiful spot to relax and re-charge. Am I converted? Oh Yes! After all it’s called God’s Own Country, and I think they are right!

(Just Google the phrase and you will find your special part of the World)