Climate

What is the climate like?
Depends on what part of the country you're in, the season - and time of day. Importantly, remember the weather in New Zealand is unpredicable.

Metservice is the main weather forecaster - and the only forecast you can reasonably rely on is today's one. If you're heading into the mountains (local lingo: 'the hills') check the mountain forecasts.

Main centres

 * Auckland: Rains frequently, has warm/subtropical weather often. Can be really humid.
 * Wellington: Rather cold in winter, regarded as the world's windiest city, though when there's no wind, you can't beat it.
 * Christchurch: Cold and in the winter (can be -5C in the coldest night of the year), stifling hot in summer. (+30C)
 * Dunedin: Cold in the winter, warmish in the summer with the odd hot day.

Wellington
====Spring 14-20 degrees, starts off quite stormy after a cold winter. Once it starts getting warm, it's great but the weather is changeable and will get cold very quickly and without warning after about 4.30 pm. It is the windest part of the year. ====

====Summer 17-25 degrees, breezy, sunnny. Nice evenings which cool down gently.====

====Autumn Anywhere from 10-20 degrees, depending on the day/month. Temperature drops, stormy, windy. Some lovely crisp clear days though.====

====Winter 6-14 degrees, Cold, southerlies, stormy, rain. A good wool jacket, good boots, and scarves and hats are essential.====

Notes Christchurch: Hot nor' west winds, with a chance of earthquakes and stab wounds.
 * There is always wind in Wellington. It varies in strength and in summer it's a feature because the breeze keeps you cool.
 * The weather is very changeable and this is true country-wide. If it's Spring or Autumn, I would suggest always taking an extra layer, even if it APPEARS to be really warm, because it'll turn cold suddenly and fuck you over.