I wouldn't worry about the barometer if I were you, it doesn't affect weather much on the coast. Exasperated explorer Charlie Douglas, West Coast, 1890s

Somebody has to take responsibility for the weather. Ron, Israel

Oh cruel fate! Why do you mock me? Homer Simpson

Economists were put on this earth to make weather forecasters look good.

Weather

For the closest you’ll get to real-time weather at a variety of New Zealand locations (no more lies about our summers!): http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php

The big blue ocean surrounding our little country keeps the average temperatures pretty similar from winter (12ºC) to summer (20ºC). If you think that the sun always shines in summer and that it only rains in winter, sorry, plenty of places in New Zealand can experience four seasons in one day. Summer usually extends from December through to March, while September and April can often have settled weather.

Winter is never too cold, so hiking and kayaking at this time can be more pleasant because of its cooler temperatures. Also, there are fewer people around, giving us more space to play. If the weather is bad during a trip we may have to change our itinerary to avoid river crossings, which will sometimes mean walking on the tops of ranges instead. Don’t worry; we will still get out into the elements. It is all part of experiencing the outdoors in New Zealand. Our winter Volcanoes and Rainforest trip sometimes has an option to go skiing/boarding at Mt Ruapehu (check dossier for details).

If you’re a shorts and T-shirt kind of person you’ll be happy to know that it’s warmer in the ‘winterless’ north, and the North Island is always a few degrees warmer than the South. Sometimes it all turns to custard and we get wet. That’s when we start to sing!

For today’s forecast and general overview of New Zealand weather, we suggest you check out the Met Service website or Fencepost.com. It offers an excellent 2-day weather forecast or you can register with them to get more.

For the weather geeks amongst us, try this great Met Link site. It links to all sorts of weather and climate stuff relevant to New Zealand and is well worth a visit. Click here.