Skip Fraser asked what the temperature was like in New Zealand. We have what is termed a "temperate" climate like much of Europe, with defined seasons and Spring blossoms, kind of thing. At this Auckland latitude we don't generally get frosts except in sheltered places away from the city. Vinyards are near here, and also in the South Island. New Zealand juts volcanically from the sea, long and thin and sprawled across the prevailing westerly trade winds. This means we catch plenty of rain, on the west coast especially.
There is plenty of ice and snow in the South Island, especially on the Southern Alps. All the iconic scenery is down there, but the population is mainly up here away from all that ice and snow. Ski freaks abound, for instance, in Queenstown at the bottom of the S.I. A lot of Scottish people in the early days settled and built Dunedin where the climate is much like Scotland. Over the years people from all over world have of course, lots from the U.S.A., China, you name it. My ancestry is allegedly French-Nordic. The climate seems to suit all sorts of people. It would be rubbish however without Australia to generate big hot high pressure systems to waft across the Tasman Sea and us a lot if great sunny weather. Thanks Sarongman!
Climate
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Jack Williams
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Re: Climate
Jack! i'm so glad you appreciate what we send over to you there in Aotearoa. We are sending a bill for the topsoil we sent you a few weeks back 
Kia kaha (stay strong) Yep, we've got a lot of Maori immigrants here. Big blokes they are too, must have been the generations of protein in their diet (until the missionaries persuaded them to stop eating their enemies!)
Kia kaha (stay strong) Yep, we've got a lot of Maori immigrants here. Big blokes they are too, must have been the generations of protein in their diet (until the missionaries persuaded them to stop eating their enemies!)It will not always be summer: build barns---Hesiod
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Jack Williams
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 2116
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:05 pm
- Location: Auckland, NZ
Re: Climate
Yes Sarongman, Aussie's bowing away. It is an ongoing disaster and very worrying. I spent on and off a few years in Oz during the '60's hitching the entire Highway One (don't ask, just one of those Jack projects) and working in Sydney, North-west Cape, Darwin, Mt. Isa. Camped in Alice and other places like Coober Pedy. It was really dry even then. The Murray River system is also under severe pressure...