For those who might not realize, it is summer here in the southern hemisphere. New Zealand is very long and skinny country on a north-south orientation so the summer weather varies very much by location. Where we live and stay most of the time is at about the same latitude as Boston I think. This leads to a very mild summer here. The "normal" temps are in the mid to high 7o's, with occasional forays into the 80's.
From what I hear, we didn't need to come all the way to New Zealand to enjoy this kind of weather - it is about that warm right now back home isn't it? But your roses are not in bloom!!
The Kiwis are fond of saying that if you don't like the weather in New Zealand, just wait an hour and you might be satisfied. This is because their weather changes very rapidly due to the geography of the islands. As air masses move across the ocean they encounter the islands moving generally west to east. In the South Island, the air masses crash up against the Southern Alps and dump all of their moisture on the West Coast. Over there, (we live on the East Coast) they measure rainfall in meters per year! The air masses are able to cross the island very quickly because it is so narrow. The island also has some ability to create its own weather due to the diverse nature of the geography. As mentioned, the Souther Alps run the entire length of the South Island, and a huge flat area (in which we are living) called the Canterbury plains lies in the middle of the island. The rest is comprised of variations on the hill country theme, with a mix of sandy and rocky coastlines, fjords and other features that we will discuss later.
The ability of the island to create its own weather is what leads to the explanation for the translation of it's native (Maori) name. Aeotearoa -(Ay-Oh-Tay-Ah-Row-Uh) it means "land of the long white cloud".
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