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82 / 100

New Zealand

Compare countries and cities by VanSky score and pick your next stop Compare regions by VanSky score and pick your destination

Ideal 82 / 100

51%

42%

Ideal 51% Comfortable 42% Acceptable 8%

Best spot: Nelson Region — 87

Typical conditions: 76

Cities: 23 Regions: 15 Updated: 14 Oct, 21:01 Open-Meteo

A comparison of 23 cities in New Zealand by VanSky score — how comfortable it is to travel in each today. We factor in temperature, wind, sun and conditions by the sea. Sort by any metric and pick your next stop. A comparison of 15 regions of New Zealand by VanSky score — where it's most comfortable to travel right now. We factor in temperature, wind, sun and conditions by the sea.

The country score (0–100) is computed from all of its cities, not a single point. Cities are grouped into regions, and a region's score is the median of its cities so dense clusters don't outweigh sparse ones. Final score = 0.65 × “best areas” (80th percentile of regions) + 0.35 × “typical conditions” (median of regions), so one warm city can't push the whole country to 100. Each city's score blends warmth (feels-like), sun, rain and wind, adjusted for night temperature and, on the coast, the sea. Data: Open-Meteo, refreshed several times a day.

80–100

Ideal

60–79

Comfortable

40–59

Acceptable

20–39

Challenging

0–19

Extreme

The scale above shows what share of the country's cities falls into each comfort band. “Best spot” is the most comfortable region or city this week; “typical conditions” is the median score across regions.

∅ 7-day average

Top cities in New Zealand by VanSky Regions of New Zealand

View by regions

City	VanSky	Temp.	Solar	Wind	Water
Nelson Nelson Region	92	18° / 13°	2.7 kWh	23 (↑42) km/h	—
Richmond Tasman District	91	16° / 9°	2.7 kWh	18 (↑39) km/h	—
Auckland Auckland Region	81	17° / 13°	1.2 kWh	23 (↑48) km/h	17°
Manukau City Auckland Region	81	17° / 13°	1.2 kWh	24 (↑55) km/h	—
Papatoetoe Auckland Region	80	17° / 13°	1.2 kWh	26 (↑51) km/h	—
Whangarei Northland Region	79	18° / 12°	1.2 kWh	26 (↑63) km/h	—
North Shore Auckland Region	79	17° / 14°	1.3 kWh	32 (↑44) km/h	—
Napier Hawke's Bay Region	79	20° / 9°	0.8 kWh	29 (↑50) km/h	—
Hamilton Waikato Region	78	16° / 11°	1.1 kWh	26 (↑49) km/h	—
Blenheim Marlborough District	78	16° / 10°	1.4 kWh	20 (↑34) km/h	—
Gisborne Gisborne District	78	19° / 11°	1 kWh	32 (↑69) km/h	—
Hastings Hawke's Bay Region	78	20° / 12°	0.8 kWh	32 (↑51) km/h	—
Tauranga Bay of Plenty Region	75	17° / 14°	0.8 kWh	37 (↑66) km/h	—
Palmerston North Manawatū-Whanganui Region	73	16° / 10°	0.9 kWh	27 (↑50) km/h	—
Whakatane Bay of Plenty Region	69	16° / 10°	0.4 kWh	28 (↑64) km/h	—
Christchurch Canterbury Region	68	14° / 8°	1.5 kWh	31 (↑58) km/h	14°
Rotorua Bay of Plenty Region	67	15° / 10°	0.7 kWh	31 (↑52) km/h	—
Invercargill Southland Region	63	10° / 8°	1.3 kWh	31 (↑50) km/h	—
Dunedin Otago Region	52	8° / 7°	0.5 kWh	29 (↑53) km/h	—
Porirua Wellington Region	45	15° / 9°	1.3 kWh	43 (↑83) km/h	—
New Plymouth Taranaki Region	45	15° / 10°	1.6 kWh	43 (↑83) km/h	—
Lower Hutt Wellington Region	45	16° / 10°	1.4 kWh	46 (↑89) km/h	—
Wellington Wellington Region	42	15° / 9°	1.5 kWh	43 (↑94) km/h	15°

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City	VanSky	Temp.	Solar	Wind	Water	Conditions

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No weather data found

• Open-Meteo • openvan.camp

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Sort by

Nelson

Nelson Region

Richmond

Tasman District

Auckland

Auckland Region

Manukau City

Auckland Region

Papatoetoe

Auckland Region

Whangarei

Northland Region

North Shore

Auckland Region

Napier

Hawke's Bay Region

Hamilton

Waikato Region

Blenheim

Marlborough District

Gisborne

Gisborne District

Hastings

Hawke's Bay Region

Tauranga

Bay of Plenty Region

Palmerston North

Manawatū-Whanganui Region

Whakatane

Bay of Plenty Region

VanSky Index

A weather comfort index for travel: a 0–100 score. Recalculated daily from live weather data — temperature, rainfall, wind and sun.

80–100 Ideal

60–79 Comfortable

40–59 Acceptable

20–39 Challenging

0–19 Extreme

How it's calculated:

Thermal comfort 35% — temperature + humidity
Sunshine 25% — panel charge, mood; in heat the sun is no longer a bonus
Precipitation 25% — rain → muddy ground
Wind 15% — awning, driving, noise
Extremes override all: frost, heat, storm, downpour
Heat counts by feels-like temperature: at 32°+ the score can’t reach “Comfortable”, muggy nights lower it further
A dangerous day drags the week down: a storm or downpour in the forecast keeps the week from being “Comfortable”
Bonus: warm sea, high panel output

Data: Open-Meteo · Updated several times a day

Best cities now Best cities this week

1 Nelson 92
2 Auckland 81
3 Whangarei 79
4 Manukau City 81
5 Papatoetoe 80

Difficult conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the best city in New Zealand for van life?

Sort cities by the VanSky column — the higher the score, the more comfortable today. Also check solar panel output and sea temperature if you plan to stay near the coast.

What does the VanSky score mean for a city?

A score from 0 to 100 reflects a composite weather assessment: thermal comfort, precipitation level, wind strength, and sunshine. 80+ is ideal, 60–79 is comfortable, 40–59 is acceptable, below 40 is challenging.

How often is data updated for New Zealand?

Weather data for all cities in New Zealand is updated several times a day from the Open-Meteo service based on real observations.