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76 / 100
NZ

New Zealand

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

Comfortable 76 / 100
84%
9%
Ideal 7% Comfortable 84% Acceptable 9%
Best spot: Hawke's Bay Region — 81
Typical conditions: 73
Cities: 23 Regions: 15 Updated: 11 Sep, 03:01 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

Loading cities...

Sort by

Napier
Hawke's Bay Region
88
Whakatane
Bay of Plenty Region
85
Hastings
Hawke's Bay Region
82
Gisborne
Gisborne District
82
Nelson
Nelson Region
81
Tauranga
Bay of Plenty Region
80
Hamilton
Waikato Region
80
New Plymouth
Taranaki Region
79
Whangarei
Northland Region
76
Rotorua
Bay of Plenty Region
76
Manukau City
Auckland Region
75
Papatoetoe
Auckland Region
75
Lower Hutt
Wellington Region
74
Auckland
Auckland Region
73
North Shore
Auckland Region
73

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. 1 Hastings 82
  2. 2 Tauranga 80
  3. 3 Napier 88
  4. 4 Whangarei 76
  5. 5 Auckland 73

Difficult conditions

  1. 1 Dunedin 45
  2. 2 Invercargill 45
  3. 3 Lower Hutt 74
  4. 4 Richmond 68
  5. 5 Palmerston North 70

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.

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NZ New Zealand — fuel prices

Updated: 05.09.2026

Regular 91

$1.76 /l

NZD3.01 · €1.51/l

16 of 18

pricier than 83% of countries

Premium 95

$1.86 /l

NZD3.18 · €1.60/l

123 of 167

pricier than 73% of countries

Premium 98

$1.93 /l

NZD3.29 · €1.65/l

65 of 102

pricier than 63% of countries

100

$1.93 /l

NZD3.31 · €1.66/l

18 of 28

pricier than 61% of countries

Diesel

$1.58 /l

NZD2.70 · €1.36/l

89 of 166

pricier than 53% of countries

LPG

$1.13 /l

NZD1.94 · €0.97/l

43 of 55

pricier than 76% of countries

All countries Prices: New Zealand

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