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VanSky · this week's ranking · 28 Oct – 3 Nov

New Zealand: where it's most comfortable this week

7-day country score — 76, comfortable · #31 of 165 countries · 106 cities · Updated: 28 Oct, 00:01 · Open-Meteo

88 of 106 cities are comfortable for a trip (60+) Top this week: Napier · 91

Ideal 18% Comfortable 65% Acceptable 17%

Full ranking (106) ↓

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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
Christchurch Canterbury Region	98	22° / 6°	3.1 kWh	25 (↑55) km/h	15°
Whakatane Bay of Plenty Region	95	20° / 9°	2.7 kWh	19 (↑43) km/h	—
Gisborne Gisborne District	95	21° / 11°	2.6 kWh	20 (↑41) km/h	—
Hastings Hawke's Bay Region	95	20° / 10°	2.6 kWh	18 (↑30) km/h	—
Napier Hawke's Bay Region	94	21° / 7°	2.2 kWh	17 (↑30) km/h	—
Whangarei Northland Region	94	20° / 9°	2.3 kWh	18 (↑39) km/h	—
Tauranga Bay of Plenty Region	93	18° / 13°	3 kWh	27 (↑42) km/h	—
Auckland Auckland Region	91	18° / 12°	2.6 kWh	22 (↑45) km/h	17°
Manukau City Auckland Region	91	18° / 12°	2.6 kWh	24 (↑50) km/h	—
Papatoetoe Auckland Region	91	18° / 12°	2.6 kWh	24 (↑50) km/h	—
Hamilton Waikato Region	88	18° / 10°	2.4 kWh	25 (↑47) km/h	—
Nelson Nelson Region	86	18° / 12°	2.1 kWh	25 (↑39) km/h	—
North Shore Auckland Region	85	17° / 14°	2.7 kWh	29 (↑42) km/h	—
Blenheim Marlborough District	85	18° / 10°	2.9 kWh	35 (↑64) km/h	—
Richmond Tasman District	84	16° / 7°	1.9 kWh	17 (↑40) km/h	—
Rotorua Bay of Plenty Region	84	16° / 9°	2.7 kWh	27 (↑45) km/h	—
Dunedin Otago Region	75	19° / 8°	2.1 kWh	22 (↑46) km/h	—
New Plymouth Taranaki Region	73	15° / 7°	2.2 kWh	29 (↑57) km/h	—
Palmerston North Manawatū-Whanganui Region	45	16° / 10°	2.2 kWh	37 (↑74) km/h	—
Porirua Wellington Region	45	15° / 11°	2.5 kWh	41 (↑78) km/h	—
Lower Hutt Wellington Region	45	15° / 12°	2.9 kWh	44 (↑83) km/h	—
Invercargill Southland Region	43	14° / 7°	0.9 kWh	48 (↑83) km/h	—
Wellington Wellington Region	42	15° / 11°	2.9 kWh	40 (↑84) km/h	15°

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City	VanSky	Temp.	Solar	Wind	Water	Conditions

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• Open-Meteo • openvan.camp

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Sort by

Christchurch

Canterbury Region

Whakatane

Bay of Plenty Region

Gisborne

Gisborne District

Hastings

Hawke's Bay Region

Napier

Hawke's Bay Region

Whangarei

Northland Region

Tauranga

Bay of Plenty Region

Auckland

Auckland Region

Manukau City

Auckland Region

Papatoetoe

Auckland Region

Hamilton

Waikato Region

Nelson

Nelson Region

North Shore

Auckland Region

Blenheim

Marlborough District

Richmond

Tasman District

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 Napier 94
2 Whangarei 94
3 Tauranga 93
4 Hamilton 88
5 North Shore 85

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.