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Best regions in New Zealand for vanlife — VanSky ranking

Compare regions by VanSky score and pick your direction

Comparison of 15 regions in New Zealand by VanSky score — where it is most comfortable to travel by campervan today. Temperature, wind, solar output and coastal conditions.

Regions: 15 Updated: 31 May, 15:14 Open-Meteo

Period

Temperature

Wind

∅ 7-day average

Regions of New Zealand

Loading cities...

Sort by

Canterbury Region
78
Wellington Region
76
Auckland Region
70
Otago Region
70
Bay of Plenty Region
70
Waikato Region
67
Taranaki Region
66
Hawke's Bay Region
63
Northland Region
63
Manawatū-Whanganui Region
61
Southland Region
60
Gisborne District
56
Marlborough District
55
Tasman District
53
Nelson Region
47

VanSky Index

Weather index for vanlifers: from 0 to 100. Calculated daily from real weather data — temperature, precipitation, 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
  • Precipitation 25% — rain → muddy ground
  • Wind 15% — awning, driving, noise
  • Extremes override all: frost, storm, downpour
  • Bonus: warm sea, high panel output

Data: Open-Meteo · Updated every 3h

Best regions now Best regions this week

  1. 1 Gisborne District 56
  2. 2 Canterbury Region 78
  3. 3 Hawke's Bay Region 63
  4. 4 Auckland Region 70
  5. 5 Wellington Region 76

Difficult conditions

  1. 1 Taranaki Region 66
  2. 2 Waikato Region 67
  3. 3 Tasman District 53
  4. 4 Nelson Region 47
  5. 5 Southland Region 60

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 every 3 hours from the Open-Meteo service based on real observations.

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🇳🇿 New Zealand — fuel prices

Updated: 30.05.2026

Diesel

$1.90 /l

NZD3.17 · €1.63/l

82 of 127

pricier than 64% of countries

Petrol

$1.95 /l

NZD3.26 · €1.67/l

96 of 126

pricier than 75% of countries

LPG

$1.15 /l

NZD1.92 · €0.99/l

32 of 46

pricier than 67% of countries

All countries Prices: New Zealand

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