Погода: Raglan, март

March is the end of the southern summer and regulars recommend it for steadiness rather than heat: warm but not hot the way February can be, with a more settled pattern than either side of it. They give 18 to 25C by day and a few cool nights towards the end of the month, which is our row at 23C over 15C. The north of the country is the warm, humid, wet part, and this city carries that - 77 percent humidity and 68.7mm across 9.4 days. Their standing caveat applies in any month: New Zealand will give you a bit of everything whenever you come. The record: 10.1 hours of sun, a 21.4 kph wind, a 21.2C sea and AQI 27, the cleanest air in this batch.

Raglan-forum threads on January call it the easy month for a first surf trip: New Zealand's summer brings warm air and warm-enough water that some sessions work in just boardshorts, a change from the wetsuit-year-round reputation the country's south gets. Swells run smaller than the bigger winter groundswells the point break is famous for among experienced surfers, but posters say that's exactly what makes January approachable for someone still building skills - consistent, rideable, less intimidating. The one thing regulars warn newcomers about is the sun itself: New Zealand's UV is unusually strong for the latitude, and more than one thread recommends a rash guard for sun protection rather than warmth. The record: 22C days, 15.8C nights, 98mm across nearly 12 days, a 20.6C sea, 78 percent humidity, wind averaging nearly 25 km/h and over 14 hours of daylight - genuinely long summer days, with rain still a regular feature.