Marlborough has taken out the NIWA sunshine crown for 2024, with 2,769 hours of sunshine recorded in Blenheim, ahead of Nelson and Bay of Plenty.
Marlborough District Council Mayor, Nadine Taylor welcomed the news, saying Marlborough was consistently one of the sunniest places in New Zealand and it was very pleasing to be back at number one again.
“It’s wonderful news to receive at the beginning of a new year,” said Mayor Taylor.
“My commiserations to Nelson, who came a close second. Mayor Nick Smith and I had a friendly wager of a bottle of wine on the outcome – I look forward to raising a glass with him and celebrating the Top of the South as the sunniest part of New Zealand in 2024.
“Marlborough is a great place to live, work and visit, with a wonderful climate, great communities and beautiful landscapes.”
She noted the news followed the reopening of the storm-damaged Kenepuru Road just before Christmas.
“This is yet more positive news for our visitor sector.”
According to NIWA, Marlborough experienced New Zealand’s highest annual sunshine total during 2024 (2,769 hours recorded at Blenheim), followed by the wider Nelson region (2,760 hours recorded at Richmond), Bay of Plenty (2,734 hours recorded at Tauranga), and Tasman (2,665 hours recorded at Tākaka).
Further information: https://niwa.co.nz/
