Yes, it does rain on the West Coast, but not as much as you might think! Other places in New Zealand are a lot wetter - they're just better at hiding it!

 

And there is plenty of sun. In 2004 Hokitika got 1,964 hours of sunshine and Greymouth 1,980; both a good measure ahead of Auckland's 1,825 hours. 

 

West Coast winters consist of mild temperatures, rarely any frosts and often weeks in a row of near perfect sunshine. 

 

Summers can get so hot the only place to be is a lake or river. 

   

West Coast Average Temperatures (°Celcius)

Summer:  (Dec - Feb) 12-25°

Autumn:   (March - May) 9-17°

Winter:    (June - August) 5-15°

Spring:    (Sept - Nov) 9-17°

 

A useful weather website for the area is Foreca