Climate

             New Zealand uniqueness comes from its climate. The way it varies going down the islands are different than most islands in the Pacific. New Zealand has subtropical weather and as you go down it gets colder. Why does it get colder? It goes farther away from the ^middle of earth^, and have more mountain ranges meaning they are higher above sea level. As you can see in South Island in picture one, they have a more colder climate going down the middle of the island. That's the Southern Alps. The 300 mile long mountain range created by two tectonic plates pushing against each other and the land mass going upwards. On these mountains their is snow and glaciers. The reason they have snow and glaciers on these island mountains is because as you get farther away from the main heating source (earth), it get colder the higher up you go.
             Next we are going to compare three different cities in New Zealand. High up north on North Island we have Auckland. Auckland is closer to the tip of New Zealand. We have to remember New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere therefore they have summer in December and winter in July. Auckland annual range of temperature is 27 degrees with July being the coldest month at 46 degrees and the hottest month being 73 degrees in January. Precipitation annual range is 2.6 inches with July having 5.7 inches and January having 3.1 inches. DuneDin which is located in South Island closer to the south tip of the island has an annual range of temperature of 29 degrees. 37 degrees in July and 66 degrees in January. Annual range of precipitation is 0.8 inches with 2.7 inches in September and 3.5 inches in December. Now Wellington which is the middle of New Zealand (between North and South Island) and also the capital has an annual range of temperature of 25 degrees with 68 degrees in January and 43 degrees in July. And annual range of precipitation is 2.1 inches with 5.3 in July and 3.1 in January. Compared Wellington to Honolulu their not much of a difference. Honolulu annual range of temperature is 23.3 degrees but barely reaches 65 degrees during its winter time. Which means Wellington summer is almost as cool as Honolulu winter. Also Honolulu has a higher annual range of precipitation with 3.4 inches. But Honolulu receives extremely less rain through the year with once again only having 3.8 inches in December (winter) when Wellington receives 3.1 inches in January (summer). Therefore New Zealand like Hawaii doesn't experience more seasonality but they have cooler weather throughout the year than Hawaii.

http://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/new-zealand-climate-and-weather/
Book - New Zealand and Polynesia by Marshall Cavendish