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Coldest sea in New Zealand

245 coastal locations in New Zealand ranked by year-round average sea temperature, coldest first. The regional average is 16.3°C. The top of the list is where the water stays cold all year. The contrast list at the bottom shows the warmest coasts for context.

Coldest location

Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku - Perseverance Harbour

Year-round average 8.4°C in New Zealand

Regional average

16.3°C

across all 245 New Zealand coastal locations

Coldest month

August

13.6°C region-wide average

New Zealand monthly average 13.6°C to 19.3°C
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  • Warmest month February 19.3°C
  • Coldest month August 13.6°C
  • Annual mean 16.3°C
  • Months above 20°C 0 of 12

Month by month across New Zealand

Sea temperatures in New Zealand swing from 13.6°C in August to 19.3°C in February on average across every coast we track. That spread of 6°C hides much bigger swings at individual locations.

Want a specific month? Pick one for a dedicated ranking:

New Zealand sea temperature map

Today's pin colours show the latest daily reading at every New Zealand location we track. Cool blues cluster around the high-latitude coasts.

Zoom in to see individual locations. Click a pin for water temperatures. View list →
°C -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 27 30 35

Top 50 coldest locations in New Zealand

Coastal locations across New Zealand sorted by year-round average, coldest first. Honest cold-water swimming country. Click any place for its 30-day chart, monthly profile, and 10-year history.

# Location Annual mean
1 Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku - Perseverance Harbour New Zealand Outlying Islands 8.4°C
2 Auckland Island - Carnley Harbour Auckland 9.7°C
3 Kaka Point 12.2°C
4 Dunedin 12.3°C
5 Portobello 12.3°C
6 Snares Islands/Tini Heke - North East Island New Zealand Outlying Islands 12.4°C
7 Green Island Otago 12.6°C
8 Stewart Island 12.7°C
9 Port Chalmers Otago 12.7°C
10 Spit Wharf Otago 12.7°C
11 Nugget Point Otago 12.8°C
12 Port Adventure Southland 12.9°C
13 Ruapuke Island Southland 13.0°C
14 Waikawa Harbour Southland 13.0°C
15 Waipapa Point Southland 13.1°C
16 Oban Southland 13.1°C
17 Invercargill 13.1°C
18 Bluff Southland 13.1°C
19 Dog Island Southland 13.1°C
20 Oamaru Otago 13.2°C
21 Riverton 13.2°C
22 New River Entrance Southland 13.2°C
23 Easy Harbour Southland 13.3°C
24 Small Craft Retreat Southland 13.3°C
25 Riverton/Aparima Southland 13.3°C
Show 25 more ▸
26 Pahia 13.4°C
27 Yankee River Southland 13.4°C
28 Kawakaputa Bay Southland 13.5°C
29 Ernest Islands Southland 13.5°C
30 Solander Island (Hautere) Southland 13.6°C
31 Timaru 13.6°C
32 Christchurch 13.7°C
33 Lyttelton 13.7°C
34 French Bay Canterbury 13.7°C
35 Tikao Bay Canterbury 13.7°C
36 Port Craig Southland 13.7°C
37 Akaroa 13.8°C
38 Sumner 13.8°C
39 Kaikoura 13.8°C
40 Waitangi Chatham Islands Territory 13.8°C
41 Owenga Chatham Islands Territory 13.8°C
42 Kaingaroa Chatham Islands Territory 13.8°C
43 Chalky Island - Sealers Bay Southland 14.0°C
44 Coal Island - Fishing Bay Southland 14.0°C
45 Jane Coves Southland 14.0°C
46 Welcombe Bay Southland 14.0°C
47 Cape Campbell Marlborough 14.0°C
48 Port Underwood Marlborough 14.3°C
49 Lyall Bay 14.4°C
50 Oriental Bay 14.4°C

Warmest 10 in New Zealand for contrast

Same data flipped. Useful if you want to know which New Zealand coasts stay warmest year-round before you commit to a cold-water swim trip.

# Location Annual mean
1 Fishing Rock Sugar Loaf Islands 21.6°C
2 Coopers Beach 18.9°C
3 Bay of Islands 18.9°C
4 Kerikeri 18.8°C
5 Waiiti Bay Northland 18.8°C
6 Whangamumu Harbour Northland 18.7°C
7 Paihia 18.6°C
8 Russell 18.6°C
9 Waitangi (Northland) 18.6°C
10 Waitangi 18.6°C

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