Yes, lots of rain during the winter. California is a classic mediterranean climate area, meaning winter is our rainy season and summer is our dry season. (In fact, of the 5 standard mediterranean climate regions in the world [all the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, California, central Chile, south-central and southwestern Australia, southwestern South Africa], the two Western Hemisphere ones (California and Chile) have bone dry summers--once the rains stop in late spring, we don't see a drop, except in extremely rare circumstances, until they start up again some time in the autumn.) Somehow, which I have never been able to figure out, the milder regions of New Zealand are virtually unique in being able to grow just about anything including mediterranean flora, despite the fact that New Zealand definitely does not have a classic mediterranean climate. (And what you think of as hot and humid would be laughed out of the room by anyone here in the USA who lives in what we call the Southern States. I just checked your current weather and if not for the rain, everyone in my hometown of Austin, Texas would consider your current conditions as glorious early to mid-spring weather! And yet, winters there are colder than what you experience--Austin is in Zone 8b.) --Lee Poulsen Pasadena, California, USA - USDA Zone 10a Latitude 34°N, Altitude 1150 ft/350 m On Dec 4, 2011, at 7:28 PM, Ina Crossley wrote: > Do they get much rain during the winter over your way Lee? > > The auction on Trademe which I am bidding on is finishing tomorrow 3pm > so will know then if I have got any. > > Ina > > In humid hot Auckland. Should start the Zephs and Habs flowering after > the downpour we had yesterday. >