Mayoral spat over sunshine

THE sunniest town in New Zealand remains uncertain for 2008 after a fault was discovered in recording devices located near Whakatane in the North Island.

Whakatane's 2008 figures were investigated after recording over 2700 hours of sunshine, well ahead of the next sunniest place, Blenheim, in the Marlborough district of the South Island.

The NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric research) installed an identical instrument alongside the Whakatane sunshine sensor, and compared data for over one month.

The comparison found a likely overestimation in the Whakatane sunshine hours that was most likely caused by the way the data logger has been set up, possibly a software problem.

This didn't stop the district council from boasting, "It's something that all Whakatane residents have know for years, Whakatane is the New Zealand's Sunshine Capital!" on the council's website.

Whakatane mayor, Colin Holmes, told the Dom Post that he saw no reason to give up the claim, prompting Blenheim mayor, Alistair Sowam, to ask, "Where is it again?"

Such is the ferocious tension between regions in New Zealand, especially where tourist dollars might be at stake.

Officially, the NIWA say, "The findings mean it is impossible to say whether Whakatane received more or less sunshine than Blenheim in 2008. Media reports that 'NIWA has named Blenheim as the sunniest place in NZ' are not correct."