TV personality and comedian Te Radar brings us to the end of our winter-long ‘Friends of WeatherWatch’ segment.  Te Radar has a huge passion for weather, nature, and generally the great outdoors, exploring our country – and our wonderful planet.

Te Radar chats to us on Twitter (@TeRadar) – the documentary maker, comedian, writer and screen director loves the weather and during most big weather events he’s usually online enjoying it with the rest of us.  We asked him 10 questions and in his replies he tells us where we can eat Weka in New Zealand and which western city overseas has no pedestrians on the streets due to the extreme temperatures.

A big thanks for being a great online supporter of us Te Radar – and thanks to everyone else who has taken part in Friends of WeatherWatch this winter.

– On a side note – We have a special ‘Friends of WW’ in October with former New Zealand Prime Minister and current Administrator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Helen Clark.  We’ve also reached out to the current New Zealand Prime Minister, following his support of our free app, and hope to include John Key in a future ‘Friends of WeatherWatch’ too. 

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1) You’re someone who loves weather, nature, the great outdoors.  Does New Zealand have a good climate to live in?

Yes it does. Our summers are sunny but not so hot we need air conditioning just to survive, and our winters don’t get so cold that you run the real risk of extremities falling of as you run to the car, only to find the engine block frozen solid.

 

2)  Which part of NZ did you grow up in, and what do you remember most about the weather when you were younger?

I grew up at Ohinewai, in the north Waikato. The defining weather there was fog. Soft, penetrating, impenetrable fog.

 

3)  What’s the worst weather you’ve been in while working?

I actually like bad weather. I love being in the rain, and the wind. However, the worst… Other than any day where I’m getting fried by our relentless sun, there was a night I had to drive from Auckland to Rotorua in a torrential storm, ironically for a stormwater conference. That was a bit too thrilling. 

 

4)  What’s the most remote part of New Zealand you’ve been to?

The Chatham Islands. Now there’s a place with some great weather. Absolutely worth a visit, and the only place in the country you can eat weka.

 

5)  Has a storm ever caused damage to your property?

Rain in Dunedin once caused the Leith to flood my room in a flat, the day before I moved in. I can still remember the smell.

 

6)  How did you get into television?

I always wanted to make Documentaries, so set about doing stand-up which I thought would be a good way to get noticed, as many doco presenters overseas were comedians. Then I began making my own doco films, travelling to East Timor and Israel trying to be a war correspondent. I was hopeless.

 

7)  Using precisely 11 words, sum up the weather at your place as you answer these questions:

Gorgeously grey Auckland mist covering city in monochromatic blanket of cloud

 

8)  You hÄ…ve travelled quite a bit, what’s the most interesting place you’ve visited on earth – in relation to geography/weather/climate etc.?

Winnipeg, in Canada: 40C in summer, -40C in winter. I couldn’t understand where everyone was in the middle of the city, until I discovered the used covered overpasses and tunnels to negotiate city blocks.

9)  What is your favourite season and why?

Spring. Daffodils, new born lambs, the promise of warmth, baby birds.

 

10) It’s a hot day in summer, you’re under a tree in the shade with your feet up – what’s the ideal meal and drink(s) to go with you?  Oh – and ideal summer location…

Cool craft pilsner, spicy BBQ chicken wings, at home in Henderson. 

 

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Some of our other ‘Friends of WeatherWatch’ interviews you may be interested in…

• CNN’s   Chad Meyers
• Former MetService Ambassador   Bob McDavitt
• Listener Columnist  Bill Ralston
• Weather.com’s Principal Scientist & Former VP   Bruce Rose
• Labour Leader   Andrew Little
• United Future Leader   Peter Dunne
• TV3 Weather Presenter   Ingrid Hipkiss
• Sir Peter Leitch   (The Mad Butcher)
  

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– WeatherWatch.co.nz Exclusive