Cashing in on Taranaki’s solar crown
Until the end of this year, New Plymouth can say it’s officially the sunniest spot in Aotearoa, and the race is now on to make hay while the sun shines, leveraging off the solar success to attract tourists, and potentially a crop of new residents.
Last month, the city weather station in Taranaki was named the brightest place to be in New Zealand, after clocking in 2592 sunshine hours in 2021, beating Napier, in Hawke’s Bay, and Richmond, in Nelson.
The sunshine title backed up another claim to fame for New Plymouth, after it was named the most liveable city in the world for its size late last year.
New Plymouth was named the most liveable city, for a population between 75,000 and 150,000, after judges considered a range of factors, including the enhancement of landscapes and public spaces, community participation and sustainable planning.
Taking out the sunshine stakes is another notch in the province’s belt as being a place ‘‘like no other’’, says Venture Taranaki communications and marketing manager Brylee Flutey.
And the region’s economic development agency had plans to milk the moniker in the coming months to market Taranaki as a place to work, rest and play in.
‘‘We will definitely be incorporating this new accolade in all our communications and promotions for Taranaki . . . The sunniest region title is another string to our very stacked bow of reasons to visit our vibrant and buzzing region,’’ Flutey said.
While attracting the tourist dollar was one aim, Flutey saw the benefits of the title in luring longer-term residents too.
‘‘This also helps to attract talent to the region, as more sunshine hours may just give people that extra push to relocate here.’’
At the moment the title as New Plymouth’s sunniest place doesn’t feature on the New Plymouth District Council website but plans are afoot to change that.
A council spokesman said there was an intention to leverage it and ideas were in the pipeline.
A selection of Taranaki artisan businesses were approached by Stuff to see if they planned on coming up with a special creation to celebrate the region’s sunshine status.
But Egmont Honey, Incafe Organic Coffee and Knead donuts, had nothing in the offing, and it was through serendipity rather than design that Juno Gin’s Summer Seasonal 2022 release featured a label with a sun umbrella.
Jo James, of Juno Gin, said the artwork on its recently released limited edition summer tipple – the creation of Blank Canvas winner Victoria Pickles – depicted two figures taking shade under the umbrella, bathed in the blue hues which chimed with the Taranaki skies of late.
James said she often referenced the Taranaki weather in social media posts marketing the gin, and being able to say the region is the nation’s sunshine capital was a recent addition to personal notes she wrote to accompany customer orders.