Editorial: Hawke's Bay's lifestyle about so much more than the weather

Hawke's Bay's climate is just one of its strengths, writes Mark Story. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay sells itself on lifestyle.

It's never far from a beach or bush walk, boasts willow-lined rivers and temperate climes courtesy of the shelter belt that is the Ruahine Range.

A feature we ran on Saturday underscored this attraction.

Our comparatively low house prices, abundance of stellar schools, buoyant retail, world-class events, landscapes, short commutes to work and no real evidence of the rat race indicates we've become the place to be.

But at yesterday morning's dawn, that is, 4C at 5am, lifestyle's a hard sell.

It reminded me of a conversation with a Wellingtonian friend a few years back.

He offered a nice rejoinder after I chastised him for opting to live in the windy capital, where he said it's "a failure of the imagination" to link lifestyle with weather.

He's absolutely right, of course.

The marketers sell the Bay on its weather, but those of us who've lived here long enough know its allure runs deeper than simply its sunny disposition from December to March.

We endure its often harsh winters, weeks of frost and muddy rugby seasons only to realise it's a great place to live - rain or shine.

It must have something to do with its people and community.

And if we need more encouragement in this cold snap, have a go at this year's Winter F.A.W.C! (launched on Friday) which is my favourite iteration of this wonderful event.

To boot, a little later on this winter we have the Winter Art Deco celebrations.

Hence, as I've attested before, Hawke's Bay's delights aren't seasonal - they're perpetual.