Stewart Island resident Bruce Ford braved the predicted -33C weather forecast to do a little work in his vege garden yesterday. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Stewart Island resident Bruce Ford said he had not seen any tourists arriving on the island dressed in the service's recommended four layers of clothing.
"There's always a few softies that don't believe the weather [and] think we live in the Antarctic. It takes a bit of drumming in that we do have good weather. It's not bad, we're holding pretty good," he said.
He confessed to being outside in a black singlet when called for comment.
"Bloody sandflies are probably looking for me, but apart from that we're enjoying [the weather] that's been good. "
Southland district councillor and Rakiura Community Board member Jon Spraggon said he believed the visitors who had arrived on the island during the holiday period had enjoyed pleasant conditions.
He assured the Otago Daily Times he had not donned any Antarctic clothing, there were no icebergs hovering off the island's coast and he had no plans to toast marshmallows over the fire.
In recent days, while Invercargill had received rain, the island had been basking in sunshine, he said.
MetService meteorologist Alec Holden put the erroneous report down to a "good ol' sensor glitch".
"We've already sent the issue to our maintenance department so hopefully we shouldn't see any more hyper-Antarctic blasts like that again."
- By Toni McDonald
