Climate & Weather
The Sapphire Coast lifestyle revolves around our magnificent waterways and we love to take advantage of the long hours of sunlight, about 14 hours, at the height of summer.
Weather extremes are fairly rare with only a handful of days in the high 30's or even rarer into the 40's. Summer days are regularly around 30°C with average temperatures between 16°C and 24°C.
With a distinct 'four seasons', summer generally fades into a colourful autumn with slightly cooler nights and plenty of sunshine. For many locals, Autumn is the favourite time of year.
Winter is typically sunny days and chilly nights, still offering around 10 hours of daylight. The perfect time to enjoy wilderness adventures and more strenuous activities such as hiking and mountain biking - or just a night around the campfire with the family and a marshmallow or two and a cup of hot chocolate.
On below-average days when a storm is brewing and the weather is a tad wild, its adds to the experience of our rugged coastline with plenty of vantage points to watch the sea whip into a frenzy on those big swell days. Winter temperatures range between an average minimum of 7°C and 17°C.
Due to the East Australian current, waters generally stay warm right through autumn and even into winter, the warm fingers of water driving nutrient rich currents to the Antarctic, providing plenty of food for whales to feed on during their migration.
In late winter and spring, the Sapphire Coast welcomes the 'Humpback Highway', and we are lucky enough to observe Humpback, Baleen, Southern Right and Toothed Whales and their calves on their southern migration. Whales can be seen as early as May and as late as January on both the northern and southern migration, although the peak time is during the southern migration from September to November.
If you appreciate the beauty of the seasons, the Sapphire Coast is the ideal place to observe the cycles of nature and watch the changes that unfold - accompanied by the appropriate food and wine of course!
