Film production in Auckland
Between December and June, usable daylight in Auckland moves by 5h 01min — from 14h 40min down to 9h 39min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Auckland rises at 07:33 and sets at 17:12; the evening golden hour starts at 16:31 and runs for 40 minutes. By December that shifts to 05:57–20:36, with a 38-minute golden-hour window from 19:58.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 34 and 40 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 06:18 | 20:43 | 14h 25min | 20:05 |
| February | 06:52 | 20:20 | 13h 28min | 19:45 |
| March | 07:20 | 19:42 | 12h 23min | 19:08 |
| April | 06:46 | 17:57 | 11h 11min | 17:22 |
| May | 07:12 | 17:24 | 10h 11min | 16:46 |
| June | 07:33 | 17:12 | 9h 39min | 16:31 |
| July | 07:32 | 17:23 | 9h 51min | 16:44 |
| August | 07:06 | 17:47 | 10h 41min | 17:11 |
| September | 06:23 | 18:12 | 11h 49min | 17:37 |
| October | 06:38 | 19:37 | 12h 59min | 19:02 |
| November | 06:04 | 20:08 | 14h 04min | 19:32 |
| December | 05:57 | 20:36 | 14h 40min | 19:58 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Auckland starts at 17:30 in June and ends at 17:41 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 20:55. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:42) and September (18:12) there are 90 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Auckland averages 15 rain days in August and 11 in February. A three-day exterior shoot in August statistically loses 1.5 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.1 °C | 12 | 11.8 |
| February | 20.3 °C | 11 | 10.8 |
| March | 19.0 °C | 11 | 10.1 |
| April | 17.0 °C | 12 | 9.0 |
| May | 14.8 °C | 12 | 7.9 |
| June | 13.0 °C | 12 | 7.2 |
| July | 12.0 °C | 14 | 7.4 |
| August | 11.9 °C | 15 | 8.4 |
| September | 13.0 °C | 15 | 9.4 |
| October | 14.5 °C | 13 | 10.2 |
| November | 16.4 °C | 15 | 11.2 |
| December | 18.6 °C | 13 | 11.9 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in June, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Auckland?
In June it starts at 16:31 and lasts 40 minutes; in December it starts at 19:58 and lasts 38 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Auckland get?
Between 9h 39min in June and 14h 40min in December. The 5h 01min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Auckland?
Combining daylight and rain days, January comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. December has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.