Daylight saving: Turn clocks forward, tune into long evenings

There's nothing like a swim after a long day at work, as these people show in Mt Maunganui. File photo / Alan Gibson

We call it daylight saving, but it's really daylight gaining.

And from tomorrow evening , after clocks have gone forward by an hour at 2am, that gain will be an extra hour of daylight every evening until April 7 — a total of 188 extra hours of sunlight, assuming summer plays ball.

That's on top of the natural seasonal variation in daylight.

Here's how you can use them:

Get growing

Now is the perfect time to plant tomatoes and basil, Kings Plant Barn marketing assistant Lee Gutzewitz said.

Evening tending should be limited to weeding though — mornings are best for watering as that reduces the risk of diseases such as mildew.

Kings has more tips on what to plant in the long daylight hours at kings.co.nz/gardening-news/dig-into-spring-veggie-garden

Go free range

Kurt Simcic enjoys the outdoors, in this photo taken by his mum Niki Boon, who is raising her family to enjoy a more simple, gadget-free childhood. Photo / Supplied

Marlborough mum Niki Boon's stunning photos of her kids growing up gadget free went global in 2016, and she's got plenty of tips for other parents keen to help their kids enjoy the natural environment.

Tying a slack line between trees to create a tightrope, hula hoops, old inner tubes for on the water or the lawn, digging a fire pit and letting the kids cook on it (check council regulations first) are all popular outdoor activities for her household.

Ropes — for a swing or even just to play with as is — were also good value.

"You don't need a trampoline. Just buy them a whole pile of old rope. They'll tie them over trees, use them as pulleys."

Big backyard

If the backyard's too small, or non-existent, there's a ton of options for stretching the legs.

Fish 'n chips at one of Auckland's many beaches or a picnic — bite.co.nz has 109 recipes when you search the word picnic — on Bastion Pt's massive sloping lawn, with its views of the city skyline to the west and Hauraki Gulf to the east.

Bastion Pt is one of Auckland's favourite parks. In this file photo Matthew Gee, 7, gets a little help from mum Becky Gee to fly his kite. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Auckland Council also has a database of parks, with the option to search by facilities at aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation

Music and movies

Auckland Council's Movies in Parks and Music in Parks will also return between January and April, council spokeswoman Celina Thompson said.

Twenty-six movies are locked in; a similar number of musical acts are still being
finalised. The playlist for each goes public November 30.

Go for a dip

There's nothing like a swim after a long day at work, as these people show in Mt Maunganui. File photo / Alan Gibson

Evening swims on the high tide are the best end to a stressful work day. MetService has an exhaustive national list of tide timetables at www.metservice.com/marine/tides/index