We know it's winter and we can expect some snow in New Zealand, but this week's polar blast has spread the powdery magic even more widely than usual, giving holidaymakers as far north as Rotorua an unexpected dusting.
Here are a few of our favourite pics from the great blanketing of July 2017 ...
Snow on the ranges southeast of Dannevirke. Photo / Warren Buckland, Hawke's Bay Today The Bannister family from Auckland delight in the snow falling on them as they take a hot soak at the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / Stephen Parker, Rotorua Daily Post Alex Coe, 11, slides down a hill near his home in Mamaku as snow continues to fall. Photo / Stephen Parker, Rotorua Daily Post Ranfurly resident Morgan Grundy's dog Rosie goes for a walk along a snowy Otago Central Rail Trail. Photo / Morgan Grundy Heavy snow at Te Haroto on the Napier-Taupo Road. Photo / Duncan Brown, Hawke's Bay Today Pogai Talu (23) of Dunedin, digs in for a snowball fight at Brockville School. Photo / Peter McIntosh, Otago Daily Times Sheep in a snow-covered field in Otago's Owaka Valley. Photo / Samuel White, Otago Daily Times Ravi Sharma shoots snow pictures on his phone on Brockville Road in Dunedin. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery, Otago Daily Times