The weather is a topic that bores some people but everyone’s livelihoods depend on it. The weather in Fiordland is the stuff of legends, normally for people being on the receiving end of it. The one thing that can be guaranteed is that no two years are the same. And, what is good for one person is bad for the next.

After last year’s drought this year has been comparatively damp and the farmers are much the happier for it. It has allowed them to capitalise on better lamb and venison prices which is good. I know there is nothing worse than looking to the forecast for rain every week and seeing ‘showers’ on Friday that never arrive.

This good fortune for farmers has however played havoc with plans of local holiday makers and tourists alike. Many boats have spent a lot of time stuck on trailers instead of skiing or fishing because of bad weather. This makes it hard if you sell fishing tackle and petrol. Also big events like the Rodeo had to be postponed. Its classic Murphy’s Law kind of stuff.

It’s rather like the current global financial situation. The dollar has greatly devalued which has meant better prices for exporters and has made it cheaper for tourists to come here. At the same time however it puts the price of imported goods such as petrol up and some tourists are staying at home because of the uncertainty.

Hopefully with some good ideas coming out of the job summit we will be better equipped to weather the financial storm and keep plenty of visitors streaming into places like Fiordland. This along with some inventive ways to keep people employed in slow periods should mean that most are in a good place to take advantage of things when they turn around again.