Christchurch's Air Force Museum Director Brett Marshall. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
The grey clouds and persistent rain that bedevilled much of the country over the festive season had a silver lining for some.
Christchurch's Air Force Museum saw a 36 percent increase in visitor numbers on the same period last summer, with close to 11,000 visitors arriving between Christmas Eve and 6 January as holidaymakers searched for indoors alternatives.
Museum director Brett Marshall said while he did not take any pleasure from the terrible weather, it was the busiest December on record for the museum.
The wettest days drew the largest crowds, with 1500 visitors taking in the museum's attractions on a rainy New Year's Eve, up from 551 in 2023, he said.
A number of other New Year's events were scrapped due to the grim weather, which would have added to the numbers, he said.
"Probably like sales of buckets at Bunnings have seen a bit of a blip as well," Marshall said.
Aside from the bad-weather induced blip, the museum, which opened in 1987, has seen several years of growth in patrons, with record numbers in each of the past two years.
Free admission and the museum's hours - it's open every day except for Christmas Day - add to its appeal, he said.
A spokesperson for Te Papa said the national museum hadn't seen any spike in numbers.
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