Christmas on the beach might be up there with the buzzy bee in terms of kiwi icons, but only half of New Zealanders want a hot and sunny holiday.

In a poll for WeatherWatch.co.nz, 57 percent of respondents were hoping for sunshine .. while 15 percent were hankering for rain, and eight percent for hail, sleet, or anything wintry.

Head analyst Philip Duncan says it shows the influence of farmers, and people who move here from the northern hemisphere.

"As a weather forecaster you learn very very quickly not to say that the weather is good or bad because one person's wet, horrible day is another one's great, fantastic, I needed that rain sort of day," he says.