SIMON O'CONNOR/Stuff New Plymouth’s Ngamotu Beach was packed with people enjoying the sunshine on Tuesday. The city was the third sunniest spot in December but was knocked out of the top three for 2020 by a technicality. New Plymouth’s stormy history in New Zealand’s sunniest spots stakes has resurfaced, with a technicality knocking the city off the podium for 2020. The city recorded the third highest sunshine total for December with 281.1 hours, behind Whakatane, 301.6, and Tekapo, 282.4, but was relegated to the fourth sunniest place in the country for 2020, provisional data from Plant and Food at the Marlborough Research Centre shows.