Historical Weather Data

Hey does anyone know if it's possible to get hold of historial weather/climate data in NZ? It would be mighty handy in trying to plan (albeit still very rule of thumb - I ain't no meteorologist!) trips to look back over the years for a given period to see what the weather was doing say during x-month of the last y-years. Was there heavy rainfall? What was the wind doing? Stuff that might aid in determining a better time to head for a given location. Currently bumbling around NIWA's national climate database but it horribly complex for someone not too up on technical stuff! And before anyone sais anything yes I will be looking at extended weather forecasts and ditto weather forecasts closer to the time of any trips. This is just a little hobby piece I'm keen to 'explore'. =)