The largest compass correction VastuIQ covers
The dashed line is true north. The green needle is where a compass actually points. Each of the eight Vastu zones is 45° wide, so an uncorrected gap of 20° or more puts many rooms in the wrong zone. Your score always uses your own city.
Does Vastu work in New Zealand?
Yes, with two things to get right. First, the compass: in New Zealand it points about 20° east of true north in Auckland and 25° east in Christchurch, enough to put many rooms in the wrong zone if it is not corrected. Second, the Southern Hemisphere: the classical texts were written north of the equator, and practitioners disagree on whether north and south should swap here. VastuIQ corrects the compass for your city, scores the classical directions and shows the flipped reading beside any room where it would change the result a lot.
New to Vastu? What it is, in brief
Vastu Shastra is a traditional Indian system of architecture and home layout, set out in Sanskrit texts such as the Mayamata and the Manasara. It divides a home into eight directional zones around its centre and suggests which rooms and activities suit which zone. Many Indian families use it when they buy, build or arrange a home, and so do people of other backgrounds who are curious about how a home is laid out.
Kept the lightest and least cluttered part of the home; a good place for prayer or quiet.
The zone traditionally linked with Agni, fire, so it is the classical place for cooking.
Linked with weight and stability; tradition places the main bedroom and heavy storage here.
It is a cultural tradition, not a science, and it does not promise outcomes. VastuIQ shows what the classical texts recommend, measured accurately for your home and your city, and you decide what to do with it. Most of the report's fixes need no building work: they are about how rooms are used and arranged.
Do north and south swap in the Southern Hemisphere?
In India the midday sun is to the south. In New Zealand it is to the north. Classical Vastu was written north of the equator, and there is no single agreed answer on what that means here. Practitioners take three views:
Directions are directions; a north-east kitchen means the same in Auckland as in Delhi.
The midday sun is in the north in New Zealand, so the roles of north and south should swap.
Keep the directions but read light and warmth from the local sun.
What VastuIQ does: the score follows the classical directions. Beside any room where the flipped view would change the reading by 25 points or more, the report shows that reading too. For example, a kitchen in the north-east scores 5 classically; in the flipped view it would read as south-east, which scores 100. You see both and decide.
North-facing living, Vastu and New Zealand design
BRANZ's Level guide to sustainable building says main living spaces should face north where possible, for daylight and winter warmth. Classical Vastu also asks for an open, light north and north-east. So for living areas the two usually agree, even though they start from different reasons.
Compass vs true north in New Zealand
Across New Zealand a compass points well east of true north: about 20° east in Auckland, rising to 26° east in Invercargill. That is the largest correction of any country VastuIQ covers. Your score uses the exact figure for your own city.
| City | Compass vs true north | Daylight, mid-winter to mid-summer |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland, Auckland | 20.3° east | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| North Shore, Auckland | 20.3° east | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| Manukau City, Auckland | 20.4° east | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| Hamilton, Waikato | 21.0° east | 9.5 – 14.8 h |
| Tauranga, Bay of Plenty | 21.0° east | 9.6 – 14.8 h |
| Napier, Hawke's Bay | 22.3° east | 9.4 – 15.0 h |
| Palmerston North, Manawatu-Whanganui | 22.7° east | 9.3 – 15.1 h |
| Wellington, Wellington | 23.3° east | 9.2 – 15.2 h |
| Lower Hutt, Wellington | 23.3° east | 9.2 – 15.2 h |
| Nelson, Nelson | 23.1° east | 9.2 – 15.2 h |
| Christchurch, Canterbury | 24.7° east | 8.9 – 15.4 h |
| Dunedin, Otago | 26.4° east | 8.7 – 15.7 h |
| Invercargill, Southland | 26.5° east | 8.6 – 15.8 h |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey) and NOAA solar equations. "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
New Zealand homes, read correctly
The report uses the names on your plan and reads them the way a home here is built:
Read as living rooms. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
Read as a pantry or storage. Traditionally best: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Read as a bedroom. If it stands apart from the house, check it on its own.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
Part of the home outline. Traditionally best: North-West, traditionally the zone of movement (Vayu). South-East is also acceptable.
Check a minor dwelling (granny flat) on its own. For a unit or townhouse, mark the outline of your own home; its front door is yours.
Check one home, or compare your shortlist
- Score out of 100 and its band
- Your top three issues
- True north correction for your city
- Every room scored, with no-cost and low-cost fixes
- Your floor plans with the zones at true north
- Centre, front door and pada
- Action plan, 90-day plan and checklist
- Two or three homes side by side
- Which home fits Vastu best, and why
- Plus the full report for the home you choose
Prices are charged in US dollars and your bank converts them; local amounts are a guide.
Vastu in New Zealand: questions people ask
Does Vastu work in New Zealand?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, and they exist in New Zealand as everywhere, so its guidance can be applied to a New Zealand home. Two things need care: the large compass correction, and the Southern Hemisphere question, on which practitioners disagree. VastuIQ corrects the compass for your city, follows the classical directions and shows the flipped reading where it changes a room a lot. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
What is Vastu Shastra?
Vastu Shastra is a traditional Indian system of architecture and home layout, set out in Sanskrit texts such as the Mayamata and the Manasara. It divides a home into directional zones and suggests which rooms suit which zone, for example the kitchen in the south-east and the main bedroom in the south-west. It is a cultural tradition, not a science.
How far off is a compass in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch?
About 20° east in Auckland, 21° east in Hamilton, 23° east in Wellington, 25° east in Christchurch and 26° east in Dunedin (World Magnetic Model). Each Vastu zone is 45° wide, so a gap this large moves many rooms into the next zone. VastuIQ corrects every compass reading for your city.
Do north and south swap for Vastu in New Zealand?
Practitioners disagree: some keep the classical directions, some flip north and south because the midday sun is in the north, and some adjust only for the sun. VastuIQ scores the classical directions and, beside any room where the flipped view changes the reading by 25 points or more, shows that reading too.
Is a south-facing house bad in New Zealand?
No. Tradition favours north- and east-facing entrances, but where the front door sits on its wall and how the rooms are placed matter more. In New Zealand a south-facing front often means a north-facing backyard and living area, which New Zealand design guidance favours for sun and warmth.
Can I check a unit, townhouse or minor dwelling?
Yes. For a unit or townhouse, mark the outline of your own home; its front door is yours. Check a minor dwelling or a detached sleepout on its own, with its own outline and door.
Can I compare homes before buying in New Zealand?
Yes. Use Compare 2–3 homes: the side-by-side comparison is free, and Home Buyer Compare (US$79, about NZ$139) adds a PDF that ranks the homes and includes the full report for the one you choose.
Vastu for homes in other countries
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 18 October 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.