Some weeks back we had a bit of discussion in this group about what
causes certain places to have a reputation for an extraordinary clarity
of air. St. Ives, in Cornwall, has this reputation. I witnessed it in
Auckland, New Zealand. Another person spoke of how literature records
19th British visitors to Europe found it in various parts, usually round
the Mediterranean.

Anyway, I have just read the following article about the air quality in
Auckland and it may help explain things. Auckland is situated on a
narrow stretch of land with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Tasman
Sea on the other. Furthermore, nearly all of Auckland is situated
around about the bays and coves of an enormous harbour. So the
proximity to sea is ever-present. The following article talks about the
presence of salt in the air, as well as other particles. These are no
doubt reflective to some degree. And I think they may explain the
extraordinary "sparkle" or "sparklingness" I noticed in the air in
Auckland on bright and sunny days, making plants, flowers, and trees,
and everything, look shinier and more attractive than usual somehow.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...508390&ref=rss

Eddy.