This may ease your mind:
http://www.climate.co.nz/
The average high temperature in Auckland in February is 19.7 C. or 67.46 F.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Australia
And in Sydney the average high in February is 25.7 C. or 78.26 F.
Hardly what I would call hot and miserable. I'm sure it is warmer in the interior and more humid in the Northeast; but we were struck by how similar the climate is to Southern California at that time of year.