Australasia > New Zealand > Other > Great Barrier Island > Tropical Paradise > Articles > Pacific Christmas

All roads lead to Christmas in New Zealand.

Whatever way you look at it, it’s the most longed-for celebration on the nation’s calendar. In fact the entire year seems hell-bent on hurtling towards December 25 in a desperate, harried, headlong rush.

It’s hard to say if it’s the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. But in this part of the world Christmas marks the end of the work year, the end of the academic year and the end of the old year.

And as if that’s not enough, it's the beginning of the school summer holidays. Hooray! Six weeks of sunburn, what -do-we-do-now and sand traipsed through the house.

So you can see, a lot is riding on the festive season.

For a start, there are more parties packed into November and December than the other 10 months put together. Suddenly people are having champagne and strawberries for breakfast, lunch and tea as they stagger happily from one end-of -year social, corporate function and neighbourly barbecue to another. Others attend school productions and prize giving ceremonies and everyone tries to remember to buy a ham on the bone and the chopped-off limb of a pinus radiata before they’re all sold out.

Decorations range from the traditional bows and bells to the novel, with more and more people wanting to give the tree a Pacific touch with painted shells and raffia bows, while the table is likely to be dressed with banana leaf place mats and hibiscus flowers.

Roast turkey and ‘tatties have been replaced by crayfish, salmon and even ham cooked on the barbecue. In fact once Christmas arrives you might as well turn the oven off. There’s nothing that can’t be cooked on a barbecue and usually there’s nothing that isn’t. You can even grill Christmas cake on it. Serve with homemade coconut ice cream, in case you were wondering.

Even Santa gets into the swing of things, ditching the deer in favour of arrival by jetboat or waterski, though it must be said he’s a little unsteady on his pins by the end of the evening after all the cold beers he’s scoffed courtesy of the nation’s children.

Of course Santa hasn’t got the corner on gift-giving. The Dutch community have already welcomed Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) at a picnic in a park. The great man arrived with some of his Black Peters on a three-seater bicycle while the rest were driving an ice-cream van. By the end of the day the sun had melted their black face paint while old St Nick was the colour of fresh beetroot in his beard, long white gown, red cape and bishop’s mitre. Alas, even the most credulous of children find it pretty hard to suspend disbelief when all your heroes end up looking like vaudeville characters on the turps.

But on the day itself all the parents will be up at dawn, waiting impatiently for children to wake up so they can unwrap the presents. Then it’s church for some followed by a barbie for everyone, a snooze for the lucky ones or if Television New Zealand is true to form, a crap black and white movie to cry over or laugh at the bad dialogue.

Boxing day should be renamed Packing Up day, for this is the day cars are loaded dangerously full with tents, beach toys, fishing tackle, bikes and the entire contents of the fridge in gigantic chilly bins. And then Kiwis hit the road.

The day after Christmas all roads in New Zealand lead to the water. By the end of the day the nation’s rivers, lakes and coastline are dotted with some of the happiest people you’ll see anywhere.

Because even though all the fancy food and work bashes in posh hotels were terrific at the time, there’s nothing better than tucking into plain fried fish or steamed mussels you’ve caught yourself and sleeping in a saggy old tent.

Relaxing here really is simple.

Five Great Camp Sites:

Taken from The New Zealand Camping Guide by Kerr & Hansen. Contact Gail Kerry on ph/fax +64 04-233-8613 or write to 82 Moana Rd, Plimmerton. Book at least six months ahead for sites administered by the Dept of Conservation.

1) Mavora Lakes Conservation Campsite - off. S. Hwy 94, South Island +64 03- 249-7921. The Mavora Lakes are set among picturesque mountains, beech forests and tussock grasslands. Great for walking, tramping, fishing (brown and rainbow trout), mountain biking, boating, sailing, canoeing and horse riding as well as a bit of bird spotting (bush robins and NZ falcons). Toilets, BBQs, picnic tables and rubbish collection are provided. Water comes from the river. No bookings and sites are about $4 per adult.

2) Lake Rotoiti Lakeside Holiday Park, Okere Rd, Okere Falls, RD 4, Rotorua, North Island, ph/fax +64 07-362-4860. Heaven for boaties and people who love fishing with jetty, boat ramp and marina berths. Free row-boats or arrange a rafting trip. The tranquil lake is also popular for water-skiing. Private hot pool complex. All camping is about $11 per person.

3) Medlands, Great Barrier Island, Dept. of Conservation +64 09-307-9279. This camping ground offers safe swimming in the estuary as well as a brilliant surf beach. Price per adult about $5. You can fly or catch a ferry to Great Barrier from Auckland.

4) Mimiwhangata campsite, Waikahoa Bay, North Island, Dept of Conservation +64 09-433-6554. Relatively new site in a small sheltered bay at Mimwhangata Coastal Park. Basic facilities but magnificent setting. No vehicle access but a three-minute walk to carry your gear to the site. Bookings essential. Fees about $5 for adults.

5) Tahuna Beach Holiday Park, 70 Beach Rd, Tahunanui, Private Bag 25, Nelson, South Island, ph +64 03-548 5159, fax +64 03-548-5294. Used to be said it was the biggest campsite in Australasia and as such it isn’t for everyone but the park has lovely trees and a variety of terrain. Great gathering place for teenagers and beach parties.

• More from Yvonne Van Dongen
• More on the same theme