It’s 6pm in the afternoon. A warm summer afternoon. My favourite time!
I’m sitting on a fine golden sand beach. I’m wearing swimming togs and a smile, with my wife. The sun is still high in the sky as we look across the bay from Tata Beach, in Golden Bay to the north of the South Island of New Zealand.
Across the bay we have waterskiers and jet skiers carving the water as we just sit!! Just sit! My perfect way of welcoming the New Year and discussing our travel plans for the year. My wife has just run across the hot sand with two large glasses – one a Gin and Tonic for me, and she’s poured a brandy for herself. This is heaven.
We’re lucky to have had our children with us as well, along with my daughter’s special friend from Paris. My daughter’s friend left us a week ago now after a rapid twelve day visit from France. He left here with a well-tanned face, a very pink sunburnt back (which is peeling now!) and confused memories of Christmas and New Year in the summer sun and heat of New Zealand. Now he’s back home and having minimum temperatures of minus 3 Celcius, and snow has again been settled on the Eglise St Severin opposite our Paris apartment. He experienced and was confused by our Christmas dinner which we traditionally have at midday, but which was delayed until later in the afternoon because it was too hot – but after setting up some sun shades we could commence! No mulled wine is served at our house here, rather chilled Champagne, wine and beer. With temperatures over Christmas and New Year being close to 30 degrees (Celcius) different between France and New Zealand you are certainly going to experience some changes. Some people just don’t think it right that Christmas dinner could be spent on the beach in your speedos! Whereas for NZers they can’t imagine heading off to midnight mass in all your winter clothes being careful not to slip in the ice. Traditional events seem so different when placed out of context in a different environment. When has someone in Paris seen Father Christmas in shorts and a T shirt!?
So even though I’m sitting here with sand between my toes in the heat of the late afternoon sun planning the year ahead, I have friends doing similar things like Caz and Craig on the beaches of NSW Australia, or people like Robin in the cold of Tarifa in southern Spain, or Mark exploring the depths of Tanzania, or Catherine in New York , or Julia in Turkey, or Jool who is freezing in Edinburgh! Everyone at a different place in time, night or day, hot or cold, planning their futures.
Meanwhile the ice is melting in my glass!
Best wishes to you all for the New Year!
Tata Beach holiday perfection!
Time for my G&T on the beach. I'll be back in the office soon!
This is the view from our beachfront house! You should all try and come here! Perfection!
Best wishes to you John! Would love to be sitting on the beach having a chilled gin and tonic with you. I’m afraid summer is letting us down in Oz this year. I am sitting in a long sleeved shirt on the couch on a rainy day watching the horrible floodings in QLD on TV
New Zealand seems like the place to be.
May you have a wonderful 2011. Enjoy that sunshine while you can.
Cheers to you too! If you do pop over here you must visit this area of Golden Bay – you’d love it!
What a lovely way of bringing in 2011. Happy New Year!
I’ve often wondered what it would be like to spend Christmas or New Years in a warm climate — never done it. The way you describe the season in NZ is leaning me toward giving it a try. What a beautiful spot you have there on the beach!
Have a very happy 2011!
A lot of people up here in the north will be jealous of your balmy New Year!
But Robin you will get your turn at having the hot weather? You just enjoy standing in the rain and wind in Spain!!
Christmas on the beach is perfect. I spent it in Ecuador and while it’s not beach weather here its certainly much warmer than Canada!
Ayngelina it sounds like you run away from the winter like me!!
That sounds perfect about now!
Sounds awesome. We have only spent one Christmas/New Year away from home in the southern hemisphere. We were in Buenos Aires during 30+ degree temperatures, and we wore shorts and flip flops on Christmas. Before I experienced it, I thought it would be weird and just feel not right, but boy, I could get used to it rather easily.
Sounds like a great way to spend the holidays.
Shorts and jandals (les flip-flops en francais) are our uniform over New Year too! Hell we just had another earthquake!!! Yikes! Sadly we’ve been having a lot lately – actually smashed our centre of town!! Might have to head back to France if this keeps up!!! Cheers.
I spent so many Christmas on the beach while in Puerto Rico. Loved them!!
Now, here in New York, I spend it mostly inside – keeping myself warm. For me these are way different ways to spend Christmas, but they each have their charms.
Happy Holidays!
I wonder if you missed the snow in NY. What a dumping! Hopefully you had fun in Puerto Rico before that!? Both the cold and the heat are wonderful – I don’t mind at all – just make the most of either!!
I had a bit of both this winter. Had warmth in Puerto Rico, and a huge blizzard a few days back in New York… lol Now preparing for another blizzard. brrrr…
Being Pacific NW guys, we are used to cold, rainy holidays (which we are perfectly fine with), so we love to totally disrupt the schema and be in warm locations on Christmas.
Even better, being in places that don’t celebrate (or over-celebrate) the holidays. We love tradition as much as the next guy (we are fairly traditional guys when it comes right down to it) but we love the freedom to create our own experiences and not be party to the marketing blitz that surrounds Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Christmas.
Cold and wet in the Pacific??? You’d love this beach we were at – come over to NZ one day!!
I think it would feel so strange to spend christmas somewhere warm! I’m sure i could get used to it though ;p
Happy New Year to All.
Sounds like you have started the Year relaxing.
Great spot for a chill out, and a few nice light drinks,
and fresh food – Great for appreciating our country
and beaches in NZ. Must get to that spot some day in the
future. Yes, heard that the after shocks are still happening – what a time Christchurch has been having, the Mine disaster was such a shame. Very hot for Christchurch and Auckland this summer, and now Queensland in in Flood – The Gods surely must be angry. Hope we all come through this and live more content – Must be a message in all these
happenings.
Just watching the NZ Tennis at Stanley Street, some great
Tennis over the past 10 days, so there are lots of brighter moments. Continue to enjoy the summer.
Vic and Rose – Fans of the French Way.
I laughed at your teasing the Northerners who are freezing their butts of up there John! Yep, shorts, sweat tops, sunnies and a chilled Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc… they’ll all want to emigrate here.
Got Andrea and Spirov calling in for a barbie next Tuesday…are you heading over?
Or they may be able to catch up with you if you’re still in Golden Bay.Favourite spot!
I guess you’re back in CHCH?