NZ for Xmas and new years

Chickus

Hi, i will be in NZ for xmas and new years , my parents are coming over too. where is the best place to be for xmas and especially for new years..looking for somewhere that will be lovely enough and perhaps firewworks etc.. preferably on north island as they only arrive in on the 27th..
also does anyone know if you can rent apartments in aukland for a week?i want to cook a big xmas dinner for when my family arrive over..

watna

Most kiwis go away camping or to thr country for New Year as it's the height of summer. It's not as big in cities as it is at home.

My parents came over for Christmas last year. We travelled around the North Island before Christmas, spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day at our place in Wellington. We had a bbq and sat in the sun all day. My parents loved it because it was so different. I reccommend you do that for dinner, kiwis aren't much in to big cooked Christmas dinners and if Christmas Day is as hot as last year you won't want a roast. Lots of places you can rent have bbqs included. It would be really worth it, imo.

We spent New Year's Eve in Christchurch as my parents wanted to be in a city for the actual night. We had dinner and drinks out and then went to Cathedral Square where there was a concert and ad midnight the bells chimed etc. No Fireworks though. I'm not sure what other cities on the North Island are like for New Year's but I'm sure other places have concerts on too.

Hope your parents have a good time. Mine absolutely loved their two weeks around NZ. Their favourite thing we did was a tour on the vineyards on bike. We did it from Blenheim. I'd highly recommend it.

tallaght01

I was stuck in Oz last chrimbo as I was working. I agree with Watna about the xmas dinner. We jad great plans to cook for the people coming around. But it was so hot we just ended up doing a cold buffet, which was much more popular.

I found it really really hard to get into xmas in Oz. I'm a big fan of xmas, but it just wasn't xmassy.

Same with the previous year, when I was in NZ in the run up to xmas, but I got a flight home on december 15th. It was the most non christmassy run up to christmas ever.

So, it might be a bit of an effort to recreate the atmosphere. But, if you and the folks aren't huge fans of a traditional xmas, then the change could be quite exciting.

Me, I couldn't so it. I'm outa here for 6 weeks over xmas. I'll probably do that every year for the next 3 years while I'm here, as I no longer have to work the stupid hours over holidays.

Chickus

Hi, thanks for the replies...yeah the BBQ dinner would be much nicer i think, they would appreciate the change im sure especially if there is nice weather to go with it...im in ecuador at the moment but tryin to get something sorted..must look into renting somewhere for a week. might go up to bay of island or bay of plenty for new years..

yeah i think ,my parents will have a good time, it will be completly different to their normal package holiday in europe..i hope they are prepared for gettin active..:D

jank

We are planning to go the Abel Tasman for the xmas holidays. A bit of a trek and kayaking, something different to last year

Rabies

Ya, christmas in the heat is weird.
I've done it twice in NZ (heading for my third) and once in Perth.

As Watna said, many go away for the holidays. Aucklanders go to the Corramandel or up north to the Boy of Islands or where ever is touristy.

The city is dead for a week or two after christmas day