This is my first year spending christmas outside of Ireland. It is weird how the run up to the big is different to back home.
Today is the 8th Dec, farmers didn't over populate the city for the day.
Only a few shops have christmas carols playing.
Minimal decorations are up in the shops.
The main street of Auckland has three angels dangling from a wire across the main street at a few intersections. Two 10' trees are on the over hang of two shops in the city centre.
None of the shops are packed with crazy people buying what they can.
TV adverts are not mostly aimed at the christmas season.
The weather is ok, at least 18-20c most days. Only rains about once a week. Shorts and t-shirt weather

Because I'm so far away I needed to get my christmas shopping done earlier than normal to post it home. Got everything bought in one day and posted it all home nearly two weeks ago.
Now all I have to do is wait another 14 days before I go to Perth to spend christmas and new year in warmer weather... Woohoo