Kiwis move into Christmas festive mode

‘Tis the season to be merry and, as Christmas lights up all over New Zealand, Kiwis are moving into festive mode.

Christmas sparkle has moved into Ponsonby, Auckland where homeowners have turned on a magical display of millions of fairy lights decorating the heritage houses that line Franklin Road.

On the Coromandel Coast - an iconic North Island holiday spot - the locals have been celebrating the Pohutukawa Festival. This seaside event is inspired by New Zealand’s unique Christmas tree - the pohutukawa is a majestic coastal variety with brilliant red blooms that flower for Christmas.

Debate rages over which city has the tallest Christmas tree - Auckland and Wellington have their matching seven-storey Telecom trees complete with 375,000 lights and Santa-phones, and Hamilton has a six-storey-plus model in Garden Place.

Santa’s little helpers
Traditional Santa parades continue to pull the crowds in big and small centres throughout New Zealand. In Auckland an estimated 300,000 people turned out for the big red man’s annual outing.

And, while shoppers are also out in droves downtown, savvy online shoppers are snapping up the last of the Rugby World Cup match tickets - complete with Christmas gift certificates - to stuff into their dear ones’ Santa stockings.

Meanwhile, earthquake-hit Christchurch has contingency plans for the big red man who could need extra help to find his way around - with insurance claims indicating that one in nine houses suffered chimney damage during the magnitude 7.1 quake on 4 September.

To help Santa reorganise his flight plan, the Santa’s helper website has been set up for children to let him know if they have moved, and whether safe access to the house is still possible via the chimney.

New Zealand Christmas 2010 events

From carols in caves to Santas on the run ... here’s a small selection of some iconic New Zealand Christmas events.

Pohutukawa Festival - Coromandel
19 November - 5 December, 2010
When the pohutukawa - NZ’s unique Christmas tree - blooms on the Coromandel Coast, it’s time for the locals to celebrate with a schedule of summertime Christmas events. For 2010, the Pohutukawa Wearable Arts returned after a three-year absence.

Kawakawa Christmas Parade and Carnival
4 December 2010, 12.00pm
The little Northland town of Kawakawa turns on a one-of-a kind Christmas parade led by vintage steam train Gabriel through the main street. Festivities include a best float competition, lolly [sweet] scramble and sausage sizzle.

Great New Zealand Santa Run - Hamilton
8 December 2010
Hamilton’s comic Santa Run covers a 3km fun run or walking circuit around the city. All participants must be dressed in red Santa suits for the charity event which raises funds for KidsCan.

Carols in the Caves - Waitomo Glowworm Caves
10 - 12 December 2010 at 8.00pm
Set in the iconic Waitomo Cathedral Cave and lit by twinkling glow-worms, Carols in the Caves is a three-night underground musical experience. The Waitomo Caves Choir spends three months rehearsing for this event which is limited - for conservation reasons - to 200 people per night.

TSB Bank Festival of the Lights - New Plymouth
19 December, 2010 - 30 January, 2011
New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park, a magnificent 52ha domain, provides a dramatic backdrop for a lighting and events festival in the heart of the city.

Carols in the Beer Garden - Nelson
23 December, 2010 at 8.00pm
Not your usual carol service - Carols in the Beer Garden is, however, an appropriate location because it’s in the centre of New Zealand’s only hops producing region. The wall-to-wall sing-along with local artists takes place in The Free House - Nelson’s only pocket-park beer garden.

Shotover Jet Remarkable Christmas Spectacular
13 December, 2010
Jet boating is as New Zealand as pavlova and kiwifruit, and Queenstown tourism operators are the people behind this Kiwi Christmas spectacular. There’s music mixed with the magic of Christmas, and Santa even makes an appearance on a Shotover Jet boat.

More information

Kirihimete - New Zealand Christmas experience

New Zealand - Summer 2010/2011 highlights

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