Christmas holidays so far...


Ah, Christmas vacation! Something that, to my benefit, New Zealanders take very seriously. The cafe is closed for 2 weeks, which is not uncommon here. Aside from grocery stores, or the stores in the mall, lots of smaller businesses close for an extended period over Christmas. I've even taken it a step further and taken an extra week off so we can go on a road trip to Queenstown. David also has 3 weeks off from his job. I think it's important to have a nice long holiday to relax every now and again. Now that I have a job, I remember what it's like to do absolutely nothing and love it. When you're unemployed, there's constant pressure to find a job, so you can never totally relax..you always feel like you should be doing something productive or working on your job search. I forgot how great it is to wake up late, lounge around, take naps, and just do whatever you feel like doing.

To kick off our Christmas holidays, David and I went to Totaranui, a popular camping area which is in the Abel Tasman National Park. The campsites are right across from the ocean, and there are countless beaches all along the coastline that boast golden sand and turquoise water.






On the second day, we walked to separation point, which was a 2.5 hour walk, and pretty much had all the beaches to ourselves. It really was breathtakingly beautiful. The weather was gorgeous the whole time we were there, (3 nights) and was even a little too hot! It was neat to see all the campsites with Christmas lights, and decorations. We left on the 24th, but lots of families were gearing up to have Christmas at the campground, and there were lots of excited little kids.

On our way to Separation Point


Separation Point
 


Waking up to another hot day on Christmas morning was quite strange, as I had imagined it would be. It was a balmy 30 degrees or so, which was perfect for our beach BBQ.
To start our day, we had delicious pancakes with more toppings than I've ever seen, ranging from assorted fruit, chocolate, marshmallows, yogurt, ice cream, and maple syrup. Pancakes are in my top ten favourite foods, so I was very happy with this spread.


Afterwards, we went for a dip in the local outdoor pool, and then headed to Rabbit Island for the Christmas BBQ. Our lovely hosts, Paul and Sally, had kindly reserved us a spot along the beach early in the day, so we were lucky enough to have a prime location, with a BBQ, beach views, and lots of trees for shade.



After enjoying some beverages, and lots of delicious food, we went for a dip in the ocean, which was warm and calm. A popular spot, there were lots of other groups with impressive set ups along the beach, but despite this, the beach was still not crowded. After a quick stop at home to skype myself into my family's Christmas celebration back home, we headed to David's parents for Christmas dinner and got spoiled with presents and yummy food. All in all, a great day with great people, delicious food, and beautiful summer weather...it did feel like Christmas, just a different sort of Christmas. :)

Comments

  1. Linny D. Vine30 December 2012 at 16:34

    Merry Merry, Barb! And Happy 2013 to you and David! Thanks for sharing your NZ Xmas!
    xox L

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbara31 December 2012 at 05:09

      Thanks Linny! :) Wishing you guys all the best for 2013 too! xoxo

      Delete
  2. Anonymous31 December 2012 at 12:02

    Hi Barbara
    Happy New Year! Gotta say, those beach pics are a wonderful thing to look at this time of year - thanks!
    Best of 2013 to you and David.
    Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbara3 January 2013 at 02:14

      Haha! Anytime, Cheryl! I've heard it's a little cold back home...
      Best of 2013 to you and Dan as well! :)

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3 January 2013 at 20:02

      Yup, it's a bit cold, but we got out on the tandem on the 1st - good start to the year. Got pals in Calgary and Ottawa, and it's been -20 in both places, so it's all relative, I guess. Was looking at those pics again - is that speck in the water at Separation Point a shark??
      Cheryl

      Delete
  3. Emily31 December 2012 at 16:41

    It was so nice to get walked through your Christmas celebrations! Sounds WONDERFUL :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Barbara3 January 2013 at 02:15

    :)

    ReplyDelete

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