A Summer Sort of Christmas

We have reached our anniversary date of one year in New Zealand.  Technically this will be our 2nd Christmas here but last year our feet barely hit the ground when the 25th arrived.  After a winter in Dubai, last NZ summer felt cold.  When the sun shows herself this time around we are soaking her up in the surf and sand.    Here's what we are experiencing down under this summer Christmas.

1.  December marks the start of SUMMER and the end of the school year.  To put that into perspective, imagine adding the following to your already busy holiday season; finishing out the school year, award programs, recitals, end of year parties, and planning for summer trips.  It's a giant end of the year celebration to add on top of Christmas.  

2.  Summer does NOT mean nice weather every day.  One day it is gorgeous  

and the next day is filled with rain...thunder...gale force winds.. and fog.  Not. even. kidding.  All in ONE day. 

i was recently taught a new mantra which we are learning to embrace,

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing."

Put on the right clothes and get outside.

Don't let a little rain ruin your BBQing!

3.  Eggnog is OUT and Fruitcake is IN.  At the mention of eggnog we get quizzical looks, "What's that?!"  Those that have heard of the elusive "eggnog" think it is served warm.  Blah!  We made an extra special batch for co-workers (this secret recipe is coveted in the States) and they weren't so keen on it.  All the more for us i guess.  Fruitcake is called Christmas Cake here and is MUCH better than the one you find in the States.  It is soaked in rum and is actually quite tasty although very rich.  Friends here can't believe it is considered a joke in the States as it is so loved in NZ.  

4.  New Zealand has the BEST Christmas tree ever!  The Pohutukawa Tree is a well loved native tree that is fabulous all year round as its branches are strong, twisty, bouncy and make for fantastic climbing.  They are scattered all along the beaches and cliffs and are one of our favorites.

(My Bestie in one!)

 We have some right out our window.

In December it bursts out in color and we love 'em even more.

It has changed the landscape of our view and provided treats for our feathered friends. 

 The Tui bird that sings us the most unique song all day long.

A new bird we discovered just the other day.

Almost daily we spot a pair of Eastern Rosellas in our tree but have yet to snap a picture of them in it.  They are shy and the inspiration for us to become official bird watchers.

5.  Speaking of animal sightings...

The latest local headline news is of the dolphins that stopped to entertain crowds at a nearby beach for over an hour with their playful antics.  

We had an impromptu lesson on gannets one afternoon after sighting a hundred dive bombing birds from the local colony.

Gannets 

Photo Credit: Wikipedia 

6.  There are still heaps of activities for the kids through Christmas and summer.  Kyle is having a go at New Zealand baseball.  

Typically he wears cleats for the game but this was the first game and the shoes we had to order from Australia hadn't arrived yet.  He went barefoot to the game kiwi style, but borrowed cleats from fellow Americans.  New Zealand is getting into baseball but things like cleats, mitts and bats are still difficult to come by.  

Ry attempted Netball for the first season.  A very popular game here with the girls which is a lot like basketball except you are NOT allowed to bounce the ball.  Lots of passing, learning new rules and adjusting to playing a sport in a dress.  Ry wasn't afraid to jump in and give it a go.

7. You can't enjoy Christmas lights until after the sun goes down around 9:30 and instead of fireplaces crackling the windows are wide open and ushering in gentle breezes to cool you off. 

8.  The beach is the venue for ALL activities.  Christmas caroling, fireworks, meet ups, Christmas dinner (or any meal for that matter) all happens down at the beach.  

     

9.  Kids still need to earn their keep, even if it is Christmas.  Some children shovel snow at Christmas.  Last year my kids had to shovel sand. 

This year during a storm we received a dusting of bright pink...

that required a massive sweep up.

Thanks to the blustery wind, the Pohotukawa painted our house, deck and walkway with her brilliant flowers.  Honestly, i preferred the color where it was as it isn't nearly as stunning in my rubbish bin.

  

  Although we are surrounded by a warmer season, different traditions and new friends, we still find joy in celebrating the truth of Christmas that remains constant throughout the world.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders.  And the He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

   

    

A Volcano, An Asylum & Kiwi Birds

August we decided to have a go at snow skiing here in NZ and the novelty of it was quite exciting to us for several reasons.  First of all, finding snow in August is quite an oddity.  Secondly, we were excited we wouldn't have to go the local mall like we did in Dubai (See it here) to find snow, it was going to be the real deal!     

DUBAI STYLE SKIING

We don't see snow in our part of NZ  but just 4 hours south is Mt. Ruapahu which is the only place on the North Island where you can snow ski.  When we originally planned to meet some of our lovely Tasmania friends there for a ski trip, we didn't know much about the mountain.  We only knew we were ready for some winter fun.  As the trip grew closer and all the reservations were finalised, we gathered a bit more details about the upcoming trip.

1.  Mt Ruapehu is an active volcano.  The mountain web page actually has directions on what to do should the volcano erupt.

"If a volcanic eruption does occur at Whakapapa, an audio alarm will sound from a series of speakers located around the ski area, at the same time a message is sent to a pager kept with the Ski Area Manager. In the event of a volcanic eruption, immediately move to higher ground and out of valleys. Stay in a safe zone until you receive further instructions from Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Ltd. staff. - See more at: http://www.mtruapehu.com/winter/Volcanic-Hazards/#sthash.EPCUlZB4.dpuf"

2. We made reservations in this beautiful 1930 Chateau... that was once an ASYLUM.  Ok, to be completely fair, it was only an asylum for a short time during WW2 and originally was built as an amazing lodge to host travelers from all over the world.  With descriptions like the following, who cares that it was once and asylum?

 "V.I.P’s from around the world started to hear of the magnificent Chateau and began arriving from the four corners of the globe. The Chateau developed a reputation for hosting fabulous people and fabulous parties. 

After months at sea on rocking ships and then days or weeks traversing the most beautifully primitive of landscapes, they’d arrive to neo-Georgian luxury at its finest. They’d sweep up to the grand entrance portico with its dramatic columns. They’d marvel at the floor-to-ceiling arched Ngauruhoe Window as they took in its superb view of the mountains. They’d dine under magnificent chandeliers on the finest cuisine of the day, and enjoy long evenings in front of roaring log fires in the plush Ruapehu Lounge."

So regardless of previous volcanic eruptions & sleeping in a hotel filled with a dodgy history, we were excited to experience it all.  

But i will say my kids were quite nervous when they saw this picture in the gift shop upon arrival.

(Ash cloud over Chateau Photograph by Tim Whittaker)

Our asylum hotel just below the volcanic eruption ski slope they were going to ski. 

3. This was also the one place we were most likely to see the shy and elusive kiwi bird in the wild.

Our first glimpse of the hotel and the mountain was absolutely stunning

After unpacking, we admired the old architecture and charm of the historic hotel 

It was beautiful, filled with 1930's grandeur, had wonderful service and its past only added to its allure.

We settled into some cozy reading by the fireplace 

and massive windows with views of the mountains.

We took a short walk nearby in the bush and watched ferns and palm trees get dusted with snow.

New Zealand has an amazing variety of ferns but this was the first time we saw them in a background of white

Palm trees & snow flakes fraternizing

The kids were super excited to see even the smallest bits of snow even though it didn't stick.  That evening they set out in search of enough snow to build a snow man.  

The adults the other hand opted for a glass of wine by the fireplace.   When they brought us back a picture of their snowman, we couldn't figure out how they managed to find enough snow to build such a big snow man.

The snow sticks on the mountain but not typically down below by the hotel.

Their second picture told the rest of the story.

The next morning we headed up to the mountain for some skiing.  

We had to take a shuttle up due to road conditions and while waiting for the shuttle to leave, my poor children are reading information on the mountain and one of the pictures displayed on the brochure was of victims from Mt Vesuvius and the effects of volcanos.  Pretty much something like this...

Source: Museum Victoria

Kyle says, "Uh, mom, is this from Mt Ruapehu?!"

(i'm pretty sure this is the sort of thing that traumatizes kids.) 

However, once rationally explaining that picture was from a TOTALLY different place and time period, and prior to warning sirens (*eye roll*) traumatization was diverted.  

We realized there were other reasons this mountain was different.  Visibility was really bad and although there was fresh snow we still had to look out for rocks.  One run is aptly named "Rock Garden."  This was the first time i have ever skied a mountain with not one trees in sight.  It was a bit surreal. 

Regardless of the mental images of ash covered bodies, exploding mountains, and rocky runs, we managed mischievously held snow balls and big smiles

As it turns out the Whakapapa ski paths are super narrow with cliff drop off all around with little or no markings.  In the States dangerous areas are clearly marked and barricaded, but not so much here.  Although the majority of cliffs we saw were not likely to cause death to a skier, surely there was enough to cause serious injury.  We are smiling because at the end of the first day we all managed to survive.

Snow angels and icicles are a much safer activity

Back at the lodge we thawed out and filled up with High Tea.

The next morning we woke up to a full blanket of snow covering our hotel which made for an amazing winter wonderland in August.

(Yet another case for why Christmas should be celebrated in August in NZ.)

We never ended up seeing any kiwi, although we were told their foot prints are often found in the snow first thing in the morning.


In the end we had a lovely time with our friends and enjoyed taking in another new experience.  When the trip was over and we arrived back home, my kiwi friends asked what i thought of it.  Only after i relayed to them some of the stories did they provide me with gory detailed stories of the 2007 eruption where a guy lost his leg, or the year where there wasn't an official eruption but there were rocks that were "spit out" and caused others to be seriously injured. And yes, the runs do seem quite narrow and dangerous.  For the record eruptions occurred in 1945, 1995-1996, 2006, 2007, with warnings in 2008, 2011, 2012   *Wide eye*

Although, it certainly wasn't the best skiing we have ever done we can now check off bucket items # 101 Ski on active volcano and #102 Sleep in an old Asylum and #103 Hunt for kiwi foot prints  (Which for the record was never even on the bucket list but certainly worth adding now that we have done it)