Christmas in Australia on a sorching summer's day
Christmas is coming and I’m off to New Zealand to climb glaciers.
Which is like the goose getting fat (and oh boy, is this goose plump after the last few weeks of festive parties and boozin’) but this will involve a helicopter and a quick tour of South Island’s highlights with Golden Boy.
Christmas can be a little weird over here (there is a CHRISTMAS TREE on the BEACH in the SUN and Santa is sweating his ass off and wearing flipsflops) but I’m getting used to the Aussie style celebrating of it. They tend to do lunch, with lots of barbequed meat and salads (nodding to the traditional ideas of a roast with delicious lamb kebabs and some cold turkey) accompanied by loads of cold beer and white wine. This means that you usually finish all familial Christmas obligations by 4pm or so and can then get to one of the many parties being thrown by your mates.
It’s funny - the shops and airways are full of adverts leaning towards the snowy traditional Christmas. Australians listen to them, nod along with how lovely it must be to be snowed in and covered in holly, and come the day itself have a barbeque and cold beer exactly like they were planning to all along. While they don’t all head to the beach (which will be full of over-excited backpackers, thrilled by the fact that they can go out in just a teeshirt after 9pm) Australians tend to spend a lot of Christmas Day outdoors in the shade playing a bit of sport and watching the “ankle-biters” - my favourite term EVER for toddlers - play in the paddling pool.
Aussies are completely sports-mad generally, and Christmas tends to include lots of running about where possible. I am told - by Golden Boy, who has a vested interest - that Christmas cricket is a tradition. I have pointed out that I am Irish, and therefore will play hurling or hockey with joy but cricket can sod right off. Golden Boy is working on it, but given that rounders was my least favourite game in school and crickets appears to be a version of it with EVEN MORE STANDING ABOUT POINTLESSLY I doubt it’s going to work.
Overall, I’m enjoying the seasonal cheer. The main advantage, as far as I am concerned, is that the traditional two weeks off falls in the middle of some of the best weather of the year, so you can actually do stuff outside, instead of spending the whole thing praying for the pub to open so you can get away from the relations.
While I’d like to do turkey with the folks, and listening to Horse Outside has me wishing I could make the drinks’ sessions on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day with all my Irish friends, I reckon that helihiking glaciers and catching the Tranzalpine through National Parks in New Zealand will make up for it. Not to mention the complete lack of having to deal with driving to Meath in the snow. In fact, snow generally. Golden Boy and I are planning a quick stop tour of South Island, New Zealand, which will include me frantically trying to write four articles in time for a New Year deadline. Can I write in crampons? Guess we’ll find out.
Then back in time to watch the Sydney Harbour fireworks from Goat Island with sprattica and P, and artbroken and N. Should be stunning. Great friends, good views, an exciting end to what has been a very good year overall.
Happy silly season, and best wishes for 2011 to you all.