'I've spent Christmas on the beach for 25 years - one sunny place is best for winter sun'
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If winter’s dark days have you down, there’s a sunny region where the holidays are less chestnuts roasting and more sausages grilling - but there’s a catch. In the southern hemisphere, summer is well on its way and if a Christmas on the beach excites you then there’s no better place for it than the Coromandel in New Zealand. However, if you want to celebrate in style then you’re looking down the barrel of a 22-hour flight at a minimum.
The flight may be long, but take it from me - a Christmas in New Zealand is truly unbeatable. I spent 25 Christmasses in Aotearoa (the te reo Māori word for New Zealand) and I have nothing but fond memories. One of my favourite places to visit is the Coromandel which is famous for its long white sanded beaches, crystal clear oceans and lush forests. You can marvel at New Zealand’s native Christmas trees, the pohutakawa, which frequently frame the golden sand beaches with their wizened trunks and scarlet red flowers whose blooms signal the start of summer.
Christmas in New Zealand falls over the school holidays, so the whole country slips into relaxation mode. Kids and adults alike wander barefoot from the beach to the corner shop to pick up ice creams. As Christmas Day falls, the BBQs are fired up, sweetcorn and meat are plopped on to grill, and dizzying arrays of summer salads are plonked on trestle tables for people to load up their plates.
If you want to spend your Christmas in the Coromandel then there are plenty of beaches to choose from. A personal favourite of mine is Hahei, which is a magical stretch of beach with stunning azure sea - sometimes you will be lucky enough to see dolphins. One of my favourite childhood memories is sprinting into the gentle waves and swimming out to be amongst a friendly pod of dolphins which had visited the bay.
