Looking to make this year’s Christmas extra special? Let’s travel to New Zealand for Christmas!.
What is New Zealand like?. It’s endless stretch of verdant landscapes, sandy beaches, vibrant culture, tasty cuisines, unrivaled hospitality, dazzling seascapes, etc. This holiday, explore the most luxurious places in New Zealand and experience vicarious thrills—from tour-reading this article.
Fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy or The Chronicles of Narnia will attest to the panoramic views of New Zealand. It’s utterly breathtaking. Veering a bit from on-screen sceneries, the country is even more alive in real-life. December sees it bustling with activity, an explosion of brilliant summer hues. Yes, summer. In contrast to the heavy blizzards experienced in the Northern hemisphere, New Zealand is bathed in warm sunshine during Christmas.
Replace the generally accepted Christmas traditions of lighting up huge pine trees, candy canes, wreaths on doors, eggnog, traditional roasts, cookies, hot soups, wintry events, etc, with ancient gnarly trees, beachside barbecues, abundant sunshine, picnics and festivals. Then you will be plopped right into an imaginary world brimming with Kiwis.
In the absence of all the usual Christmas rituals, do New Zealanders enjoy Christmas? Yes they do. In fact, the Kiwis also known as the Māori people—New Zealand natives—enjoy what is called a Kiwi Christmas. Featuring holiday cards, Christmas lunches and dinners, Santa parades, carols, etc.
The native Christmas tree pohutukawa (also known as New Zealand Christmas tree) is in full bloom in December. Its crimson red flowers blend with the deep green leaves to further amplify the Christmas themes and decorations. Most New Zealand locals prefer decorating the pohutukawa tree with poems and cards, as the tree is symbolic of spirituality and afterlife.
Although, some families still put up pine Christmas trees in their homes and decorate them with lights, ornaments and garlands.
New Zealand Greetings
As you navigate your way around New Zealand, here are a few Māori greetings that will help you connect to the locals on a personal level and feel more at home.
- Kia ora – Hello.
- Morena – Good morning.
- Tēnā koe – Hello
- Kia ora tātou – Hello everyone.
- Nau mai – Welcome.
- Kei te pēhea koe – How’s it going?
- Meri Kirihimete is the Māori word for happy or merry Christmas.
So if you travel to New Zealand, engage in hearty conversations with the locals, tour guides and fellow tourists. Relish every single moment of your stay and also get lost in the dreamy landscapes and culture of New Zealand.
Luxury Places To Visit In New Zealand
Those on a luxury Christmas trip to New Zealand are in for a treat!.
All year round, the country is teeming with globetrotters exploring the unique cities and learning about the diverse Kiwi culture. There are equally tons of fun activities to partake in, historic sites to tour, exciting adventures to embark on etc. But it doesn’t end there. What’s more, Christmas in New Zealand is a lavish affair with luxurious resorts, glorious food and an endless supply of wine.
From December to February, New Zealand is abuzz with tourists. People who travel to New Zealand for the Christmas holiday often overstay, because of the languid summer vibes.
There are dozens of recreational activities to engage in when you travel to New Zealand. What makes these adventures even more exciting is the summer season. No need to ward off the cold or grab a woolly blazer on your way to discover thrilling activities.
Places to visit span from luxury resorts to museums, magical Islands, small towns, historic sites and scenic views. The most popular places in New Zealand are Aoraki Mount Cook, Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers, Kaikōura. Lake Tekapo, Matamata, Milford Sound, Napier and Waitomo Caves.
There is also the North Island featuring major cities like Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington. As well as the South Island where Christchurch, Queenstown and Wanaka is located. Other Islands like Chatam Islands, Stewart Island and Subantartic Islands are among the best tourist destinations in the summer months.
The Luxury Activities In New Zealand
- Abseiling/Rappelling
- Backpacking
- Bird watching
- Boat cruises
- Bungy
- Camping
- Canyoning
- Casinos
- Caving
- Climbing
- Cycling & mountain biking
- Diving & snorkeling
- Dolphins
- Fishing
- Gardens & city parks
- Glider planes
- Golf
- Hang gliding & paragliding
- Heritage attractions
- Horse riding
- Hot air ballooning
- Hunting
- Jet boating
- Kayaking
- Museums & galleries
- Nature & wildlife
- Off-road driving
- Paddleboarding
- Parks and reserves
- Parasailing
- Penguins
- Performing arts
- Rafting
- Rail journeys
- Rugby
- Sailing
- Skiing and snowboarding
- Scenery & landscapes
- Seals
- Shopping
- Stargazing
- Skydiving
- Surfing
- Theme parks
- Volcanic & geothermal
- Walking & hiking
- Whale watching
- Windsurfing & kitesurfing
- World heritage sites
- Zip lining
- Zoos & wildlife parks
Christmas Dishes To Eat When You Travel To New Zealand
There are varieties of local and foreign culinary delights in New Zealand during Christmas. Instead of just the traditional hot roasts served during Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere, New Zealanders serve fresh seafood, cold meats, barbecues, pudding, mince pies, wine, beer, etc.
Seafoods
Some seafood like salmon, mussels, crayfish, oysters, scallops and other fresh fish offerings are eaten throughout New Zealand during Christmas.
Pavlova Christmas Dessert
Pavlova is the most popular Christmas dessert in New Zealand. It is a delicious mixture of meringue, whipped cream, ice cream and fresh fruit.
Summer Barbecues
In New Zealand, Christmas lunch or dinner commonly include barbecued lamb, poultry, ham, beef, served with a variety of vegetables and salads. Families gather on the deck or beachside picnic to enjoy a summer Christmas.
Chocolates and Sweets
Other desserts, sweets and treats with various unique flavors such as gingernut, macadamia, peanut, caramel, are also available to tourist in Christmas time.
Wines and Drinks
Exotic wines and drinks found in the country range from the New Zealand syrah, Feijoa juices, Lemon & Paeroa, to pinot noir, sauvignon blanc. There are other indigenous cuisines and drinks obtainable from wineries as well as traditional drinks made by the New Zealand locals.
Visit New Zealand For A Grand Romantic Getaway
Couples on honeymoon, Christmas vacation or a weekend trip will revel in the exceptionally beautiful Island views. As well as luxury resorts, hot pools, sandy white beaches, wellness spas and a variety of fun activities. Lastly, private Islands in Auckland or Queenstown equally provides just the perfect setting for a luxury engagement or proposal.
Meri Kirihimete! I hope you enjoyed this article.
