Christmas in New Zealand: Celebrate Like a Kiwi
Want to make the festive period extra special? Then, consider Christmas in New Zealand.
With Christmas on the horizon, we thought it a good idea to give you a picture of what it’s like in New Zealand and some of the delights that await you if you decide to visit the country at this time of the year.
Christmas time in New Zealand is unlike anywhere else in the world. Spending the holiday season in New Zealand is an amazing way to learn more about the Kiwi culture, and give yourself a break from the bleak British winter too!
As New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is a much warmer affair than you might be used to. Christmas imagery in New Zealand still features lots of classic wintery designs, but it all comes with a special Kiwi twist. A traditional Christmas in New Zealand takes influence from Britain, North America, and the indigenous Māori population.
This diversity is a big part of what makes New Zealand the incredibly unique place it is.
So, we’ve put together a special guide to Christmas in New Zealand so you can really make the most of your festive Kiwi holiday…
Traditional New Zealand Christmas Food
Let’s be honest, for most of us a big part of Christmas is the food! Whether it’s a roast dinner with all the trimmings or arguing over the last Quality Street, food is a big part of tradition.
New Zealand is no different and food plays a big part in Christmas celebrations.
Like Australia, the warm weather does have an impact on a typical New Zealand Christmas dinner. While some families opt for a traditional roast dinner, it’s not the norm. Barbecue or a picnic at the beach is much more common. Seafood and locally grown vegetables are especially popular choices.
Families with Māori roots often have a Hangi. A Hangi is a traditional form of underground cooking where fish or meat, vegetables and Kumara (which is similar to sweet potato) are wrapped in flax leaves or cloth sacks. They’re then placed on hot stones in a pit before being covered with a wet cloth and buried with earth.
The Hangi is left to slow cook for at least four hours, which gives the food a delicious smoky flavour. Because the Hangi takes so long to cook, it’s perfect for Christmas day where people have more time to relax together and enjoy each other's company while they wait.
A traditional Kiwi dessert is a pavlova pudding but be aware, serving one may end in a heated debate! Both New Zealand and Australia claim to have invented the pavlova, as do England and America. The ribbing is mostly good-natured, and it’s already been proven England invented it anyway!
Decorating for Christmas Like a Kiwi
Christmas in New Zealand takes inspiration from a number of cultures and you can see this reflected in the decorations. It’s very common to have a traditional pine Christmas tree but that’s not the only traditional Christmas tree in NZ.
The Pōhutukawa tree blooms in December and will continue to do so until early January and is known for its bright red flowers. They’re most common on the North Island but they do grow on the South Island as well, they’re just rarer and tend to bloom slightly later.
Pōhutukawa trees are heavily featured on Christmas cards and in songs and poems, and because of their bright colouring, they don’t need as much decoration as a pine tree.
Not only does the Pōhutukawa tree feature heavily in festive imagery, but it’s also incredibly important to Māori culture. On the windy clifftop of Cape Reinga is an ancient Pōhutukawa tree, which the Māori believe is where the spirits of the dead begin their journey to Hawaiki.
Hawaiki, in Polynesian mythology is considered the ancestral homeland and is where all life begins and where spirits return to at death.
You can find out more about Hawaiki in our blog post where we take a closer look at some of our favourite Māori myths and legends.
Traditional Christmas Gifts in New Zealand
Every Christmas, you’re almost always guaranteed to get a pair of fluffy socks. As children, we might not get that excited by socks but as adults, we realise they’re actually a pretty great gift. New Zealand has a similar tradition with jandals. Jandals is slang for ‘Japanese Sandals’ and have been a popular gift since the 1950s.
If you want to make sure you’re on the good list and get plenty of great gifts from Santa, make sure to leave a treat for him. In New Zealand, it’s traditional to leave Santa some pineapple chunks and his reindeer carrots. Probably a healthier choice than cookies and milk!
Where To Spend Christmas in New Zealand
Now you know how to celebrate like a Kiwi, you just have to decide where to spend Christmas! You’ll find plenty to enjoy on both the North Island and the South Island.
Christmas in Auckland
If you’re looking for some traditional festive cheer, Auckland might be the perfect place for you. For over 80 years, Auckland has hosted an annual Santa Parade to get everyone into the festive mood. It’s normally held at the end of November, although it can be early December depending on the weather. It’s known for its marching bands, multi-cultural performances and decorated floats.
If you want to spend more time with the locals and celebrate like a true Kiwi, head over to Auckland Domain for the Coca Cola Christmas in the Park. It’s filled with live music acts and performances from some of NZ’s most loved artists.
For something a bit more classic, visit the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s annual Christmas concert. Concerts are usually held in mid-December at the Holy Trinity Cathedral and often bring in local community choirs.
When you’re doing your gift shopping, you can’t go wrong with a market. Orewa Twilight Christmas Market is an annual market filled with artisan products and delicious local food - perfect for choosing some gifts to bring home, and a treat or two for yourself.
If you’ve decided to travel solo, there are plenty of community events on Christmas day itself. The Auckland City Mission hosts an annual community lunch that’s incredibly popular for locals and visitors alike. In 2016, it had over 550 volunteers and 2000 guests. It’s a great way to make some friends over the holidays.
Christmas in Queenstown
Of course, not everyone is looking for a traditional Christmas. Queenstown, the adrenaline capital of the world, is the perfect spot for an adventurous Christmas! Most places in New Zealand will be closed on Christmas day, but Queenstown never sleeps.
Most activities will operate on a reduced schedule but you can still find plenty to do like kayaking and jet boating through Skippers Canyon rapids. There’s normally restaurants open as well, but if you’re looking for something less formal, then head down to the lakeside.
Queenstown is surrounded by the beautiful Lake Wakatipu waters, or you can hike towards Glenorchy, which is perfect for working up an appetite.
One of our favourite ways to dine in Queenstown is the Skyline Gondola which hosts a special Christmas and New Years Eve dinner. You can take a gondola up the mountain, enjoy live music, a buffet of traditional Kiwi food and even try out a luge ride!
It’s essential that you book in advance for Christmas day activities. Get in touch with us if you’d like help planning your Christmas adventure.
New Year in New Zealand
Being one of the first places in the world to welcome in a new year, New Zealand is the place to do it. If you’ve spent Christmas in Queenstown or Auckland, they’re great spots to enjoy the New Year as well. Of course, to make the most of your trip, you can always spend Christmas on different islands. With a short internal flight between islands for New Year’s Eve, there’s really nothing to stop you enjoying the best of both.
Queenstown is great if you’re looking to party the night away. The city’s bars and clubs will be busy with live events, bar crawls and plenty of music! Make sure to head to the lakefront for midnight though where you can catch a fireworks display over the water.
If you’re spending New Year in Auckland, the Sky Tower will give you the best views of the city and the fireworks show. If fireworks aren’t your thing, Auckland also hosts plenty of music festivals to see the new year in and harbour party cruises for some beautiful sights.
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Ready for your own festive New Zealand adventure? Get in touch with us and see how we can help you with a tailor-made holiday or one of our exciting small group tours.
Singapore Stopovers: A Complete Guide to Changi Airport
Singapore – the tiny island state just off the coast of Malaysia, has long been one of the favourite stopovers when travelling to New Zealand, with the tropical city offering a vast array of things to do and see with a few days between flights.
Singapore Airlines, the national carrier, is one of the most comfortable airlines we’ve travelled on. With well-balanced value combined with impeccable service, as well as some of the most sensible flight times between the UK and New Zealand.
For many of our travellers, the best combination of flight times and cost result in their spending several hours in Changi Airport itself (sometimes referred to as Singapore Airport).
In most other airports, it would be time filled with thumb-twiddling and numerous cups of coffee. Changi, on the other hand, is not like other airports and is often pegged as the best airport in the world.
Why is Changi Airport the best?
The first thing you’ll notice is the sheer enormity. In fact, there have been numerous accounts of people spending whole weekends in Changi Airport and not running out of things to do.
It also bags a number of award-winning and record-breaking attractions, including the Rain Vortex - the world’s tallest indoor waterfall in its newly-built Jewel Terminal.
There’s a futuristic glassed ceiling building containing the never-ending Shiseido Forest Valley indoor gardens, as well as sound and light shows projected onto the 40-metres high Vortex.
They’re just a couple of the unique attractions you’ll find, but after a long flight, these in particular are great for invoking a sense of calm and tranquillity as you recharge ready for the next leg of your journey.
Although the carefully curated gardens of New Zealand are well-respected, the options at Changi are almost endless with gardens in each terminal. Seeing nature within such an industrialised setting never gets old.
What can you do at Changi Airport?
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 welcomes arrivals with a 24-hour water lily garden and the Piazza Garden with its Singaporean plant species. There’s also the Tropical Rainforest Vivarium, which is a feast for the senses with flora chosen especially for their scent as well as a diverse range of complementary colours.
For those spending more time in Terminal 1, also open 24-hours is the rooftop Cactus Garden and Bar, which has several species from around the world. The Discovery Garden, which features a combination of sculpture and nature also has a number of raised pathways, enabling visitors to grab the perfect selfie with their favourite piece.
Terminal 2
For those exploring Terminal 2, the Enchanted Garden offers motion-sensored nature sounds, sparkling lighting and reflective sculptures contrasting with the genuine ferns and flowers.
Also in Terminal 2 is the delightful Sunflower Garden - staving off the jetlag with a good dose of sunlight during the day and innovative lighting by night. There’s also the popular Orchid Garden, with themed areas based on the elements of fire, water, earth, and air.
Terminal 3
Typically, the New Zealand and UK flights depart from Terminal 3, which is peppered with its own garden highlights. It offers the world’s first Butterfly Garden in an airport, as well as the Crystal Garden - another wonderful blend of sculpture with the natural world.
Not to be outdone, the new Jewel terminal has arguably got the pick of the crop, with the Canopy Park, and the 24-hour multi-level Shiseido Forest Valley, one of Asia’s largest indoor gardens, with over 100 different species of plants from around the world.
The free-to-visit garden comes complete with walking trails, and even a sensory section containing light shows, music and targeted scents. It offers one of the most peaceful and thought-provoking natural experiences you’re ever likely to come across at an airport.
What can kids do at Changi Airport?
If you’re on a family holiday to New Zealand and you opt for a Singapore stopover, there’s plenty for the kids to do too. For a more energetic garden visit, a small entry fee allows access to the Canopy Park, spanning the entirety of the top floor of the Jewel Terminal, with an enormous suspension bridge offering panoramic views of the Rain Vortex, including a nerve-wracking glass floor section.
In addition to the traditional Petal Garden, the Topiary Walk offers a fun trail through animal-shaped foliage, and the Hedge Maze is Singapore’s largest.
Kids can also enjoy the smaller mirror maze, the Foggy Bowls (mist-releasing bowls that give the illusion of being amongst the clouds), and the four integrated Discovery Slides - offering fantastic views of the Rain Vortex and the Forest Valley.
Baggage storage facilities mean you are free from the constraints of your luggage and with plenty of restaurants in the Canopy Park, you could easily spend a half day in this section of the airport alone.
Also at Jewel is the Changi Experience Studio, with interactive games including the chance to race a Boeing 747.
For those wanting to stay in Terminal 3, kids old and young will love The Slide@T3 - Singapore’s tallest slide, and the world’s tallest slide in an airport! And you could lose the little ones for days at a time in the Games Area in Terminal 4, with arcade machines on offer as well as PlayStations, X-Boxes, and a Wii to enjoy free of charge.
If you want something a little more chilled, in Terminals 2 and 3, classic kid’s films are played on giant cinema screens alongside recent releases, complete with comfortable seats and popcorn.
And for the adults?
Sometimes you just need a bit of grown-up time and a relaxed meal! With almost 200 bars, café’s and restaurants to choose from throughout the airport, you’ll be spoilt for choice!
Food & Drink - For a kid-free zone, challenge your friend or partner to make you a cocktail at the dedicated zone within duty free in Terminal 4, or try suggested food and beer matches at Tiger Beer’s Vortex-view restaurant.
For those desperate for a bit of fresh air, Hub & Spoke Café’s menu offers a range of Western and Singaporean classics served alfresco at Terminal 2.
Wellbeing - If all the kids splashing around at the Terminal 1 roof-top pool, have you craving a bit of peace and quiet, head for the Wellness Oasis Spa for a facial and a fish pedicure.
Shopping - If you’re desperate to flash the cash, fear not as Changi offers a mind-boggling array of duty-free shopping experiences - from local brands to international luxury and everything in between.
Art & Culture - For culture vultures, Changi is absolutely bursting with artwork.
Terminal 1’s Kinetic Rain installation made up of shining metal droplets suspended overhead that shift position inspired by the flow of passengers and planes through the airport. It’ll have you staring in wonder (or confusion, depending on how much sleep you managed on your flight).
Similarly, Terminal 2’s A Million Times at Changi, where hundreds of clocks harmonise their hands into creating messages and pictures.
In Terminal 3 the 13m tall Daisy is painted in Singapore’s national colours, with a giant propeller a nod to its location as it follows the movements of passers-by.
Finally, for those extending their holiday with side-trips to other Asian destinations, Terminal 4 offers its own shape-shifting piece, Petalclouds, which can be enjoyed from both the Departure and Arrival halls.
For a more traditional offering, Singapore Rojak is a giant heritage mural depicting a Singaporean Street Scene, with market stalls inviting observers in with their colourful wares. The garden in T4 also contains a series of giant bromeliads juxtaposed against an enormous steel creative centrepiece, and a gentle koi pond.
Wherever you turn at Changi Airport, you’re sure to find something incredible to look at.
Can I stay overnight at Changi Airport?
Yes! In fact, we recommend it to really make the most of your visit.
With the world’s highest indoor waterfall, tallest airport slide and the only airport Butterfly Garden, we’d be surprised if Changi could be beaten on number of sleeping options.
Free of charge rest areas are spread throughout the airport, offering comfortable seating including reclining massage chairs. Airport lounges also offer showers and multiple areas to relax and watch a movie while you recoup.
If undisturbed sleep and a private room are your top priority, we can book you a room at the transit hotel onsite with a bed and a shower available for blocks of 6 hours - perfect when travelling on Singapore Airline’s service between UK and New Zealand.
What if I don’t have much time to spend at Changi Airport?
Changi’s got you covered! It’s known in flight-booking circles as one of the most efficient airports around. Connection times here may be tighter than allowed elsewhere, and even if you’re only taking the Sky Train between terminals, you should still manage a glimpse of the Rain Vortex.
Unlike many other international airports that operate strongly reduced hours overnight, Changi offers a range of restaurants, duty free and other shopping options open into the late evening, with some Terminal 3 dining available 24/7.
We recommend you should also squeeze in a visit to one of the gardens, many of which are also accessible by night.
What about COVID-19?
Not only is Singapore one of a handful of countries (along with New Zealand, of course!) that the UK government will accept vaccination certificates from, they were also one of the first whose national airline carrier insisted their cabin crew wore facemasks to protect passengers, way back in early 2020.
Already known as one of the cleanest countries in the world with their infamous chewing gum ban imposed in 1992, since the pandemic hit, cleaning regimes have been stepped up even further. The airport website has a dedicated Covid-19 Hub to help make your time in the airport as safe and seamless as possible.
Anything else I should see?
Oh, so much more – but what would be the fun in exploring for yourself if we spoilt all the surprises before you arrived?
OK, I’m sold… how do I get there?
If you’re looking to book a New Zealand holiday, just give us a call to discuss your requirements with us so that we can book your transit through Changi.
If you plan to explore the city too, keep a look out for our upcoming blog post with all our latest tips on how best to spend your time whilst visiting Singapore.
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