An Ozzie Christmas!
Can't you just feel the excitement building? I can almost hear the sleigh bells in the distance. We've been working like busy little elves to make sure that we can tell everyone the good stuff to do in Australia.
Traditionally Christmas is a time of year associated with the cold. Snow on the ground, wrapped up warm drinking mulled wine, running home to an open fire. But of course in Australia, it’s very different.
The average temperature down under is actually between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius, which translates to ‘very very hot’ in Fahrenheit. And that’s because Christmas is in the middle of Summer.
Many tourists head out to Oz for that very reason. To get away from the colder climates and spend Christmas Day on a beach for the very first time. And then of course to text and email all their friends back home to let them know how great it all is.
But there’s more than just the beach, so we’ve collated some of the best things to do in Australia at xmas, whether you’re a local or on holiday.
Things To Do In Australia at Christmas 2012
The Christmas Fireworks in Darling Harbour, Sydney, explode every Saturday from November 26th 2011 and finish with an absolutely epic display at New Year’s Eve – one of the best in Australia. And there’s more than just fireworks, there’s a giant party atmosphere with a Santa Parade and on the first Saturday they light the Southern Hemisphere’s brightest Christmas tree.
Also in Sydney, the amazing Taronga Zoo is actually open on Christmas Day 2012. If you’ve never been to this zoo, it’s an absolute treat, with an amazing view across Sydney Harbour. One of the other highlights (although you can’t do this on Christmas Day itself) is to stay overnight in safari tents.
One of the great highlights in Australia's calendar is Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve, in Federation Square. Attended by more than 10,000 people, the evening includes some of the country's top entertainers performing both classic and contemporary songs. The event has been running since 1938 and is also broadcast to millions every year, so 2012 will be no exception.
If you're looking to do something a little different, and give something back to the community, then Perth has the answer. Every year Mission Australia organise
Christmas Lunch in the Park where you can get involved by making a donation or volunteering to help the day run smoothly including wrapping presents and decorating the tent (it gets hot in Perth at Christmas!).
One of the most spectacular ways to celebrate Christmas Day in Australia is to experience the Sounds of Silence at Ayers Rock. This is a once in a lifetime dinner under a beautiful star-studded sky, eating terrific food and learning about the constellations. An amazing christmas gift for the whole family.
Christmas Traditions in Australia
Many of Australia's Christmas traditions are inherited from the British, and although xmas shopping starts much earlier, December 1st 2012 will be the day that most people start to decorate their houses and christmas trees. For many years christmas lunch or dinner was a hot meal, usually turkey or lamb, but in recent years sense has arrived and the meal is more likely to be cold turkey with delicious cranberry sauce or ham with apple sauce.
The majority of Christmas lunches are eaten outside, in the shade, and generally there is plenty of beer flowing.
Santa and Australia
Of course Santa always delivers his gifts to Australian children first, due to the timezone. Since it's so hot, his sleigh is pulled by 6 white boomers (kangaroos).
Although Australia shares the same vision of Santa, in his fur lined red cloak and hat, many christmas cards feature him in the sun, doing anything from cooking up a BBQ to surfing. Australians think their version of Santa is just a little more fun than everyone else's view.