Your December 2023 Mobile Newsletter

December 2023

Kia ora!

And just like that, we’ve reached the last month of the year and summer is just about upon us. I can’t say for sure if we’ve had a typical spring or not, but I do know that so many of us are looking forward to more consistent warm weather, sunshine, and a long holiday.

During this time of year when we talk to family and friends back in the northern hemisphere, the topic of experiencing a warm Christmas along with a long holiday comes up often. Even though this will only be our second full summer here in Aotearoa and our personal experience is a bit limited, we’ve discussed this topic extensively with our Kiwi friends on how people do summer here. If you live in another country and you’re wondering if there’s a different way to approach work-life balance, read on for a primer on what that could look like for you here in New Zealand. (And for those who have recently arrived, happy first summer to you!)

Lastly, a bit of personal news:
Dear Readers, it’s been a pleasure to write to you during this past year. My primary goal has always been that you’d find a small nugget each month to help you in your transition to life in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is my last newsletter as I move on to a new phase of life here and I wish you all the best.

As expected, the newsletter is ready for a new editor! If you’re a recent arrival and have an interest in writing and decoding life in Aotearoa New Zealand, please contact Ange@mobile-relocation.com to learn more.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Elizabeth
Newsletter Editor

A Southern Hemisphere Summer for Newbies

We were only a few months into our arrival in New Zealand last year and barely into experiencing winter when coworkers started asking us what our summer plans were going to be. We were implored to start making our holiday bookings early (i.e. “now”) because, we were told, New Zealanders love their summers and we “won’t find any openings” if we waited till spring to make reservations for staying anywhere. So we did our duty and planned our first, large exploratory road trip to the South Island way in advance. When our highly anticipated summer roadie was about to commence, we asked our coworkers what they would be doing for their summer holiday. Based on how strongly they encouraged us to plan something, we were quite surprised when they said they didn’t have any plans after all!

The lesson from this story is that some people go full on when it comes to summer holiday plans, and others simply don’t and end up enjoying a carefree and quiet holiday based around home – in essence, do what feels good to you. Because I have a propensity to categorise what I come across, let me introduce you to how I see people approach summer break in New Zealand.

1 - Long trips. Because employees in New Zealand are entitled to four weeks of annual leave after a full year of continuous employment, it’s quite common for New Zealanders to use this season to go on a four- to six-week long vacation (or more!), especially if it’s overseas. As a Kiwi friend told me, since most places are far away from New Zealand, if they’re going to go abroad, they’re *really* going to go abroad and likely travel to multiple countries in a single trip.

2 - Short trips. As a US American who considers two weeks a long time to be gone, it’s been enlightening to learn that New Zealanders are more likely to view this period of time away as a short trip. In the end, a “short trip” varies anywhere from a weekend or long weekend to a couple of weeks.

3 - Day trips. Want to go on adventures but sleep in your own bed at night? Day trips are the perfect solution. While many people like to go out and about, it simply can be easiest to be based at home and go on day trips instead. Although it takes a bit longer to drive around because roads are generally tight and curvy outside of the main cities, New Zealand is still a relatively small country and there is plenty to see and do within a day-trip radius.

4 - Being outdoors at home. Aka (jokingly) “no trips”, as I mentioned what our coworkers did last summer. Even though many people take an extended break and get out of town during the Christmas period and through much of January, there are still many who stay home for various reasons. For example, our property manager has three teenagers (who all have the freedom to go out and about with their friends) and was mentioning she’s looking forward to spending a quiet summer in the garden with a book and a glass of wine as often as possible.
Because the school year ends mid-December and doesn’t start back up till late January/early February, this time of year is perfect for families to take an extended getaway. For those who stay in the country for a domestic holiday, what can be done within the categories above? Pretty much any combination of the following: road trips, bach stays (see Local Lingo below), camping, barbecues, beach activities, time in any kind of water (pool, river, lake, ocean), hiking, music festivals, simply relaxing, and so much more. Cities become empty and people take things down a notch with the primary goal of being outdoors in some way, shape, or form. If any of this sounds appealing, you should come to New Zealand sooner than later!

Related links:

Looking for a broad overview on things to do and where to go during summertime in New Zealand? This 100% Pure New Zealand tourism page is a great place to start

Here’s a different point of view of where New Zealanders go on their summer holidays

Everyone has their own nostalgic list of things that remind them of summer – this is a fun list of “30 things we love about a Kiwi summer” that is insightful to the New Zealand holiday mindset

Visiting Wānaka During the Summer

When we mentioned to others that we were visiting the south end of the South Island, many assumed we would stay in Tāhuna Queenstown. Even though Tāhuna is a lovely place filled with exciting adventures, we decided to base ourselves in Wānaka. Having lived in a very rural setting for years before moving to Aotearoa, we felt like the laid-back vibes of Wānaka would suit our preferences better. Considering that our primary holiday goals were to go on day hikes, mountain bike, jump in the water, and relax outdoors with a book in hand, Wānaka ended up being the perfect Christmas holiday base for us.

While there are quite a few day hike options, we tackled a couple of the most popular ones: a shorter warm-up hike on Mount Iron, and then the long and steep climb up to Roys Peak. If you’re not much into hiking but you figure you should take part in the Wānaka outdoors experience while you’re here, the loop track on Mount Iron is perfect for you: at 4.5 km long (less than 3 mi), the 360-degree view from the summit makes the 2-hour hike worth it.
If you’re prepared for a challenging day hike to see its infamous view in person, then Roys Peak Track is for you. Even though it’s marked as an “easy walking track” (which is simply indicative of it being wide, clearly marked, and maintained, i.e. easily followed), don’t let that fool you: going up and back down on the full 16 km track that is unrelentingly steep with no shade is honestly tough on the average person. Silver lining: you don’t need to go all the way to the actual summit to get to the legendary viewpoint as pictured above – the hike then becomes less than 14 km long. (That’s what I did!)

Addionally, there was plenty of mountain biking for my husband at the Bike Glendu park with its stunning views. Because mountain biking in New Zealand often happens in forests, the views of the sweeping landscape from flowing trails makes Bike Glendu a not-to-be-missed experience if riding on dirt with two wheels is your happy place.

Between all the physical activity and even day trips to Queenstown and Dunedin, we also spent time on the shoreline and in the waters of Lake Wānaka and the beautiful Clutha River to where it flows. Even though it was brisk, it’s quite refreshing to dip into cold water when you’re outdoors soaking up the sunshine. If you have a hammock, make sure to bring one when you visit Wānaka!

Want to read more?

Considering giving it a go up Roys Peak? Have a look at this thorough blog post for a complete breakdown of the track

We didn’t even scratch the surface of all possible experiences – learn about “20 unmissable things to do in Wānaka” here

Still not sure whether to visit Queenstown vs Wanaka? Here’s a recent blog post I found comparing the two if you need more insight

Local Lingo #1: Bach (and Crib)

While most people in the world may see the word bach and wonder if it’s a lazy way to reference the classical German composer and musician Johann Sebastian Bach, it actually means something completely different in New Zealand. Pronounced the same way as the first syllable of the word bachelor, a bach is traditionally a small and modest holiday home or beach house, although it also could refer to a holiday residency of any size or quality nowadays. (NOTE: In the southern half of the south island, the word crib is more commonly used.) Whether it’s been in the family for years or is a summertime rental, it’s normal to say you’re off to stay at a bach for the holiday.

“We’re headed to a bach at the beach for Christmas!”

Local Lingo #2: Popping Manus

Being a water-bound country, spending time in and around water is a popular summer activity. What about jumping off a dock or diving board to cannonball into the water? I’ve since learned that there’s a specific type of v-shaped “dive bomb” that creates an impressive splash with volume and height that is called a manu (say: MAH-nu) and there’s much more technique and history to it than you’d initially expect. When you’re headed out to specifically v-bomb off a bridge into a river, you could also say you’re off to pop some manus.

“Are you staying at that bach on the lake again?”

“Yeah mate, we’ll be popping manus all summer off the dock”