1. Jandals
As children in the ‘60s and ‘70s, my brothers and sisters and I longed for jandals but because of allegedly having delicate bits between our toes and being careless with things that weren’t buckled to our feet, we were denied them. The roman sandal it was. Brown, although one memorable year it was navy blue for me. Woo-hoo. I know the roman sandal still has its fans, but I’m not one of them. Not only are jandals now available everywhere, in every colour, cheaply, but I’m allowed to wear them.
2. Water
I didn’t realise until I moved to England in my 20s how much we Kiwis take the beach or the river or lake for granted. The first hot summer weekend I was in London (I remember it clearly - there weren’t that many of them), we decided to go to the beach. It took four hours because of traffic jams. When we got there the sun had gone away and the beach had pebbles, not sand, and was in a city. Here, whether you’re braving the cool water of Lake Wakatipu in the south or jumping the waves at Piha in the north, the trip is always worth it.
3. Books
Most of us read in bed at night and fall into a coma before we finish a single page. At this pace, even a slender tome written in giant print like Where The Wild Things Are can take a year to finish. One of the greatest pleasures of being on a summer holiday is finding a tree to sit under, a hammock to swing in, a sofa to curl up on and indulging in a good book for more than a minute, more than an hour, more than a day even
4. Movies
My parents wouldn’t let us go to the movies if it was a nice day outside although I do remember seeing Half A Sixpence in Alexandra when I was about seven. Perhaps a sibling was being born at the time and they needed to empty the house. Anyway, one of the great things about being a modern grown up is that you can go to the movies in the morning and then go to the beach in the afternoon. Or you can go to the movies all day long. Mum doesn’t need to know. Or might want to come with you. These holidays I’m hopeing to see Sherlock Holmes and The Lovely Bones.
5. Barbecues
What more is there to say? No one, except maybe a few Australians, can barbecue like we do. The smell of sausages burning, the sound of tomato sauce being spattered, the sight of a manly chest puffed up with pride at being left in charge of something so integral to the Kiwi psyche - aaaah, there’s nothing else like it. By the way, if you want to branch out from snarlers this year (no, it’s not a crime) try barbecuing fish steaks - salmon, hapuka or kingfish - on the grill. They’re a bit more robust than fillets and extra tasty especially if you can get the He-Man Barbecue King to put down the tongs for a minute and whip up a fresh salsa.
6. Ice cream
Italy has its fancy gelati and I’m sure it still tastes delicious in January but a hokey pokey ice cream from the dairy has no equal anywhere in the world, any time of the year. It’s Kiwi summer magic in a cone. If they could bottle that feeling of the sun beating down as you try and lick that thing to death before it melts over your hands and disappears, they would. For a special treat at home, try keeping a tub of Kapiti Gingernut in the freezer. Perfect for a little morning pick-me-up before you put on your jandals and head to the beach for a barbecue with a good book, via the cinema.
Happy Holidays!
