The true spirit of Christmas isn’t about huddling together below freezing temperatures, playing around in the snow and having roast turkey and mulled wine, year in year out. Shake it up a bit this Christmas, and strip away all the conventionalities that come with the common Christmas charade and revel and jubilate on what the core of the holiday is about, spending quality time with your loved ones whilst doing fantastical things.
For your Christmas destination this year, why not travel with the family and head on to the land down under. Where the sand, surf and sea will get you right in the mood for Saint Nicholas himself. Australia, New South Wales in particular, may not have been your first destination but it certainly remixes the holiday spirit in the best of ways. With the nation going through their season of Summer, a toasty festive holiday with a glass of the nation’s finest Shiraz in one hand as you overlook the gorgeous New South Wales skyline and food, would act as an ideally unique way to ring in both Christmas and the New Years with.
Surf and Sand
Swimming pool in boutique hotel Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach.
A trip to Australia would be nothing to write home about without visiting the famous beaches that the country has to offer. Sydney in particular plays host to the iconic Bondi beach as well as Marley beach, both as intoxicatingly gorgeous as the other. Surf, swim and sun bake on the shores of Bondi, and even check out the famous ocean pools for those who would rather opt out of dealing with the open water. Lunching at the Icebergs Dining Room & Bar is a great place to end up after a day of swimming, or even as a pit stop during your beach bumming days. They serve bottomless Prosecco brunches on Sunday, if that sweetens the deal for you.
Even more leisure can be found on the North Coast of NSW, at the beachside boutique hotel, Halycon House. Offering a banquet lunch prepared by executive chef Ben Devlin on Christmas Day, the menu presents the penultimate gastronomical spread involving local produce, with a delightful add on of canapés and unlimited beer, wine and French Champagne. After which one can take a quick dip into the cooling waters along the Cabarita Beach. A perfect ending to a fulfilling day.
