Buying a Christmas tree in summer is just odd.

December 15, 2009 by
Filed under: Life in New Zealand 

It’s coming up to the end of my 5th year living in New Zealand, and thus my 4th Christmas here. Still can’t get all “christmassy” about it – because it’s just not. Nevertheless – we all love christmas in this house, so we do it anyway!

Most of the pressies are bought, (Mostly courtesy of Amazon), I’ve got cherries sitting in Brandy getting well and truly sozzled (cherries are very much a christmas staple here, and it my one nod to being a Kiwi), and I’ve spent a small fortune on Shoc Chocolate.

So the last thing really was to get the TREE.  Now I know we are not in Europe – but thats no excuse for plastic trees in my world – you just have to slightly adjust expectation on your Tree Buying Experience. For a start – no such thing as “No Needle Drop Nordic Pines”. You are going to get a mess, and it will kill your vacuum if you try an hoover the mess up. Kiwi Christmas tress have needles that are inches long.

It also makes decorating a tad harder – buy hey – what the hell.

You also don’t seem to buy trees at Garden Centres the way we are used to. Down here it’s at road stops, peoples houses, train stations – and then there the Christmas Tree Farm at Featherston - where we go.

You trundle up in your car (make sure its big or you have a trailer – this is not time for sports cars), wander round the fields to find your perfect tree (colour coded for price), grab a saw an chop it down. Bung it in the boot, drive round to the kiosk, pay cash or cheque, and drive home.

How cool is that? Look:

A farm a christmas treesA farm a christmas trees

Dodging rubble from the old army campDodging rubble from the old army camp

Find a tree you likeFind a tree you like

then wander a bit more and find the PERFECT tree :)then wander a bit more and find the PERFECT tree :)

...then ask the lovely staff to cut it down for you if you cant be bothered to do it yourself.…then ask the lovely staff to cut it down for you if you cant be bothered to do it yourself.

and admire the baby tress that get planted each year to replace to ones we buy.and admire the baby tress that get planted each year to replace to ones we buy.

and finally get the tree home ready to decorateand finally get the tree home ready to decorate

Our tree cost $50 – which I dont think was bad at all – it’s a great size,and it looks (and smells) wonderful.

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Related posts:

  1. Buying really real Christmas Trees in New Zealand.
  2. Wellington’s Christmas Tree
  3. Xmas tree decorations
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Comments

2 Comments on Buying a Christmas tree in summer is just odd.

  1. Sarah on Tue, 15th Dec 2009 10:35 pm

    2. That’s a beautiful tree you found! We’ve never bought a tree in NZ as I was never keen on the style, but you seem to find some lovely ones. You make me want to ditch my trusty artificial, that’s been unearthed from under the stairs for the past 10 year’s and get a real one! The only thing about living in Wellington city is that I feel getting a real one is less friendly to the environment – due to the pollution created in the trees being transported here. Also, what do you do with your tree after Christmas?

    I love that you can actually go to a ‘tree farm’ and it’s wonderful to see the baby trees being planted to replace those cut down.

    Wishing you a very, very happy Christmas.

    We are finally used to Christmas in summer. The Pohutukawa trees in bloom, berries and pavlova, less food and more time for games and leisure are all very welcome to us now – though it’s taken us a loooooong time to adjust! I really used to miss the country pubs of England and snuggling up on Christmas Eve singing carols. The twinkling lights and decorations are now replaced with sparkling crystals that catch the sunlight and garden decorations that twist and dance in the summer breeze.

    Have a great time and a wonderful summer,

    Best wishes, Sarah

  2. Avalon on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 8:01 am

    3. If it helps – the Christmas tree far sells via Melling Railway Station or the Goods Shed Garden Supplies. You pay $10 extra – which you basically save in petrol from not going over the hill anyway. And you are still buying a tree that gets replaced with a new one :)

    After Christmas we tend to burn our trees. I think only once have we ever had access to facilites to chip the tree and turn it into mulch – and that was back in the UK.

    So when we take the tree down, we cut the branches off to use as Kindling (they make exceedingly good kidling becuase of the oils in teh needles) and chop the trunk into logs.

    Have a great christmas too :) Nearly there :)

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