Return to main article10 Great Places to Spend Christmas
Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Why Go: - Barbecues on subtropical beaches. Where to Stay: At Omata Estate (from $400), a luxe vineyard homestead with huge guest rooms, you can sip local wines on a jetty in your own private bay. Holiday Dinner: Start with a cocktail at the Duke of Marlborough, which holds the oldest pub license in New Zealand, then pop next door to Kamakura (dinner for two $130), a serene seaside restaurant serving the day’s catch. Stocking Stuffer: Make a beeline for the town of Kerikeri and buy the kids a kaleidoscope crafted from 40,000-year-old kauri wood at Scopes New Zealand. —Amanda Jones
- Summer in December.
- A cooler of Steinlager beer instead of eggnog.
- Deep-sea fishing at night.
© Jon Arnold Images Ltd / Alamy
