You know it’s getting closer to Christmas in Australia when…..

The garden is getting pretty with bright gerberas and the air is heavy with the scent of star jasmine in the summer evenings.

If you can sneak in a day at the beach the water and sand are warming up, the sky is a vast expanse of blue and the shark patrol planes cruise up and down the coast, monitoring the beaches from above, while the Surf Life Savers are busy on land and sea. Fish and chips and a sneaky white wine taste better in salty air. Even the dog is getting keen to get wet and sandy.

The countryside is drying off and the green pastures are turning to brown, sun bleached stubble. Hay bales dot the farms and temperatures are certainly rising now, into the high 30s and low 40s (over 100 in Fahrenheit). Time to be watching out for deadly brown snakes.

If you drive or walk anywhere at night, houses are lit up with Christmas lights and some, well they have to be seen to be believed. These displays are becoming more and more popular in many places in Australia now, with the odd Aussie themes thrown in, note the surfing Santa.

Bit by bit the caravan is getting packed with more than we usually take for our standard holidays. Our long annual beach holiday is planned for after Christmas and not only do we have to think of what we need and want but also we love catering to keep drop in visitors comfy and feeling welcome too. (It looks tidy but the reflection in the bathroom mirror tells another story).Then there is the planning for Christmas feasts. I love that we can dine outdoors and enjoy fresh, gorgeous seafood and salads, dress the table with gum leaves and have a choice of a traditional dessert of pudding and custard or mini Pavlovas with plump and juicy Adelaide Hills farm grown raspberries if you wish.

Christmas crackers are snapped and bad jokes read and even worse party hats have to be worn by not only us but our poor suffering dog as well. I think he wears it better actually.Then in the evening we will watch a favourite Christmas movie and just maybe see a summer storm roll in and cool off the day.

I love Christmas, how about you?

Glenys