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A Tropical Aussie Christmas Downunder

A Tropical Aussie Christmas Downunder Living in North Queensland

December 22, 2016 By Jan Robinson 20 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


It seems like Christmas has turned into a divisive time of year. The threat of terrorism is rife and political correctness raises it’s head once again. Living in North Queensland, Christmas is a happy time of year for us. A time when we meet with friends and family, enjoy good food and company and try to keep cool.

Although Christmas is not a religious event for us, I was raised as a Christian and respect the occasion.

For many people around the world the Christmas season lends itself to fireplaces, mulled wine and snow, but the experience where we live in Townsville in the north of Australia is totally different.
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Tropical Aussie Christmas Downunder

The Rainy Season is hot and humid.

December is rainy season where mushrooms pop up overnight, frangipani trees are in flower and Bird of Paradise plants bloom. The Strelitzia earned this nick-name from it’s flower’s similarity to the plumage of the Bird of Paradise.

Christmas in Australia

We know it’s Christmas when our home smells of ripe mangoes. Ginger has a seasonal cult food following (you either love it or hate it) and being a lover, I make these ginger biscuits from Toni’s of 2 Aussie Traveller’s recipe. Old timers like to give a slice of home made Christmas Cake to friends for good luck – I personally think this is a ploy to check out each others cakes.

Mangoes are my favourite Christmas Food. If lucky we will still be able to source some for Christmas breakfast. The ones we buy locally are picked locally and don’t look as pretty as those scrubbed and polished ones to be found on the supermarket shelves – but the flavour is far superior.

Christmas Delicacies.

Christmas Downunder

Colourful Gardens.

Hibiscus, Poinciana, ginger plants and orchids provide colour in the garden.

Christmas Downunder Tropical Plants

Keeping Cool.

Being the rainy season the humidity in the air can be 90% which makes the temperature of 35 degrees so much worse. In the north we like to keep cool at Christmas time.

Keeping cool at Mossman Gorge in Far North Queensland, icy fruit drinks at Port Douglas, happy hour at Lime Tree and keeping cool in the pool at Coral Sands Resort, Trinity Beach Cairns.

Christmas in Australia Keeping Cool

Local Christmas Scenes.

The farms at Rollingstone, north of Townsville grow the best pineapples in Australia. Photography in the sultry heat of Cape Tribulation. Early morning yoga to beat the heat and a cool reflective sunset at the Strand, Townsville.

Christmas in North Queensland

Carols by Candlelight.

On Christmas Eve, Vision Australia hosts a massive open air Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne, which is telecast on national television, but all around the country communities hold their own Carols by Candlelight, this one at Mudjimba Beach foreshore. It looked like rain on the day of the event but a covered stage was erected for the performers, and the rain held off.

Mudjimba Beach Carols by Candlelight

Summer storm clouds gathering at Christmas time in Australia. The further north you are the warmer the rain is! This shot was taken from the deck of the Coolum Beach SLSC.

Coolum Beach Storm Clouds

Whether you will be freezing or sweltering this Christmas, Marty and I wish you a happy one. We enjoyed giving you a peek inside our Tropical Aussie Christmas Downunder.

A Tropical Aussie Christmas Downunder

Thanks for visiting for our last post for 2016 – We really appreciate it and would love you to add your travel post to the link below for Nancie’s Travel Photo Thursday which we co-host with Ruth from Tanama Tales and  Rachel from Rachel’s Ruminations. 

An InLinkz Link-up


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Filed Under: Townsville, tropical lifestyle

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leanne@ www.crestingthehill.com.au

    December 22, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    I’m in WA and our Summers and Christmases are much drier. We don’t have the tropical humidity or storms that QLDers get. I still love that we have a sunny, blue skied day with warm evenings to sit around the barbie and enjoy time as a family. Happy Christmas!

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 22, 2016 at 10:20 pm

      We lived in Perth for two years Leanne and I remember those dry hot afternoon with temperatures in the high 40’s. I would catch the bus home and then drive to Scarborough Beach. Bring on the Fremantle Doctor I say!

      Reply
  2. Lyndall @ Seize The Day Project

    December 22, 2016 at 8:55 pm

    Loving your Tropical Aussie Christmas post Jan. Yes, our Christmas is quite different to the traditional Northern Hemisphere celebrations, that’s for sure. We put our own spin on the festive season and an Aussie Christmas is like no other. Best wishes for a fabulous festive season and an amazing year in 2017. #TeamLovinLife

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 22, 2016 at 10:19 pm

      Love an Aussie Christmas Lyndall.

      Reply
  3. Kathy Marris

    December 22, 2016 at 9:10 pm

    Jan your Christmas photos are exquisite. The tropical blooms are gorgeous. I love mangoes very much too. I have been living on them. Wishing you a lovely Christmas. 🙂 #teamlovinlife

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 22, 2016 at 10:18 pm

      Where do you buy your mangoes Kathy?

      Reply
  4. Toni Broome

    December 22, 2016 at 9:16 pm

    I love our tropical Christmas and am very happy with my mango and ginger in place of the traditional roast. My favourite are those first few juicy lychees of the season that I usually manage to pick up at a side of the road stall as we head north for the holidays. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 22, 2016 at 10:18 pm

      Thank you Toni. I love Mangoes more than Lychees, but I admit that if I buy a bag of lychees at a road side stall, I eat them until they are nearly all gone. They are quite addictive. Love those ginger nuts!

      Reply
  5. Jackie Smith

    December 23, 2016 at 12:23 am

    Merry Christmas! And what a wonderful setting in which to enjoy it. Afraid our Pacific Northwest (Seattle area anyway) is looking at rain and chilly weather for the next few days. . .beautiful photos and you need to share that cake recipe!

    Reply
  6. Sharon Wagner

    December 23, 2016 at 1:18 am

    No wonder you look so happy. Christmas there rocks!

    Reply
  7. Deborah

    December 23, 2016 at 10:31 am

    Love that pic of you Jan and your smile!!!

    Speaking of hot and humid, it’s definitely that here today. I know what you mean about the divisiveness. I tend to just go with the ‘treat others as I would want to be treated’ and hope for the best. I’ve got some Jewish friends who do the Santa photo and attend parties and are very relaxed around the Christian holiday and I think most people are if you’re respectful of each others’ beliefs.

    I’d like to think 2017 will be a more peaceful year, but I’m not sure about that.

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 23, 2016 at 5:37 pm

      Yes I don’t see why religions have such rigid ideas about other religions. I am happy to accept others ideas and celebrations. Wouldn’t the world be a happier place if this was taught in schools – or is it already?

      Reply
  8. Janet Camilleri aka Middle Aged Mama

    December 23, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    Merry Christmas to you too! May your belly be filled with lots of mango!!!

    Reply
  9. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    December 23, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    Merry Christmas Jan and Marty! I haven’t had a locally grown mango in forever, and it’s definitely not Christmas food in Texas. The ones I saw in the grocery store today must come from Central or South America this time of year. We never know what temperatures Christmas will bring here and have to pack everything from coats to shorts when visiting my family… just in case. I enjoyed this peek into a tropical Aussie Christmas.

    Reply
  10. Winny @ wanderingwinny.com

    December 23, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    Just came across your blog. I love all the photos you shared, especially of all the flora, are they from your personal garden? They are so lovely. I am from Sydney and I love spending Christmas in Summer, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for letting us in to your world. Happy Holiday!

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 23, 2016 at 9:56 pm

      Hi Winny, The Bird of Paradise and Hibiscus were from our Townsville garden, the frangipani from my Mother-in-Laws Townsville Garden. The others are a mix of Townsville and Cairns. Thanks for dropping by.

      Reply
  11. Nancie

    December 28, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    Hi, Jan! Your photos are gorgeous and make me homesick for a hot SEA Christmas. Right now, in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, or Hua Hin the mangos are ripe, and the frangipani trees and every other flower are in bloom. Your new beachside home looks fantastic! Thanks for co-hosting this week. #TPThursday

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 31, 2016 at 8:43 pm

      Yes Mangoes mean Christmas to me and the water is just gorgeous to swim in at Coolum. The waves are just a nice size for using a Boogie (Body) Board and just cool enough to be refreshing.

      Reply
  12. Mary (The World Is A Book)

    January 1, 2017 at 5:01 am

    I love tropical Christmas! I grew up with these types of holidays and flora and really miss it. It’s such a great way for you to celebrate the holidays. Love all the photos! Wishing you a wonderful 2017 with plenty of travels.

    Reply

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  1. A Brunswick Heads Break | 50 Shades of Age says:
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