Aussie stars reveal favourite Christmas holiday destinations
FROM Bali to Noosa and Apollo Bay ... celebrities share their favourite places to escape over the Christmas season. What’s yours?
PLANNING a family getaway this Christmas? You’re not the only one. Here, Aussie stars share their favourite spots to celebrate the festive season.
David Campbell — Mornings
“We usually spend Christmas either here in Sydney or my wife has family just outside of Philadelphia, Bucks County, which is great for a white Christmas. I love travelling for Christmas and being somewhere different. Although with twins on the way, we may be having quite a few Christmas staycations!”
Bridie Carter — guest on It’s A Date tonight
“One of my favourite Christmas holidays spots would have to be the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Not only is it one of our most spectacular coast lines, with bush crawling right up to the ocean’s edge in parts, but it also holds many childhood memories for me. My uncle still has his farm above Apollo Bay and I spent many a Christmas travelling from inner city Melbourne to spend time with extended family on his farm, surfing and swimming in the endless beaches, paying 20 cents for five minutes on the trampolines that used to be on the foreshore in the town, or watching movies like Storm Boy in the local hall come cinema or snuggled up in the beach eating fish and chips in newspaper waiting for a wild storm roll in. And close by, Wye River (where I camped with my husband and kids a few summers ago and the famous General Store) and Lorne, where we also took our first son for one of the most memorable trips in late Summer and always remembering my Year 10 French Camp there, at the then Erskine House (which had more memories as my Mum had holidayed there as a young girl also). So, there is a generational familiarity of Chrissie holidays gone by completely complimented by one of the finest examples of Australia’s incredibly diverse natural beauty. Ironically, I now live on my own farm with my family, 10 minutes from another equally beautiful coastal town, Byron Bay. These two towns are so different but each so incredibly awesome.”
Rebecca Judd — Postcards/Nine News
“My favourite place to spend Christmas is my hometown Perth, or just at home. We just built a house so we’re just using that for Christmas now because it’s nice and big and has a pool. We had our first Christmas there last year, so we really enjoy hanging at home.”
Brodie Harper — Postcards
“We’re normally at home for Christmas, so that would be my favourite spot. But if I was to go away just after I’d probably head up to Palm Beach or Currumbin to visit our friends and our second family up there.”
Glen Moriarty — Postcards
“The Great Ocean Road is the favourite. Anywhere near the beach for me is really fun. One year I was really selfish and I went to Bali for six weeks over Christmas and I was there for Christmas and New Years and that was really nice. So anywhere near the beach for me.”
Livinia Nixon — Nine News
“We love escaping to Hamilton Island over the Christmas period. It’s quieter than usual as people are put off by the wet season, but we love the humidity and tropical rain at night to cool off the day. It’s a typical Aussie Christmas — a swim after opening presents, seafood lunch on the deck, perhaps an afternoon stroll ... or nap depending on how much we’ve eaten! A perfect day.”
Peter Hitchener — Nine News
“Mornington Peninsula, or Bellarine Peninsula are glorious Christmas/New Year destinations. We’ve got the most wonderful state and wonderful relaxed amenities in both those places.”
Janet Roach — The Real Housewives of Melbourne
“This year I am spending Christmas at Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula. I have a gorgeous cottage there on 10 acres and it is a stone’s throw to the beach and over 60 wineries. We will cut a Christmas tree from our own little forest and have Christmas lunch on the deck overlooking the bay. It is our family getaway and my whole family will be together for a week over Christmas to New Year. I have a huge organic vegetable garden and all the berries will be out in full force. Many of my friends have houses at Portsea and Sorrento and it is a very festive and social time on the Peninsula. Christmas at the farm has become a family tradition I look forward to every year.”
Eddie McGuire — Millionaire Hot Seat
“I’ve had a couple of white Christmases at a place called Big White in Canada, which is full of Australians and great fun and a has a great Christmas feel, so I recommend to anybody who wants to try and have a white Christmas on a good budget, Big White in Canada in Vancouver is a fantastic place to go. Besides that, the great Australian tradition of being by the beach on Christmas Day — you can’t beat it.”
Shane Crawford — The AFL Footy Show
“I love going down to Lorne in Victoria, which is a beautiful part of the world. Whatever opportunity I get I love heading down that way or the other way to Rye and Sorrento which is a beautiful part of the world. I just love getting outdoors on a beautiful warm day and having a bit of a swim and taking it pretty easy.”
Billy Brownless — The AFL Footy Show
“Lorne and Geelong. Geelong is home and Lorne is just to get away and you got the beach there.”
Frankie J Holden — A Place To Call Home
“There’s no place like home at Christmas. Home for me these days is The Sapphire Coast, centred around Tathra on the far south coast of NSW. The whole area is as full as Santa’s socks with great coastline, lovely hinterland, fishing, golf, surfing, and the best oysters on the planet. So I see little reason to wander, and thankfully, our (adult) kids and their partners agree. I’ll spend most of the time with the family, but will also be part of other families’ holidays at my holiday park, the Tathra Beach Family Park, where I’ll do a gig or be part of pizza night, etc. It makes me feel even more “Christmassy” when I see and hear the sights and sounds of families being together and having a blast. To me, that is the true meaning of Christmas. Oops, I think I just made myself cry.”
Deborah Knight — Weekend Today Show
“Our family is heading to the glorious South Coast of NSW. Xmas and summer are so great by the beach and we can’t wait to get sand between our toes!”
Anja Nissen — The Voice
“I love to spend time at the beach — particularly around the beautiful Pacific Palms area, northern NSW (just south of Forster). Fantastic beaches surrounded by rainforest environment, so plenty of wild life, which I love. The beaches range from family friendly — Elizabeth Beach — to great surf beaches like Bluey’s and Boomerang. Since I’m trying to learn how to surf this area is great for me!”
Kate Collins — news presenter
“My husband and I are looking at Noosa for a babymoon — once our little one arrives. I’ve heard it’s a great place to take kids while still being an idyllic setting for adults to relax and unwind in.”
Matt Testro — Nowhere Boys
“Osaka, Japan. The culture there is so beautifully unique compared to any other I’ve experienced, the people, the sights, and the food are all something very exclusive to Japan and should be experienced by all.”
Carissa Walford — Channel [V]
“My favourite holiday destination is anywhere where’s there’s water and warm weather. This year I’m going to Byron Bay over Christmas and New Year to chill out, relax and do a whole lot of surfing.”
Virginia Langeberg — weather presenter
“Yorke Peninsula has always been a favourite growing up, I’ve spent a bit of time around Black Point and Stansbury. I love that you can catch your own dinner and laze on some of the best beaches around. Overseas, Sweden takes the cake. I may be biased because a lot of my extended family is there. But Stockholm functions on a similar scale and pace to Adelaide, the people are some of the friendliest in the world. It’s only downfall the long, miserable winter. “
Warren Tredrea — sports presenter
“I like spending Christmas at Murray Bridge, waterskiing on the River Murray at our family holiday shack. It’s a great place to get away from busy city life and enjoy each other’s company. Whether we are skiing behind the boat or chatting over a Webber roast or BBQ with a few quiet beers or a bottle of red. “
Ken Sutcliffe — Wide World Of Sports
“As usual I will be spending Christmas at our new Mudgee home. It’s like a halfway house for all my children and 7 grandchildren. The kids love it because the home is on acreage and the garden is a park, for cricket, footy, volleyball etc. Evenings are fabulous sitting outside with a good Mudgee wine overlooking the valley — heaven on a stick.
“The only other place for Christmas for us is Noosa, and that holiday is a lot about doing absolutely nothing.”
Grant Hackett — Wide World Of Sports and Olympian
“I’ll be spending my time basking in the sun on the beaches of the Gold Coast with my kids and extended family.”
Darryl Brohman — The NRL Footy Show
“I love going to the Gold Coast. Being a Queenslander no better place in the world! Except maybe Hawaii or Vanuatu or Bali. Anyway I like the Gold Coast.”
Steve Jacobs — Today Show
“After travelling the world with the Today Show for nearly 10 years my favourite holiday location is Vanuatu. It’s a hidden tropical gem only three hours away with amazing beaches and snorkelling, cheap French champagne and incredible seafood. We are spending three weeks over Christmas at theboathousevanuatu.com, which is a barefoot luxury shack in the coconut trees on its own coral reef. Pure paradise!”
Originally published as Aussie stars reveal favourite Christmas holiday destinations
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