Cycles to celebrate

Anne Pattillo and Karen Fletcher in December, 1976. Photo / NZ Herald

Before the days of slip, slop, slap, a beach holiday in the 1970s was all about sun, surf and sizzle. Anne Pattillo, right, remembers slathering herself with vegetable oil and sunbaking on Mt Maunganui beach.

"In those days, it was actually cool to get a tan and you got it fast," says Pattillo. "Vegetable oil out of your mother's pantry was a lot cheaper than buying coconut oil."

Pattillo and her friend, Karen Fletcher, both from Manurewa, were celebrating New Year's Eve 1976 with a ride around the beach on a fun hire bike.

Pattillo's family spent every Christmas holiday at their family bach in Mt Maunganui until the area became overpopulated and they sold up and bought a holiday house further up the coast at Whangamata.

"Whangamata was the equivalent beach to Mt Maunganui - going back to that quintessential beach atmosphere. We didn't need lipstick or stiletto heels," says Pattillo.

She returned to Whangamata this year to welcome in 2011 because it's the destination of choice for her 14-year-old.

Pattillo says there is a favoured New Year's location for each age group. The younger teens like Whangamata or Mt Maunganui, the 15 and 16-year-olds prefer Paihia and the 17 and 18-year-olds make the long drive to Gisborne for Rhythm and Vines music festival.

"It's a rite of passage that everyone goes through these days," says Pattillo.

She has recently returned to Auckland from living in London for 10 years and found a huge cultural difference between the two places.

"It's wonderful being back but there are real concerns here in our society," she says.

Her 15-year-old got off the plane and got a driving licence and was exposed to drinking when he did not previously have ready access to alcohol in England. "Those variables blew us away," says Pattillo.

But she is allowing her son to travel to Paihia with mates to celebrate New Year. "You don't want to be the witch of the north," she says. "They stay for two nights then all come home for food and a clean and dry bed."