The Great Kiwi Summer Holiday

Sun sand barbies togs wrapped in a towel blowing up lilos sausages wrapped in bread with Wattie's tomato sauce tents camping-grounds talent quests at the soundshell beach cricket ice-cream dripping down your hands arms tummy sunburn cream that smells like coconut
sunhats "You can't go for a swim for at least an hour after lunch" fish and chips in newspaper on the beach picnic races on New Year's Day jandals Roman
sandals beach-towels "Always swim between the flags" hokey-pokey jaffa milkshakes Fanta flagons of beer swimming all day pulling the wishbone after Christmas dinner the bach running barefoot over bubbling tar staying up late cicadas fishing from the wharf
digging for pipis L&P putting out a longline cooking cockles on corrugated iron over a beach fire spearing flounder sandflies kikuyu grass waterwings sand dunes the beach store Mum boiling huge pots of potatoes with the other women in the camping-ground kitchen Dad packing the car flippers masks and snorkels for Christmas New Year at Whanga', the Mount, Piha, Paihia ...

If you grew up in New Zealand those are most likely the memories of summer. School breaking up for six weeks and families spending as much of that time as they could somewhere near water — a bach at the beach, a caravan beside a lake, a tent near a favourite fishing spot on a river.

If you grew up in New Zealand those are most likely the memories you'll want for your children or grandchildren.

In this issue we celebrate the Great Kiwi Summer Holiday. Our writers go to major attractions and the outdoors, check out beaches and fire up the barbie.