Mountain Scene - Love Xmas Hate the Build Up

I find the lead-up to Christmas extremely frustrating. 

It’s that time of year when trying to get anyone to do anything is nigh on impossible, due to overloaded social calendars and a decent dollop of FOMO – fear of missing out. 

No one wants to miss the opportunity to peacock around in their best stepping-out kit and lap up some long-overdue southern sunshine at the town’s best afternoon and early evening glamour spots. 

Yet working during the lead-up to the festive season is even more of a drag than crawling along Frankton Road behind a wayward road-slug Maui campervan sitting on 45kmh. 

I reckon they should just kick the holidays off a week earlier because at this time of year people turning up to appointments, meet­ings, work – even bed – with any degree of punctuality is rarer than a good-looking broad on NZ’s Next Top Model. 

Instead of banging my head against the wall, I joined the premature holiday crowd and snuck over to Melbourne for a few days’ respite from the madness to compile my list of things I’m most looking forward to and least looking forward to in 2012. 

My most-looking-forward-to list:

• The return of the famous paddle boats to Queenstown Bay and its continued development as a world-leading backpacker sunbathing hot-spot.
  
• My sister again doing my Christmas shopping for me on commission.
  
• Raging Bill [English] and John Boy [Key] getting our finances, including mine, back on track.
  
• Southland back at the Pub Charity National Sevens.
  
• Another year on the Topless Tuesday and Buff Ugly Thursday photo email list. 
  
• Now here’s what’s not so hot about next year:
  
• Another year with a one-lane bridge over the Kawarau River.
  
• Another year of Hendo’s Hole at Frankton’s Five Mile.
  
• Another year of people trying to build tunnels and monorails to Milford Sound.
  
• Another year of roadworks on Frankton Rd.
  
• The lovely Janey Newlands getting married and being off the market. 
  
• Before you label me a complete Grinch, I do love summer holidays. 
  

For all the stresses and gigantic inconvenience of Christmas shopping, it’s still a great time of year in Queenstown.

The Scandinavian tourist season is gaining momentum and the main beach looks more like Barcelona by the day. 

My Manapouri escape is fast approaching and will come complete with a spot of hunting, some wayward amateur wake-boarding and plenty of ice-cold Speight’s. 

Everyone seems in good spirits so have a top-notch Christmas and New Year, Queenstown. 

Mark writes a regular column for the Mountain Scene - View HERE