As summer really heats up, don’t just relax… Chill-ax

Here’s 10 sure-fire ways to keep yourself cool over summer.

Obviously 2020 was a year to forget. Thankfully it’s behind us now with summer in full swing. Fortunately the weather’s come out to play as well. Blue skies, some sun, all the fixtures of a classic Kiwi summer season are here again. And there’s nothing we all enjoy better than to kick back, maybe catch a bit of the cricket, go for a fish, or have a quiet one with friends and family under the basking golden orb. However, there is a dark side. As nana always said you can have a bit much of a good thing - too much sun and too much heat can not only wear you down, it can even be dangerous. But never fear. We’ve put together a few handy ways to keep cool this summer (in no particular order):

1. Go for a swim. Hunt down either a river, the sea, or a pool. (And if you don’t have a pool, we recommend inviting yourself over to someone else’s.)

2. Fashion a stylish hat out of ice packs.

Simply gather as many ice packs as humanly possible, wrap them around your overheating head, and tape them together. Instant cool, in more ways than one.

3. Stand in front of a fan. An obvious one, this. Find a fan (not the can-I-have-yourautograph type), turn it to full and stand in front of it. And if you don’t have one, this newspaper could be a good substitute… (Why not try it right now… nice, isn’t it?)

Find your nearest tap, turn it to cold (important tip) and run your hands under it. Splash it all over your face to cool your jets.

5. Have an ice bath. Step one - acquire a big bag of ice from your local dairy or petrol station. Step two - fill your bath. Step three - brace yourself and jump in. You’ll cool down in no time.

4. Throw cold water on your face.

6. Sit under the air con. Obviously you’ll need air conditioning for this one. If you don’t, find somewhere that does. Many offices have them. And their meeting rooms are bound to still be empty, especially on Friday afternoons…

7. Find a wispy breeze. Lick your finger and stick it up in the air. Feel that? Turn and face it, and bask in its lovely coolness.

8. Find some shade. Maybe it’s under a tree, in the shadow of the house, or underneath a bridge or something. Shade is a great way to cool off when dealing with a fierce Kiwi summer. Enjoy it when you can get it (ideally with a book).

9. Have an ice cream. Head to your local dairy, find the freezer section, stand next to it briefly and enjoy the coolness, then pick out a tasty treat of your choice. Or even better, a drink made from ice cream (see below)…

10. Get in to Texas Chicken and shake it up. Chill yourself out with an all-new shake, hand crafted using real ice cream. Available in three cool flavours - chocolate, mango and berry.