Spreading the joy in a Tahakopa bush Christmas
Christmas is a special time in small communities where everyone has a hand in making the celebration memorable.
In the tiny bush community of Tahakopa in the Catlins between Balclutha and Invercargill, it is celebrated with a Christmas market and an end of year concert performed by Tahakopa School pupils, one of the smallest and most remote schools in New Zealand.
In addition, Tahakopa farmer Heidi Stephens opens up her home to the joy of Christmas, with friends and neighbours enjoying her locally-famous decorations, the bright colours a contrast to the muted green of the surrounding Catlins bush.
The grown-up wife and mum of two admits that she turns into a bit of a kid at Christmas and wants to share the sparkle with everyone.
She has great childhood memories of the festive season.
‘‘My dad and I would head over to Kaitangata [near Balclutha] to get a tree in the orange Hillman Hunter in our summer singlets.’’
These days the trees in her Tahakopa home – she usually has several – aren’t real.
But her joy in Christmas is. She usually starts decking the halls with boughs of holly from about the end of October.
‘‘I don’t really get caught up in themes. I tend to go for quite traditional, classic pieces that suit the house.’’
Her daughter and Tahakopa School pupil Sarah Stephens, 10, has her own special tree in her room.
‘‘I love getting up in the morning and it being Christmas.’’
Just as going to a town or city for Christmas can be a novelty for them, Tahakopa children like to share their bush home with visitors.
‘‘The best thing is seeing people that you usually don’t get to see through the year,’’ her school mate Liam Barrett, 9, said.
The children thought they were lucky that Santa liked coming to the bush, and that they still got to wear gumboots at Christmas.