Australian Women’s Weekly NZ Christmas 2020

Over the years, I’ve had all sorts of Christmases. Most have been joyous and merry, others not so much. There’s been the large-scale gatherings, complete with colour-coordinated Christmas grottos, five-course menus and carefully chosen gifts wrapped in handcrafted paper. Then there’s been the more intimate, laid-back affairs with tradition passed over in favour of modern Christmas brunch and Secret Santa presents. One time, I outsourced Christmas dinner planning and prep to a food delivery company and headed to my caravan thinking, “This year will be a breeze.” And it was because I was so much in holiday-mode that I cracked the Champagne early and only got around to making the frightfully festive canapes. Oops! Then there was the year my boyfriend crashed his car on Christmas Day. He was fine,…

AFTER A LONG BATTLE with Alzheimer’s disease, one of Australia’s most irrepressible stars, Jeanne Little, has died. Plucked from obscurity when a TV producer saw her modelling mad-cap homemade maternity wear in a newspaper in 1974, Jeanne Little was an instant hit with audiences. Within two years of making her TV debut, she’d won a Gold Logie for her work on The Mike Walsh Show. Speaking after Jeanne’s 80th birthday, daughter Katie told The Weekly, “Mum wasn’t just the life of the party, she was the party – vibrant, always the centre of attention, so generous and so much fun.” She spoke of Jeanne’s bravery and irrepressible spirit. “She waltzed into the darkness with a smile, all happiness and joy, as she’d always done.” Jeanne was 82.…

MASTER DAD MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo has welcomed a baby daughter, Isla Generosa. BYE-BYE, BEAUDEN All Black Beauden Barrett is off on a new adventure with wife Hannah and baby girl Billie. The family will be based in Japan as he takes up a $1.5m playing contract with the Suntory team. TOP OF THE BOX The people have spoken – Hilary Barry is New Zealand’s favourite TV star. The Seven Sharp host took out the honour at this year’s telly awards. KYLIE’S RECORD Kylie is the only female artist to have a number-one UK album in five consecutive decades.…

NEW ZEALAND Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has invited her youngest constituents to get creative and come up with a design for her official Christmas card. “It can be anything, a Christmas tree, a Kiwi beach scene or whatever Christmas means to you and your family,” she said. In what’s becoming an annual tradition, Jacinda’s favourite designs will be used on her official cards.…

YOUNG KIWI ARTIST Ruby Jones found global fame after the Christchurch terrorist attack, when her artworks went viral as people sought to share their feelings with the world. A Time magazine cover featuring one of her originals followed and now the talented artist is capturing history once again through a series called Thanks for Iso. During a 14-day residency, Ruby will bring the experiences of those involved with the New Zealand COVID-19 managed isolation process to life through her art. She will produce one creation a day during her time and the entire collection will be donated to the Auckland Museum. “I’m excited to be spending 14 days in Auckland putting myself in the shoes of those who have experienced managed isolation, talking to a range of brave New Zealanders,…

You can really track how dramatically the life of broadcaster Samantha Hayes has changed over the past three years by looking at how she’s spent her last three festive seasons. On Boxing Day in 2018, she was flying internationally to Argentina, where, through the magic of the international date line, she got to have a second go at Christmas with her boyfriend Jeroen “Jay” Blaauw. The pair, who have been friends for years, are both keen travellers and explorers, and the spirit of adventure has served them pretty well because for Christmas 2019, they were in the hazy love-fog of new parenthood with then-three-month-old son Marlow. “You never think about the possibility of not being able to go home” Now it’s Christmas 2020 and while December this year will be…