This year is seeing Aussies abandoning their traditional Christmas plans in order to celebrate a little differently.
As kids and maybe even into our teen years, we used to live for the Christmas holidays, but as the years go on, we grow older, we start having to host Chrissy lunches, stressing over what to buy your picky Aunt and engaging in the same small talk you’ve done over zoom for the past two years.
If you’re looking for a way to escape the chaos of Christmas cooking and cruise through the festive day stress-free, swapping the turkey for a skydive could be just what you need.
Truly shaking up the traditional Christmas experience, more and more Aussies this year seeking out fun and out of the ordinary experiences to enjoy with your nearest and dearest, ditching family lunch in favour of adventure.
Find more fun things to do this summer via our website.
A desire for thrilling bucket list experiences that can be shared with loved ones over physical gifts certainly isn’t a surprise given the past few years we’ve all had, with travel and adventure out of reach for most of us here in Australia.
“After the year we’ve all had, it’s not hard to see why people are throwing tradition out the window these holidays and choosing adventure instead,” says Toni Westlake from Adrenaline, Australia’s longest-running and most recognised adventure experiences site.
“In fact, our new research revealed an emerging trend of Aussies placing more value on how they spend their time. We’ve seen that Aussies are ready to get back to really living, ensuring time together is not just spent but enjoyed.
“The data shows almost half (46%) of young Aussies are planning to bail on family Christmas lunch this year in favour of adventure, as 43% admit to finding Christmas Day boring.
“Instead of a traditional Christmas, Aussies are taking the holidays into their own hands this year and looking for any excuse to celebrate unconventionally by jumping out of a plane (27%) or taking a ride in a chopper (33%) on Christmas Day.”
A clear trend of young people placing more value on how they spend their time, Adrenaline has seen a crazy amount of booking come through for skydiving, kayaking and helicopter rides over the holiday period, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Kicking off the New Year jumping out of a plane sound like just the start we need to make 2022 one for the books!
For those in Victoria looking to bail on the family celebrations (or just elevate your family get-togethers), there’s a bunch of epic adventures available on Christmas day, including Swimming with Dolphins on Mornington Peninsula, a helicopter flight over Melbourne CBD, or a mountain bike tour that ends at a brewery.
Anyone hoping to merge their Christmas list and bucket list this year (or just make the most of those public holidays), should look at this incredible Skydive on the Great Ocean Road for Boxing Day or Christmas Eve. Just wow!
“My advice for Aussies is to embrace adventure this Christmas, whatever that means for them. This Christmas is all about enjoying time with friends and family, and there are so many ways to do that – whether it’s experiencing an epic, once in a lifetime adventure, or simply trying something new.”
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Alongside the desire to get out there and experience life and adventure, this year is also all about ‘Us-Mas’ gifting – where gift-givers agree to give experiences instead of material gifts. I’ve also chosen to opt for this type of gift-giving this Christmas, booking a well-deserved getaway with my partner instead of gifting him the usual stack of new tees he doesn’t look twice at.
“As a result of Aussies being stuck at home separated from family and friends, 94% of Australians are now agreeing that the best Christmas presents are the ones you can share together,” Toni says.
“Not only do Aussies want to celebrate differently this year with adventure, but 86% of young Aussies admit they are more likely to buy a Christmas gift they can do or use with a loved one this year, compared to in 2020.
“Interestingly, it’s not just any experience that Aussies want to enjoy together, but adventure is high on the wish list this year, with people wanting to give (87%) and receive (87%) thrilling, adrenaline-filled adventures more than ever before.”
Even last minute, an experience gift can be easy to arrange, thoughtful, and rewarding to both giver and receiver. A hot air balloon ride with your beau, learning to scuba dive with your best friend, or a scenic helicopter flight over the coast with your parents. These are priceless memories or skills that last a lifetime – a lot longer than that pair of socks.
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To celebrate an Unconventional Christmas, head to the Adrenaline website and choose from over 2,500 adventurous experiences to share with your loved ones, and add a little thrill to your holiday season.
