ALL IS CALM

Christmas will be a game of two halves, beginning with a quiet morning at their Pūhoi property for this globe-trotting, family-focused couple

- Debbie Harrison Photography Babiche Martens

Anna Lee and Nic Mayhew will spend Christmas morning, just the two of them, sharing a quiet moment with a coffee on the sprawling deck of their gorgeous Pūhoi property, before the day “rapidly unravels” in the most wonderful way.

“The quiet coffee is our little tradition,” says Anna. “Just the two of us, a moment of calm before the storm.”

The couple spend the day dashing between families – starting with Anna’s small, close-knit clan for lunch, then joining Nic’s much larger tribe for an afternoon of food, festivities and six squealing nieces and nephews.

This year’s Christmas will feel a little different. It’s the first without Nic’s dad, John – the former All Blacks doctor known to everyone as “Doc” – who passed away suddenly in April.

“He was the quiet strength in the chaos,” Anna says. “He made sure everyone’s glass was full. There’s definitely going to be an empty space where he should be.”

Anna will set the table with her grandma's silver cutlery and other little touches that serve as a nod to loved ones who've passed. They'll also raise a toast to those who are no longer here to celebrate.

And for dessert, Anna takes on her grandma's title as the “meringue queen”, serving a pavlova piled high with cream and berries, while Nic revels in his love of “meats within meats within meats” — duck-fat potatoes, turducken and pigs in blankets.

The couple don’t take it for granted that festive celebrations will start in their own home this year, as for over a decade, Nic’s rugby career took them all over the world - from Auckland to Canberra, Leeds to New York - with Charlie the dog often in tow.