In order to get in the Christmas spirit, we attended a local event on Australia’s Sunshine Coast called the Christmas Boat Parade. Local families gathered at the Mooloolaba Harbour at around 6 pm, decked out in their Christmas finery.
Barbecues (and sparklers) were lit
The boats began making their first rounds, even before the sun went down. Children waived frantically to every Santa that came by, even the plastic ones…
Mother nature was the first to show off her lights…
And then the boats began to light up the night. 
These little ones were among my favorites.
This one had a mechanical device that allowed Santa (below) to send up a “match” to light the candle. When it reached the top, the flame came on and waved around. Amazing. 
This one had a rock band on board that provided the soundtrack for the evening’s festivities.
The lights were inspiring and beautiful, and by night’s end I had a better feel for the unique possibilities offered by a summer Christmas.
