French Newsletter December 2025

Bonjour à tous et à toutes !

The end of the year is fast approaching, and Christmas is even closer …

Family, celebrations, food, gifts and hopefully stressless days are upon us. Here’s a reminder of how the season is celebrated chez les français. Maybe there’s a tradition for Les réveillons de Noel et de la Saint Sylvestre that you might adopt. The following newsletter is a bit of a mishmash.

  • Mes Résolutions du Nouvel An

I’m thinking of them already.
1.  See if there is any desire to set up an Alliance Francaise in Tauranga. Let me know if you are interested.

  1. Add at least two items a week to the website. Please complain if this doesn’t happen.
  2. Update the list of DVDs and French books so anyone can borrow them.
    How long will these resolutions last ? The bets are on.
  • Advent Calendars
    Advent calendars mark le compte à rebours (countdown) to Christmas.  Traditionally, Advent begins on the 4th Sunday before Noël but the calendars generally go from the 1st to the 24th December with a small treat or gift revealed each day. If you have missed out so far, don’t despair, but don’t delay. Check out the following:
  1. The New Caledonia Advent Calendar (online)
    Play a different “island” each day. Things do see, do, and eat chez our closest French neighbour are revealed PLUS there are prizes to be won.
  2. Ajna Café’s Advent Surprise
    Pop into 67 Willow Street and grab a coffee or one of their goodies.  You could receive a lucky advent reward from Aurelie.
  • French Connection Café Updates
    Le café-bistro Benny & Brew 100 Grange Road, Otumoetai
    The café will be open from 7am each day except for the stat holidays – 25th & 26th Dec plus 1st & 2nd Jan. The new summer menu is out. Their salad galettes are perfect for the summer – a nice fresh salad on the top of an Emmental crispy galette – yummy and healthy at the same time !  Crispy, gluten free, delicious and a little bit French.  Bon appétit !
    Tip from Sam : pair your galette with an apple cider for the full experience !

    # Hashtag Café 48 Grey Street, Tauranga
    The café itself will be closed between December 18 and January 4 BUT
    # Hashtag Street Food Truck is out and about most weekends and throughout summer doing a mix of markets and larger events, especially sports events. You’ll find them at the Black Caps cricket games, the Little Big Market at Coronation Park on Saturdays, and Dinner in the Domain at the Papamoa Pony Club on Thursday nights. They’re also booked for council events, including New Year’s Eve. Good, honest, street food ,mainly steak sandwiches and burgers are on the menu.
    Claudy says : our new burger has been a big hit: smashed Wagyu beef with truffle mayo and grilled portobello mushrooms. It’s a bit different and seriously good.  If you want to try it, you’ll have to catch us at one of those events.

Neck of the Woods 50 Taitimu Road, Tauriko

Neck of the Woods Beer Co & Food Co – Café, Restaurant & Craft Beer Brewery – will be running as usual right through the silly season but  Closed Christmas Day   Reduced hours Boxing Day & New Year’s Day 10am-8pm. Everything else? Business as usual. Check out their menu. I particularly like the names of the children’s dishes.
Scott and Virgile say : Come say hi. The taps are open. Monday = Smash Burger night, Tuesday = Pizzas. Weekend DJ and live music.

French Soul Café 277 Maunganui Road, the Mount

Note New Address from 5th January 2026
December 24th is their last day at 777 Cameron Road. The same mouth-watering pâtisseries & friandises, and vegan & gluten-free treats served until then. For those wanting a German cheesecake fait maison for Christmas, orders must be in by Monday 22nd at 2.30pm.

Mount Délice Glace Artisanale Omanu Beach
Open from 6 am until 5pm, this beachside caravan caters for holidaymakers and early birds wanting to catch a wave.  Summer is ice-cream weather so choose le parfum du jour or one of the many other flavours -strawberry, raspberry or mango with real fruit, hazelnut, macadamia or Sicilian pistachio, crème brûlée or cheesecake – there are new ones every day. But it isn’t just ice-cream. There are croissants, smoked brisket sandwiches, brownies, coffee and more.
Sylvain says : We’re open absolutely every day throughout the holiday period and there is no surcharge.

Ajna Café 67 Willow Street Tauranga  Summer at Ajna means smoothies. Healthy food & great vibes is the perfect way to start the season. Their delicious range includes iced drinks, Cloudy Matcha, fresh pastries and Caramel Strawberry Croissants. Plus, there are special holiday treat bundles & gift boxes packed with gluten-free raw slices, cookies, matcha pie, bliss balls and more. The ‘more’ includes Coromandel Chocolate products made by Thomas, a French chocolatier based in Whangamata who uses cacao from Vanuatu.  The café will close on December 24 and reopen on 20th January 20 2026.

Aurelie says : Our wish is simple: to nourish your body, your heart & your day as much as possible 

  • French Connection Gift Ideas – Idées cadeaux

If you are still searching, wondering, desperate …

FFF – “Fly Funky Fly” -the fun card game for all the family

Looking for a great Christmas gift ? Fancy catching some flies ?
The « Fart Fly » loves your horse manure! -The « Fishing fly » eats the remains of your fish and chips! -The « Flat fly » is a LEGEND – the Serial Fly Catcher missed her.  Each card tells a quick, quirky story. Combine your strategy skills with a bit of luck and play this hilarious card game.
“Le jeu s’inspire de notre histoire en France. Nous étions envahis de mouches : un cauchemar qui nous a apparemment marqué à vie !!   says Audrey.

Chez Moi Chocolaterie Waihi Beach  
Pop into Chez Moi, The Swiss Chocolate Shop, and meet Ines, la chocolatière suisse, and her fabulous chocolate Christmas cards. Opening Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm (Sunday to 3pm) but do check. Will be closed on the 4 stat days.

Dites-le avec le chocolat.  Say it with chocolate. Says Ines.

Painting Nights with Audrey
Give a voucher. Coming up…
The first of the regular monthly Friday painting nights is Watercolours on le 23 janvier.

The Art + French Classes for Adults is programmed for Thursday evenings from 6.00 to 8.00pm.
Children’s classes during the holidays. Check out the website for details.

Come and experience the joy of creating art says Audrey.

Baguettes, Brioches & Breadmaking Classes 

Small group classes will be starting up again in January. Create your own small group and choose a date. You will be making baguettes, brioche & other breads. Separate class for sourdough baking. Weekday or Saturday groups, usually 9am – 1-1.30pm. Morning tea and lunch provided. Class fees are all donated to Parkinson’s Research.
Fabulous mornings & great bread says everyone who has ever done a class.

Skydive Tauranga  https://www.frenchwithshelley.co.nz/sky-dive-tauranga/
Fall for Tauranga, the most beautiful tandem skydive in the North Island of NZ.
Tandem jump with Guillaume and you can do it all in French (or English).  New vocab (and sensations) guaranteed.
Mind blowing. No words can describe it say all those who have jumped.

More « Bonnes Adresses »
If you are looking for an osteopath, a professional arborist, a mobile barber or want cornrows, braids or hair extensions, have a look on https://www.frenchwithshelley.co.nz/category/links/. You’ll find Bay of Plenty French residents who offer such services. You will also find a couple of businesses that sell French products, food and cooking utensils that could be a solution for your end of year celebrations.

  • Our Tree in the Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

As usual, anyone who is travelling to or passing through Paris is cordially invited to say « Bonjour » to our tree in the Jardin des Tuileries. The tree will be bare branched, but the latest summer pic shows it green and growing. To find our tree, start at the end of the garden with the hexagon on the left on the map), head up the Grande Allée.  The Tauranga Tree is the fourth tree on the right after the Allée de Cataglione.  There is a plaque. « Cet arbre a été parrainé par les Francophiles de Tauranga, Nouvelle-Zélande ».

And if you are there before the 4thJanuary you’ll be able to enjoy the nearby marché de Noël des Tuileries with about 80 traditional Christmas market chalets, gourmet goodies, roundabouts & fairground amusements, and a 250 m² eco-ice-rink. It’s all open from 11am to 11.45pm and a magical place to celebrate the end of year.

Lance and Nikki Dodd took over Te Puke Truffles from Colin and Maureen Binns at the end of last year. They have renamed the property Trufflewood. They run truffle tours throughout the year and truffle hunts during the season from June to August. They’re also starting to grow their range of truffle products and are really excited to see where this next chapter takes them.

Returning to the Luxe Cinema screens on January 1st 2026 is the film My Brother’s Band (En Fanfare). If you missed it during the 2025 French Film Festival, then don’t miss it this time.  Dates and times will be on their website. Remember also, the Golden Ticket is back. Watch any movie at Luxe Cinemas during December, January and February and be in to win the Golden Ticket ! The Golden Ticket holder will be able to watch as many movies as they like free of charge for one whole year !
My Brother’s Band (En Fanfare)
Acclaimed conductor Thibaut has leukemia and needs a bone marrow donor. Learning he was adopted, he finds an older brother, a musician and factory worker. Their reunion sparks a fraternal, musical journey amidst the town’s factory closure.

Thibaut est un chef d’orchestre de renommée internationale qui parcourt le monde. Lorsqu’il apprend qu’il a été adopté, il découvre l’existence d’un frère, Jimmy, employé de cantine scolaire et qui joue du trombone dans une fanfare du nord de la France.

Trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPwtZ6fOoms&t=2s

  • French Classes start up again in February 2026

Details to come in the New Year.
Have a great Christmas and here’s that simple song to sing:
Jingle Bells en français https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-PD5iz7qdE

  • Un grand merci
    Finally, merci beaucoup to all those who have shared their quoi de neufs with me and their fellow students. We enrich each other’s worlds. Social media works for some, there are others who need real contact, verbal communication & interaction and to feel part of a group. Community classes of all and whatever kind respond to this need.

 Joyeux Noël et Bonnes Fêtes de fin d’année