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Well, perhaps it used to be the great Kiwi festive break but, thanks to technology, things aren't what they used to be.

Only a couple of decades ago, the entire country would shut up shop just before December 25 and head off on a long break. In fact, other than retailers, most companies remained closed or at least operated with a skeleton staff, right through to February.

After a year's hard work, the average NZer really looked forward to spending at least a couple of weeks away from the office or the workshop -- perhaps laying on a beach somewhere far from the worries of every-day life.

However, there's been a gradual change to the Kiwi lifestyle and perhaps the first hint of trouble was the arrival of the cellphone.

In the mid to late '80s, the only people with cellphones were the "yuppies" (anyone remember them) and to be seen carrying a mobile phone in those days meant two things: Firstly, you were at least middle-class and secondly, your arms were probably stronger than average from lugging that brick around with you.

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Then came the '90s and cellphone prices began to fall. Now it was not uncommon for "real folks" (tm) to have a purse-sized phone with them when they went out.

What's more, most business people either bought their own or had a company-supplied phone, thus allowing them to stay in touch with the office at all times.

This of course, was very bad news for the great Kiwi break. Now, even though you might be away from the office -- the office was still just a phone call away.

It was also about this time that Kiwis began flocking back to work much earlier than they had done a few years earlier. Instead of the entire country shutting down for three or four weeks, many workers were heading back to their jobs during the second week of January.

Could it be that lying on the golden sands wasn't quite the same when, at any moment, your mobile might start ringing and the boss could be asking work-related questions? Did Kiwis figure that if they were going to effectively be "on call" they might as well save their holiday pay and go back to their desk?

Or was it the weather?

As I type this, it's bucketing down outside and I think there have been no more than a handful of fine days so far this month. I don't know whether it's global warming or just that my memory tends to screen out the cold wet weather of years gone by, but I could swear that summer used to start a lot earlier than it does these days.

Perhaps it's just my imagination but I'm sure I usually have at least the start of a sun-tan by now -- yet here I am pasty white and the longest day of the year is gone already.

What about you? Do you take your cellphone on holiday with you? How about your laptop and modem?

Or do you still enjoy the great Kiwi break and leave all that technology behind in favour of burnt sausages and a few weeks of simpler living?

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