Zhu Zhu pets and mobile phones top this year’s Christmas wish lists for Kiwi kids
Thousands of Kiwi kids calling Telecom’s Santaline this year are very clear about what they would most like this
Christmas a Zhu Zhu pet. These tiny, furry motorised hamsters are the latest interactive toy for kids.
When it comes to wish lists, it seems there’s an inevitable gender divide - Zhu Zhu pets are proving popular among
girls, while Kiwi boys are keen on technology, with mobile phones the most wished for gift (and no, we’re not rigging
the results!), followed closely by other electronics like Wii’s, iPods, laptops and Nintendos
Amongst the requests for toys, there have been some heart-warming wishes such as: “I just want our family to be healthy,
happy and together,” or from the person, most likely from Canterbury, asking “please, no more earthquakes,” for
Christmas.
More than a few of our older callers have asked for an ‘engagement ring’ or a ‘proposal’, while someone out there just
wants her boyfriend “to hear me the first time I speak, please take away his ability to tune me out!”
“We’ve had more than 300,000 calls to Santaline since it opened on 27 November, and there is still plenty of time for
children around the country to get their wish list in before Santa departs on his sleigh,” says Barry the Elf, lead
spokes-elf for the North Pole.
“Many children have been quick to tell Santa the address of where they will be on Christmas Day, but children across New
Zealand don’t need to worry, he’ll know.”
The nationwide toll free Santaline (0800 222 222), which has been operating since 1993, has given millions of children the opportunity to talk to Santa’s helpers. Children
(and adults) can call Santa and email him requests from santaline.co.nz until Christmas Eve.
Those travelling to Auckland or Wellington for the Christmas holidays can also include a visit to the Telecom Trees and
make their wish from the dedicated Santaline phone boxes at the base of the Christmas trees. The Auckland Telecom Tree
is in Western Park and the Wellington Tree is in Waitangi Park until Boxing Day.
There are also two dedicated Santaline phone boxes under the Christmas tree in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square.
For more information on Santaline (or the Telecom Trees), visit santaline.co.nz
ENDS