Christmas in Braidwood

Young Elspeth, I'm here because I just love Braidwood. December is very busy for Mrs Claus and I, so each year we try to sneak away for a couple of weeks to enjoy the warm weather and recharge our batteries before our very busy night on December 24.

We fell in love with Braidwood many, many years ago and have been returning regularly ever since. While we're here, Mrs Claus thought it would be nice to check in on the town’s kids to find out what they're hoping for in their stockings, so she's put up a mailbox that we can check each night before we go home to the North Pole on Friday December 16.

So anyone can send a letter to Santa?

Absolutely, of course. We simply love hearing from people big and small – you know we get letters sent to us from all over the world! Mrs Claus especially loves the drawings little ones include.

Where can the kids of Braidwood send their letters?

Simply pop them in the white tin mailbox just off Wallace street in the Albion Lane. It should be easy to spot as there are lots of bright lights and fun red decorations hanging up above too. Someone cheeky has even put up little baubles that look like me.

So kids drop their letters off in the special Santa's mailbox on Wallace Street, how will they get their answer?

We will try to answer every letter we get before we return home on Friday 16 December. Simply pop your address on the back of your letter so we can find you to deliver our response... but only if you've been good this year!

We all know you love getting letters Santa, how many letters are you hoping to receive?

Gosh, we would love every child in Braidwood to write, but we know how busy they all are finishing up school for the year. My favourite number is 37 and Mrs Claus's is 19. Perhaps we should add them together... 57 letters would be very, very special to receive.

It often gets quite hot in Braidwood around Christmas, can you tell me Santa, how will you be handling the Aussie climate?

Hot?! We deliver gifts to much, much hotter parts of the world, India, the Sahara Desert, Darwin, but it does get a bit warm here. We have also brought our bordies and bikini so we'll have plenty of fun taking dips at Bombay, as well as keeping up our fitness at the pool. I like to swim laps while Mrs Claus joins in on the ladies’ water aerobics. And just quietly, we both like a cheeky ice cream occasionally.

I was also wondering about your sleigh, who pulls it? I've never seen a reindeer in Australia, isn't it too hot for them?

I can tell you, but you have to keep it a secret. My brother lives just a bit south of Tassie on a beautiful farm in a place called Antarctica, maybe you’ve heard of it? We always stop for a quick cup of tea there, and we know that it’s going to get too warmer for Dasher, Dancer and the rest soon, so we change over the sled to Kangaroos. Bazza is my oldest and most trusted roo – he keeps the young ones like Trev and Timmy in line. Not all my Roos are boys though, you know though. Kaz and Matilda are my best front pair – the girls are much better at following the map.

We still ask kids to leave carrots out though, because no one likes it when the roos eat all their grass.

Thanks for chatting, I must be off now, I have a lunch date with Garlic Man  – remember to write up your letters though boys and girls.