It's an enduring tradition - preschoolers greeting Father Christmas at Dannevirke's Fantasy Cave on December 1, but this year the jolly man in the red suit had visitors from a chilly Scotland eager to meet him too.
Friends Normal Lewis and Jean Buckley from Scotland have visited New Zealand 17 times, but last Friday they made their first visit to the town's iconic tourist attraction, the Fantasy Cave.
"We're staying just one night in Dannevirke and we're looking forward to our visit to the cave," the women said.
"This is an amazing place and even though we're halfway through our 80s we're as excited as the children."
So why 17 visits to New Zealand?
"Simple, we love this country," Jean said.
"I have had a New Zealand penfriend since I was 12 years old and although we lost contact for a while, we're connected again now."
Last Friday the Christmas season started at the Fantasy Cave with a bang.
"We have between 80 and 90 people through and we've steady bookings, but visitor numbers aren't what they used to be," cave dweller Liz Edwards said.
"We've no bookings from Palmerston North and I don't think we'll reach the heady heights of 17,000 visitors in a year any time soon."
And although the cave wasn't affected by last week's flooding on High St, their storeroom was inundated.
"We had a chain-gang bucket brigade working for three-quarters of an hour," Mrs Edwards said.
• The Fantasy Cave is open Monday to Saturday until December 15, 10am to 2pm; from December 16 to 24, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 2pm.