Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga parents welcome Christmas Day baby: 'She wanted to be here for Christmas'

Zoe Hunter
By Zoe Hunter
Bay of Plenty Times·
25 Dec, 2018 03:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ken and Elise Macfarlane welcomed their new baby girl on Christmas Day. Photo / George Novak

Ken and Elise Macfarlane welcomed their new baby girl on Christmas Day. Photo / George Novak

Tauranga's Elise and Ken Macfarlane were holidaying in Waihi when their baby girl decided to come early - on Christmas Day.

The Macfarlanes welcomed their second daughter into the world three and a half weeks early at 3.40am on December 25.

Weighing 5 pounds 9 ounces, she was the first baby born at Tauranga Hospital on Christmas Day.

"It was a bit of a surprise; we weren't expecting it. She wasn't due until January," Mum Elise said. "She wanted to be here for Christmas."

Elise said the family were staying at her parents in Waihi when she was starting having contractions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We were worried we weren't going to get back because of all the flooding," she said.

More than 100mm of rain was recorded over parts of the Coromandel overnight on December 24 and about 150 campers were forced to evacuate the Waihi holiday resort because of rising floodwaters.

But the couple arrived at their Tauranga home about 12.30pm on Christmas Day with enough time to pack a bag and leave for Tauranga Hospital.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Baby Macfarlane will celebrate her birthday on Christmas Day. Photo / George Novak
Baby Macfarlane will celebrate her birthday on Christmas Day. Photo / George Novak

Elise gave birth to baby Macfarlane, who is yet to be named, about three hours later.

A present was left anonymously in baby Macfarlane's bassinet signed by the mother of the first baby born on Christmas Day 24 years ago.

"She's pretty spoilt already," Elise said.

Baby Macfarlane was yet to meet her 18-month-old big sister Evie when the Bay of Plenty Times visited yesterday. But she was due to visit yesterday afternoon, along with the rest of the family who planned to cut Christmas festivities short to meet the newest member of the Macfarlanes.

Discover more

New Zealand

Christmas baby delight at Tauranga Hospital

25 Dec 01:39 AM

Mount Maunganui walking track closed

23 Dec 08:26 PM
New Zealand|crime

Police seek rightful owners of 500 stolen avocados

24 Dec 08:00 AM
New Zealand

Evacuated campers return to camp sites

24 Dec 10:02 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

In Vogue: How a self-taught hobby became a globally sought-after business

Bay of Plenty Times
|Updated

'Mum, I’m a strong boy aren’t I?’ Murdered 5-year-old's mother breaks down in court over final phone call with son

Bay of Plenty Times

Teen's 900km ride for Māori wards ends with cheers at Parliament


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

In Vogue: How a self-taught hobby became a globally sought-after business
Bay of Plenty Times

In Vogue: How a self-taught hobby became a globally sought-after business

Michaela McBride started her business 10 years ago.

14 Jul 02:46 AM
'Mum, I’m a strong boy aren’t I?’ Murdered 5-year-old's mother breaks down in court over final phone call with son
Bay of Plenty Times
|Updated

'Mum, I’m a strong boy aren’t I?’ Murdered 5-year-old's mother breaks down in court over final phone call with son

14 Jul 02:41 AM
Teen's 900km ride for Māori wards ends with cheers at Parliament
Bay of Plenty Times

Teen's 900km ride for Māori wards ends with cheers at Parliament

14 Jul 12:34 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP