Few things are harder than one's first Christmas away from friends and family but, if you add that home is literally half way around the globe, it gets a little harder.

That is the situation facing hospital nurses Annalise Bahen and Michele Sampson this year, as both are newly arrived from Australia.

While their families celebrate the holidays in true Aussie-fashion - on the beach - Ms Bahen and Ms Sampson will be gathering with new friends here in Bermuda.

Ms Sampson has made plans to spend the tomorrow with a group of friends, and while she has actually been away from Australia for the holidays once before - ten years ago she spent Christmas in Vancouver - the season has been tugging at her heartstrings.

"I was being very brave until recently, as the day gets closer and my family gets together, I have been getting a little homesick," she said. "I am doing alright though, I have good friends here and that makes it easier."

Alternatively, Ms Bahen will be playing hostess on Christmas Day to a group of 13 expatriate strays.

"It should be fun," she said. "Everyone is from different parts of the world so we are incorporating a bit of all these different traditions into our meal."

For both Ms Sampson and Ms Bahen, however, the strangest thing about being in Bermuda during the holiday season has been the cold weather.

In their Southern hemisphere homeland Christmas falls at the height of summer.

"It's so cold," Ms Sampson said. "You get so ripped off here. It is cold but there is no snow."

Hailing from Australia's Gold Coast, her family will hit the beach soon after church tomorrow.

Then everyone will join for dinner - but that tends to involve a lot of seafood rather than turkey.

More than the meal, Ms Sampson said it will be her two nephews that she misses the most this holiday season.

"It's Matthew's first Christmas and Jackson's second," she said. "This will be the first one (Jackson) will enjoy the presents. Last year we played with them more than he did."

In Melbourne, Ms Bahen's family will follow a similar Australian ritual by hitting the beach soon after church.

This is her first Christmas ever away from her parents, three brother and dozens of cousins.

"Normally, about 45 of us get together for Christmas lunch," she said. "In the evening everyone fans out to other sides of their families."

While being away from home is a new experience, Ms Bahen has her boyfriend in Bermuda with her.

"I think it would have been harder a few months ago when I was really homesick," she said. "Now I think it will be fine."

Ms Bahen has been in Bermuda five months.

Speaking to their families over Christmas will require a little planning due to the large time difference between Bermuda and Australia.

By touching base on both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day however, the families hope to ensure everyone shares Christmas cheer.