That was around the time she married her husband Rod.

The tradition started when Jack and Vi Bradbury brought their daughters Pat and Barbara to Port Macquarie for a six-week summer holiday each year.

Pat continued the tradition in adulthood.

Her husband Rod has notched up about 60 Christmas holidays here.

“We now have our three children, 10 grandchildren and their husbands and wives joining us at Vacation Village,” Pat said.

“We are all together at least every second year.”

The 2016 Christmas was no different.

“We had 19 of our family for Christmas dinner in the lovely grounds of Vacation Village and 11 of my sister’s family – 30 in all,” Pat said.

The Greens have spent Christmas holidays at the resort for the past 35 years.

“We’ve spent lots of wonderful times at Port and one of our great memories is how I taught our 10 grandchildren to swim in Vacation Village’s pool,” she said.

The family has stayed in other accommodation too over the years.

Pat and Rod chose not to retire here as they would have nowhere to go for holidays.

They have seen many changes over the years.

Rod, 81, and 80-year-old Pat plan to continue the annual holiday tradition.