Christmas lights delights from around Adelaide’s suburbs
MESSENGER reporters travelled around Adelaide to find the best Christmas lights displays, including one that his a real-life alpaca dressed as a reindeer.
MESSENGER reporters Celeste Villani, Ashleigh Pisani, Michelle Etheridge, Dixie Sulda and Jessica Brown travelled around Adelaide to find the best Christmas lights displays.
Here they are:
View locations near you on Adelaide’s Christmas Lights Map
WEST
IT’S not every day you see an alpaca in antlers.
But venture down Keesing Place and you are likely to come across Semaphore’s own celebrity alpaca Audrey taking in the thousands of Christmas lights.
She takes a starring role as a reindeer in the stunning lights display in the West Lakes Shore cul-de-sac, where residents have come together for the past five years to transform their street into a Christmas mecca.
“It (the display) brings the whole street together,” says resident Nadine Crampton, who owns Semaphore Pets and Garden.
“We find ourselves out here once the kids have gone to bed and we have a glass of wine and walk up and down the street and meet each other and chat.”
Mrs Crampton says chartered buses have now started visiting the street.
“Families come down and I listen to them go ‘wow look at those reindeers’, it’s magical,” she says.
“What we do here is very much a community spirit of Christmas, we all have different beliefs but we celebrate it together.”
Mrs Crampton and her husband Steve have gone all out this year — the lights wrapped around one of the palm trees had to be put up using a cherry picker.
Even their beloved pet, Audrey — famous for her daily walks up and down Semaphore Rd — has got in on the action.
“It’s something everyone gets into,” Mrs Crampton said.
“We all just keep going and every year we get something new — it’s amazing.”
SOUTHWEST
WESTMINSTER School’s staff and students have been busy decking the halls and trees with a galaxy of fairy lights and other attractions as part of one of the southwest’s favourite festive destinations.
The display was switched on yesterday at the Marion campus and features a Magic Christmas Kingdom where children can see a nativity mural, join a nightly carols singalong from 8pm — and meet Santa.
Year 11 student Annaliese Matters says she goes to the school’s lights display each year because “it’s such a nice event and happy place to be”.
“I really think the local community enjoy it too — it’s such a beautiful time to come together and spread the joy of Christmas,” Annaliese says.
The display features trails for people who want to explore by foot, and areas for drive-through viewing.
Westminster principal Simon Shepherd says the event has brought joy to thousands of South Australian families.
“I’m pleased to be part of this year’s festive event and we invite South Australians of all ages, from near and far, to visit Westminster during the eight-night magical display,” Mr Shepherd says.
The lights will be switched on from Thursday, December 14, to Thursday December 21, each night from 8-10pm.
EAST
IT STARTED with a single strand of Christmas lights he put up on his house two decades ago, and it has since become one of St Peters’ brightest traditions.
Reg Olson was the first resident of Ninth Ave, St Peters, to deck out his house in lights — at that time to give his daughter, Catherine, then aged 10, some extra festive cheer.
“It started with our house 20 years ago with just a few lights, then Darren Trenerry across the road quickly followed,” Mr Olson says.
“The next year we had two strands of lights … then eventually other people started to join in.
“Now the street, from about Stephen Tce to Battams Rd, is covered in lights.”
Ninth Ave is a Christmas lights destination and attracts thousands of visitors each December.
Mr Olson has one of the street’s most elaborately decorated homes, complete with about 1000 single lights twinkling away through the night.
There have been many changes to festive displays over the years — displays have become bigger, better and brighter, thanks to LED lights.
Mr Olson remembers spending hours in front of his home replacing blown light bulbs, which was difficult because when one went out, the whole strand blew.
As tedious the task of installing the lights, seeing smiling faces walk past the full display makes it all worthwhile.
“When we are putting the lights up, there is a fair bit of cursing that goes on when something doesn’t go right or doesn’t work,” Mr Olson says.
“But when it all is up, seeing kids look at them is great, they are bedazzled.
“We always get little thank you cards and notes from little kids thanking us for the lights.”
Even 20 years after the first light was hung, Mr Olson’s daughter still comes over to decorate the frontyard — but this time she has an extra helper.
Her daughter, Poppy, 18 months, watches her family prepare the home ahead of light-up night on the first Saturday of December.
Mr Olson says there is nothing better than seeing his granddaughter smile when she sees the display, just like her mother did all those years ago.
“It is terrific to see, especially because Poppy is really into it.”
SOUTH
STRINGING up thousands of tiny coloured lights in the front yard has become a Christmas tradition for the Smith family of Flagstaff Hill.
“I’m very Christmassy, I must admit,” Megan Smith says.
She and her husband, Chris, have built their own glittering galaxy in two neighbourhoods.
“We love it, that’s why we do it,” Mrs Smith says.
The couple moved to their present home on Enna St three years ago with their five children — Cassidy, 15, Noah, 11, Cameron and Austin, both nine, and Marley, two.
Mrs Smith says they had much more traffic when they were living on a busy road at Marion so they have now had to advertise their lights to draw a similar crowd to the new house.
“We’ve had to tell people about our lights otherwise they won’t be able to find us,” she says.
“We’ve had them up for maybe three weeks already and it’s always a lot busier on the weekends, and then when school holidays start.”
They often venture out of the house to socialise with people who have come past to marvel at the display.
Thomas the Tank Engine, which Mr Smith built from a mobility scooter, is a favourite among the children who enjoy pretending to drive their favourite storybook character.
Mrs Smith says they add to the display every year.
“It changes a little bit but the concept is still the same,” Mrs Smith says.
“The forest of Christmas trees is a new addition.
“We’re subdividing our block (next year) so we’re making the most of our big yard.”
The display has been nominated for Onkaparinga Council’s Christmas light display competition.
Merrivale Drive at Happy Valley has won the award the past two years for best street display.
Jessica Perry, who lives on the street, has been decorating her house for since 2007.
She says more residents along the street join in each year.
“Even as new people have moved in, they’ve taken it on as well, which is great,” Ms Perry says.
“Last year I counted at least 25 houses.
“It feels like a much happier and nicer place.”
NORTH EAST
A SPECTACULAR Christmas lights display is Michelle Zweck’s forte as she celebrates her 14th year of decorating at Leewood Court, Paradise.
“I love the dazzling display, and like the fact that people come and enjoy it,” she says.
At this time of the year, it even gets a special visit by the community bus.
The warm feedback more than compensates her for rising electricity costs.
This passion for a bright festive season is not Ms Zweck’s only motive. It also gives her a reason for talking to people “about what they’re doing for Christmas” — and helps build a shared neighbourhood effort.
“Because I live in a court, a few of us work together to put on a nice display,” she says.
Ms Zweck’s sparkling decorations have made her a frequent winner of the Campbelltown Council lights competition.
December 31 is the last evening to enjoy the 2017 display, with the annual lights take-down scheduled for New Year’s Day.
Have we missed one of your favourites? Comment below or add it on Adelaide’s Christmas Lights Map