Christmas light map: Townsville’s top streets

School is out, the stinger nets are in, mangoes are selling cheap and life couldn’t be better – except maybe with a few Christmas lights. See the interactive map of Townsville’s best lights.

Archie Towers, 2, at his grandfather's, Wayne Fitzmaurice, Shaw home. Picture: Evan Morgan

Christmas is upon us and we know what everyone is thinking: where are the best Christmas lights?

With the help of eagle-eyed locals, we’ve pulled together a map of Townsville’s top 2022 streets.

REMINDER: the map points are NOT on top of the actual houses, but point out the street the houses are on.

Wayne Fitzmaurice has one of the best Christmas displays in Shaw’s Greater Ascot Estate.

The former Ayr local moved to Shaw seven years ago and has been decorating every year since.

“We’ve gone bigger this year because I’ve got a two-year-old grandson who’s right into Christmas,” Mr Fitzmaurice said.

Wayne Fitzmaurice with grandson Archie Towers, 2, at his Shaw home. Picture: Evan Morgan

He admitted the roof was the most challenging part.

“You’re going up and down constantly and the heat is tough,” he said.

“But you do it because it’s a joy for the kids. You sit inside at night and see all the cars slowly going past and you hear the kids going ‘ooo’ and ‘ahhh’.”

Mr Fitzmaurice said each year more families were getting involved in the Christmas light tradition.

“Even the homes without kids are getting into it. I have neighbours across the road in their 70s and another pair in their 50s and they both put lights up this year,” he said.

Mr Fitzmaurice said the lights didn’t inflate the power bill too much.

Down in Kirwan’s Reid Court, Tiphanie D’Oliveria has been enthusiastically preparing one of the busiest Christmas houses in Townsville.

“This is our biggest Christmas ever,” Ms D’Oliveria said.

“Our first year was all solar lights but now it’s year four and we’re totally electric.

“There is a bump to the power bill in December, we especially feel it because we run the lights from December 1 to December 26, but it’s not too expensive.”

Tiphanie and Tanita D'Oliver at their Kirwan home. Picture: Evan Morgan

Ms D’Oliveria said she loved Christmas and going wild with the decorations makes the entire holiday better.

“My family and I really love Christmas. It lights up little kids’ faces,” she said.

“We don’t stick to a theme. We buy as see fit … they hate us at Bunnings because as soon as October hits we’re in there buying it up.”

This year the Reid Court Christmas House has some new additions: four metre tall inflatables.

“Normally we like to keep things traditional with fairy lights and icicle lights. But we’ve got about six inflatables,” Ms D’Oliveria said.

“They are the hardest part (of the display). We’ve gotten used to putting the lights up so they are quick, but the inflatables have motors inside which we waterproof by putting tubs over them. We have to throw tarps over the inflatables when it rains and in high winds they can tear.”

Ms D’Oliveria allows the public to walk through her illuminated garden on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Originally published as Christmas light map: Townsville’s top streets