Hamilton East resident Tracey Smith has opened her home for the month of December to showcase her 10-year collection of Christmas paraphernalia to the community.
"We moved to Hamilton last year from Waiuku, and we did this up in Waiuku for about four years, but have been collecting things for about 10 years. And what we do is open the house up to the public, so they can get out of their cars and walk right around the house, and inside the house. So we did it here last year, but this year it's bigger," said Tracey.
"We buy new stuff, we buy second hand stuff, and we make our own stuff. So we try and mix it up, and we try to cover everyone, what I mean is we are not religious by any means but inside we have got one big nativity scene. Up the hallway we have all the novelty toys, from young to old. We've even got a mooning Santa! There's a room with fibre optics. And then our lounge is being transformed into a snow room."
Tracey said her entire family have got involved in decorating the house and showing people through, as a way of getting closer as a family and sharing the Christmas spirit. "We do it to put a smile on people's faces.
"Christmas time, everybody gets wound up with bills and stress, and this is a good way to forget about all that. "We had a lady come through last night with a couple of kids. They looked a little grumpy, but by the time they left the last said she was going out to buy a tree because she really felt in the Christmas spirit."
The house at 31 Fox St, Hamilton East, will be open to the public every night until December 31, from 8.30pm till late. Entry is by donation, and all money goes back into the maintenance and purchase of Christmas decorations, and the power consumed.