Westminister Ave resident Mark Williams' front yard is all lit up to support and celebrate New Zealand at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Westminister Ave resident Mark Williams' front yard is all lit up to support and celebrate New Zealand at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Known for his iconic annual Christmas light display on Westminister Ave, Mark Williams is also lighting up his home once again to support New Zealand’s 2024 Olympic athletes.
After the Covid-19 pandemic put his 2020 Olympic display on hold, Williams put his lights up in 2021, but the positioning wasn’t as bold as it is this year.
When asked why he put up lights for the Olympics, Williams said, “The Olympics are about hope and after the last few years, Napier needs that and everybody goes away smiling.”
He added, “I’m just glad to add a bit of joy to people’s lives.”
This year’s bright display is made from recycled bits and pieces, along with the light he already had from previous displays over the year.
From Christmas, and Rugby and Football World Cups to now the Olympics, Mark Williams has been drawing in supporters with his lights for 24 years.
The five-ring Olympic symbol is made from wine barrel hoops painted and lit up with Williams’ favourite Flexilight lights.
Alongside the Olympic rings are New Zealand signs originally made for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which Williams lights up with rugby players every four years.
Throughout the front yard, Williams has also added arches made from old trampolines and other recycled art made from bicycle wheels and cartwheels.
Williams said his favourite part of his recent display is the new colour-changeable LED ropelight, which he can control inside the house via Alexa by voice or by cell phone from outside.
Unlike his Christmas lights, which take six weeks to install, the Olympic display only took four hours, as lights from other events were still up but not switched on in the garden.
As for planning out what the displays will look like, Williams said, “I don’t sleep much, so you could say 12 months of planning at night.”
The Olympic lights will stay up throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 Paralympics.
Williams has an old wheelchair he plans to light up and add to his Olympic display in support of the Paralympics.
Known for his Christmas lights, for which he recently won the nationwide prize for Merriest Christmas House, it wasn’t a surprise when Williams said that when he posted a video of the Olympic light display to Facebook, people loved it.
“In two days, we have 15,000 views on Facebook, 600 likes, 100 comments at 100% enjoying them, the comments help me to keep going and keep lighting up,” Williams said.
This year marks 24 years of lighting up his house at 187 Westminister Ave in Tamatea. Williams is not slowing down. As for future plans, the man behind the lights is working on a Matariki display for next year.
“Yes, sleep has been scarce, but it is great to light up in winter as it is dark around 5pm, and kids have a better chance of seeing them,” he said.
Maddisyn Jeffares became the editor of the Hawke’s Bay community papers Hastings Leader and Napier Courier in 2023 after writing at the Hastings Leader for almost a year. She has been a reporter with NZME for almost three years and has a strong focus on what’s going on in communities, good and bad, big and small. Email news tips to her at: maddisyn.jeffares@nzme.co.nz
