Thanks for a very merry Takapau Christmas

Brenda and John Blackett at their Takapau Christmas Lights House display in 2020. Photo / Warren Buckland

“It just grew and grew,” says Brenda and John Blackett.

Yes, theirs’ was no ordinary Christmas lights display - they had more lights than 10 illuminated festive houses put together and needed to draft in three extra Santas last December with 1000 people turning up in two nights as festive fever peaked, and 2800 altogether.

But it was Mr and Mrs Claus and the interactive nature of the display that made it special, with families able to explore the property and the wonders within, which included an impressive Christmas train set that was operated by Brenda’s father until he died in September last year.

The Christmas Lights house included a train set run by Brenda's father. Photo / Warren Buckland

Brenda would spend the year sourcing, buying and wrapping presents to give away free to the under-12s. Work on the lights would start in September to be ready in time for Christmas. And we can’t even mention the collection of 4500 teddy bears just yet.

Due to poor health, the couple decided Christmas 2022 would be their last extravaganza and they have since sold all the lights and decorations to a man from Dannevirke, who goes by the name of The Grinch Who Loves Christmas.

“It started off tiny. We were managing a motel in Palmerston so stuck a few lights up for the guests. We were the only motel in Palmerston with lights up. When we came home we put those lights up at home and built up after that. That was about 2009,” John said.

“Of course it has just got drastically bigger.”

They bought new lights at every opportunity, especially when there was a sale on and then had to re-buy LED lights when they became available.

Brenda and John Blackett's house is all lit up. Photo / Warren Buckland

“It did save on power but it didn’t save much on the pocket at the time.”

As the display grew, so did the celebration of Christmas.

“It just grew and grew and grew and then one year – because everyone used to stand outside and sit outside in their cars – my wife’s brainy idea was ‘why don’t you be Santa and hand out some candy canes or something’,” John said.

From there, they branched out into little lucky dip parcels, Brenda said.

“We just gave them out of Santa’s sack. It just grew and grew and then we had people offering to give us donations to children for gifts. It just snowballed.”

The donations were welcome but never came close to covering the number of presents required, so they bought a lot themselves, “which is fine” the couple are quick to point out in unison.

“It’s all part of Christmas and all part of our Christmas thing,” John said.

Santa talks to a visitor. Photo / Warren Buckland

So, they ended up giving out about 1500 presents a year to children, which Brenda would individually wrap throughout the year.

“Word got around and people came from miles.”

“It’s been awesome, it’s been great to see the kids’ faces.”

Brenda Blackett talks to kids about what present they want for Christmas. Photo / Warren Buckland

Brenda said they did special tours for rest home residents too, before they opened to the public.

“They felt very, very special because they got the whole evening to themselves and Santa.”

Covid-19 put a bit of a dampener on those visits as the residents couldn’t leave their vans, but they came all the same.

“We have loved every minute of it, there is no doubt about it,” Brenda said.

“But health has taken a bit of a curly turn at the moment so Brenda is not at her best,” John said.

Brenda said last Christmas was particularly difficult because her Dad died and there was no one to run the train.

“He used to be there every night, and he was 87 ... so [John] had to man the train and we had to get ring-in Santas. We ended up with three ring-in Santas and they were all wonderful.”

The couple tried to get a local buyer for the display but there were no takers, for what was a huge undertaking each year.

A child and her father check out the bears on display in the Takapau Christmas House. Photo / Warren Buckland

“It’s been a love and a passion and there is no doubt about it, we are going to miss all those little faces smiling and hugging and the over-joyment of Christmas, watching the children around Santa and in the Sleigh and having his photo done with the kids and the kids running up and going ‘Santa, Santa, Santa’.

“He has known these kids since they were babies and now they are 14 and 13 and it’s just wonderful.”

Christmas won’t be quite the same in Takapau without the Blacketts, but on the upside, they will have more time to finally go and see some of the other displays around the area, although they have the small matter of finding a home for a collection of 4500 teddy bears first.

But that’s another story.