Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Cairnfield House in Whangārei transformed into Christmas wonderland

By Mikaela Collins
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
20 Dec, 2019 11:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Cairnfield House residents Lorraine Morgan and Russell Matthews, from Kareponia Hill, with rest home manager Lesley Middleton (centre) in Santa's grotto. Photo / Tania Whyte

Cairnfield House residents Lorraine Morgan and Russell Matthews, from Kareponia Hill, with rest home manager Lesley Middleton (centre) in Santa's grotto. Photo / Tania Whyte

Walking through the doors of Cairnfield House is like walking into a Christmas wonderland.

Tinsel is draped from the ceilings; statues of Santa, reindeer and nutcrackers sit near the entrance to the Whangārei rest home - and that is just the beginning.

As you walk further down the hallway you find Santa's grotto - a space in the rest home filled with anything and everything festive, from Christmas trees and crackers to model villages and snow globes.

READ MORE:
• Whangārei SPCA: Cats, kittens and dogs to offer Christmas comfort
• Whangārei's drive through Christmas light display in memory of grandson

Lesley Middleton, manager of Cairnfield House, said they have been decorating the rest home for many years but three years ago they decided to set up Santa's grotto.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There's a small group of staff - me included - and we do this in our own homes. Our director got involved and became very encouraging so she has made that every hallway in the house is decorated."

Middleton said the first year there was about 100 decorations and now the number is in the thousands. She said they start decorating early in November and many of the 80-plus residents love sitting in the grotto.

"It just makes people smile, it lifts the spirit. Family love coming and having a look at it all. Especially the small children," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Cairnfield House residents Josephine and Bill Gray with administrator Julie Partridge (centre) amongst the wonderful festive decorations. Photo / Tania Whyte
Cairnfield House residents Josephine and Bill Gray with administrator Julie Partridge (centre) amongst the wonderful festive decorations. Photo / Tania Whyte

The decorations aren't limited to the entrance and Santa's grotto, staff have also decked the halls of the rest home too.

Every hallway is draped with tinsel - a different colour theme in each hallway - and wreaths hang on the doors.

Middleton said seeing people's reactions and hearing the 'wows' as people walked in the door was "heartwarming".

"To put smiles on people's faces it's amazing. We get lots and lots of feedback about how amazing it is, how wonderful it is."

Discover more

Enjoy wildlife from a safe distance, says DoC

19 Dec 01:29 AM

Santa gets a big welcome in Ruakākā

19 Dec 01:00 AM

Northland farmers in line to earn $675m - if Fonterra forecast holds

18 Dec 04:00 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood
Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Roddy Pihema saved a woman and her dog from rising floodwaters in Kawakawa.

16 Jul 06:00 AM
'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court
Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

16 Jul 04:04 AM
Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants
Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants

16 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP