The Christmas lights on Auckland's Franklin Road have become a local Christmas highlight. Photo / Greg Bowker
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With the festive season descending upon New Zealand, neighbourhoods are alight as businesses and households string up thousands of Christmas lights to illuminate their streets.
For almost two decades, Franklin Road residents in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby have lit up their skyline, a spectacle which has attracted around 100,000
visitors each Christmas.
The founder of the Franklin Road lights, Ross Thorby, requires two extra circuit boxes to sustain the bulbs around his own house.
At last count, 95 homes on Franklin Rd had put up decorations.
"We've got everything from a string of lights to those who go a bit over the top," Mr Thorby said.
Mr Thorby's own home has around 60,000 lights.
"It's run by a computer and it plays Christmas music in sync with the lights. There's a show every 15 minutes.
"That's not over the top, is it? It's Christmas."
He admitted organising other residents was a big job "but the reward makes up for it".
And the power bill does not break the bank, he says.
His own bill only goes up by around $20 in December, an amount he said others wouldn't even notice.
Nearby, in Ponsonby's Western Park, the Telecom Christmas Tree is a beacon for those looking to get into the Christmas spirit, with over 375,000 lights and 16 million colour combinations.
Wellington's Waitangi Park hosts a second Telecom tree, and like its Auckland counterpart, allows 200 people to sit beneath it and stare at the lights above.
Others around New Zealand have also got involved in lighting up their streets, with many entering in the Professional Christmas Lights Spectacular.
This Saturday, the Auckland Domain will come to life as host of the annual Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park.
This year's event will include performances from the musical stars of Boy, The Patea Maori Club, and a duet from Tami Neilson and Nick Major.
For information about the event and how to get there, click here.
