Adding Kiwiana touches to Christmas decor

Christmas is an all-year event in Taihape's Wild Roses.
In September, Sue Woollaston's The Christmas Heirloom Company (CHC) instore at Wild Roses Furniture and Gifts opens for the new season after a complete refit.
Mrs Woollaston said she took two weeks to prepare the new ornamental stock: unpacking, checking, pricing and placing into colourways, which are placed by the 14 trees for six people over two days to adorn them.
The CHC designer Craig Thorburn who was the driving force and visionary, came to Taihape and put the wow factor in to the decorating, she said.
Regulars have been coming to Wild Roses since it opened in 1998, and buying the decorations since Mrs Woollaston began buying from The Christmas Heirloom Company in 1999.
Mrs Woollaston said they visited all the other CHC shops around the country, and the feedback she has received was that her Christmas room was the best. Visitors from as far afield as Denmark have echoed that praise, which Mrs Woollaston says is humbling.
The Christmas trees are each adorned to reflect a story: the Kiwiana has 5th-generation native wood carvings by Jiries Giacaman, a New Zealand cookie-cutter, a pohutukawa fairy and bungy santa among some of its Kiwi symbols.
Other trees are the Woodlands, Gingerbread, Toy Story, Red and White, Bon Bon, red and gold, Cream and gold and champagne.
There are also the battery-operated Lemax Collection ceramic houses that tell a story and add to the glittering festive display.
Mrs Woollaston holds fundraising demonstrations and ticket sales go to the charity or group.
The Christmas Heirloom Company instore at Wild Roses, 116 Haupatu St, Taihape.