Trip the light fantastic!

Jayne McKenzie has adorned the outside of her parents' Whangarei home in so many lights they can't even turn the jug on at the same time.

Jayne McKenzie has adorned the outside of her parents' Whangarei home in so many lights they can't even turn the jug on at the same time as the Christmas lights.

Ms McKenzie can't tell you how many lights she has, she can't even say how many boxes and frames of them exist - but she has enough to fill a garage purpose-built for light storage.

Jayne McKenzie's daughter Kaneisha McKenzie-Williams amongst her mother's Christmas light display at their Memorial Drive home.

Her love of Christmas lights started with an indoor display and five years agoshe extended that display to the outside. The external display is at her parents house at 6 Memorial Drive and the inside display is in her home next door.

"It started 10 years ago when I decided I wanted a green tree and a white tree not just a green tree and then it grew from there.

"I just love Christmas."

Now Ms McKenzie has 30 Christmas trees in her home, her largest is 2.4m and her smallest is 60cm.

Ms McKenzie said she made an effort each year to add to her collection and herself and her father were tasked with the job of hanging the lights on the house and around the garden.

"We start Labour Weekend and it takes us about five weeks to get them all up. We take them down New Years and do them all in one day."

She said most of the lights hung on frames stored in a shed so cords getting tangled was not an issue. She said she wanted to bring her inside display outside to share the Christmas spirit.

"People just say 'wow that's amazing', it's just great and the kids are so happy. That's why I do it," she said.

But having a spectacular display comes with a few compromises. While the lights are on, Ms McKenzie said she can not flick the jug on. If they do?

"There is a possibility the fuse will blow," she said.

The most common question people ask her is "how much is your power bill?".

Despite the lights being turned on from 8pm to midnight each night she said the bill was not too pricey , because the lights were LED.

Ms Mckenzie said thousands of people visit her driveway while the lights are on. She said the first night of lights was on Tuesday.

"I think I'll do it for as long as dad can help me," she said.

This year Ms McKenzie will have a wishing well at the home on 6 Memorial Drive to raise funds for the families in Vanuatu who were affected by Cyclone Pam.

Are you dressing your home up with plenty of lights and decorations for Christmas and want the public to come along and have a look? If so send you address to reporters@northernadvocate.co.nz and we will put it in the paper, on our website and Facebook page.