The Professionals Christmas Lights Trail winners donating their prize to charity

Winners of The Professionals Christmas Lights Trail are honouring their daughter's wishes and donating the prize to charity.

Out of 15 participants, Katrina and John Weller of Stafford Rise, Ōwhata, took out the Best Lit Home for the first time since being involved in the competition.

Katrina said their 7-year-old daughter Aurora was ecstatic they had won and was donating the $1000 prize to the SPCA.

"That's our daughter.

The winning house on Stafford Rise. Photo / Supplied

"Every year she likes to give something to the SPCA. Last year we gave them food and blankets.

"So this year she wants to make a donation from our winnings."

Aurora loves all animals and has been trying to convince her parents to get a guinea pig.

Her mother Katrina thinks donating the money could be a ploy to get one.

The Weller family has lived in Rotorua for three years. Prior to that, they lived in Sydney which is where they fell in love with Christmas lights.

The family decided they were able to do their own Christmas lights now they owned their own home and were no longer living in an apartment.

Winners of the Professionals Christmas Lights Spectacular 2018 Katrina and John Weller with Steve Lovegrove and Rajind Seneviratne. Photo / Ben Fraser

"We just thought why not, it's for the kids, we've got kids.

"The kids that come just love it and that's why we try to do something a bit different, interactive, to get people out of their car," Katrina said.

Last year the family had a snow machine, this year they had a 1.5m-tall inflatable Santa and John also made a photo board.

Katrina said although her mother didn't live there she instigated most of the decorating and would dress as Mrs Claus and hand out lollies.

"If it is in the shop she will buy it and she'll go 'that will look great on your lawn'."

Katrina said they didn't have problems hanging out the 10,000 lights.

"We only had one light that tangled. We just tie them up and shove them in the box and hopefully they don't tangle."

Professionals McDowell Real Estate co-owner Steve Lovegrove said although there weren't as many entries this year he thought the quality was great.

He said at the end of the day the Christmas lights were for the children and to spread joy through the community and he was pleased that had been achieved.

"It's part of our social responsibility for the community of Rotorua.

"We've done it for 20-odd years and someone has to facilitate that, but for us, it is not a chore. It is quite a pleasure."

There was no judging this year, instead, winners were picked by Facebook voting.