We went looking for Christmas lights a week before Christmas and ended up finding some lovely lights so here’s what we found in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs…
Bellbird Court, Wantirna
A few houses there have decorations. The first house has a beautiful tree covered in lights and another has fewer lights but is beautiful in its simplicity with white reindeer forming a path to the front door.
2.5 Santas for this group, but well worth it if you’re in the area
Beddoe Rd & Allison Ct, Vermont
We found a number of houses on Beddoe Road (starting at the corner of Cosgrove St) with lights. One or two had a lot of lights, which was nice, but only about 2 Santas for the street. We turned into Luck Drive and found one lit up house on our right.
Then we turned into Allison Court. Most homes in this street have some lights set up while a few have a lot of lights. Altogether it is a good street to slowly drive through – but a walk along would be even better (our kids were too tired by this stage so we drove!)
Put all 3 streets together (and you could walk between them) and this is definitely worth 3 santas.
Morack Rd, Vermont South
We only saw these lights while driving past on Burwood Highway but I think there are a few places and they were certainly lit up!
Narracan St, Vermont
This one is a mixed review. The house has quite a few lights on the house, in the garden and inside the windows. You can walk through the garden, too. It stands out and is worth a bit of a drive.
However, if you have been there in the past (as we had), this is not the display it once was. It used to be covered in lights, have a snow machine and create traffic chaos in the side streets! A few neighbouring houses were also decorated (but not this year). The owners have sold off many of their lights and decorations but hopefully will retain some lights for Christmas 2012.
Surrounding streets (such as Hartland Rd) have a few dispersed homes with nice lights, too, so driving through these streets can be rewarding.
Read more about Victorian Christmas lights or share other lights in the Vermont/Wantirna area for others to enjoy…
Wow that definitly is awesome! You can tell a lot of work had to go in in order to create those lights at each location. Now you need to supply us with some awesome pictures so we can compare each place!
You’re right, randomhero – some people must put a lot of time and effort into these displays – I like to show my appreciation by admiring their work and sharing it with my kids 🙂
Yes, photos – I must add some!
It is always sad when houses that once had a grand display no longer do. I think sometimes with today’s economy, it can be difficult to afford to have big displays and many lights.
It was sad to visit a place to see a lot less of a display than expected, mommy2senj.
I have heard that that place with the snow machine was spending thousands of dollars a year on their Christmas display – that must be hard to maintain. Light displays now can be cheaper because the LED lights are cheaper to run and clever use of solar systems would help, too.
Although I am sure these are all amazing light displays, I think if you drive through any wealthy neighborhood you will find the most fantastic displays. Most of the houses in wealthier neighborhoods most likely had professionals put up their display. That always looks nice but there is nothing like an amazing display that you create with your own hands.
I’ve never heard of professional light displayers (or whatever title they give themselves!) – I know the ones I see the most are put up by the people living there. I agree it is more special to have done it yourself as part of the Christmas spirit and sharing the fun with lots of people.
Obviously wealthier people have more money to spend on decorations and lights then poorer people, but I have seen huge displays in all sorts of areas and smaller (but often classy) displays everywhere. It think it is all about people’s love of Christmas magic and being extroverted about it.
This is the first time I have heard about this aswell and it is a very costly thing to display such a a large light display but it is very unique and fun for me and the kiddos and I support it infact I think there should be a benefit to donate money for large community lights displays everywhere.
Modern lights are much cheaper to run so large displays are less costly these days, but I wouldn’t want the bill for some of the huge displays I’ve seen!
Some light displays around Melbourne collect donations which are given to a charity which is really nice.
Do you mean people with big displays should get donations from the people enjoying the displays? It makes sense but I’m not sure it would take down under – we’re too used to seeing lights for free and figure the displays are put up voluntarily.
I love Christmas lights. I have been noticing that some people are leaving them up all year. Mainly on porches and backyards. They are using them during the warm weather months at outdoor occasions. I love it. In my opinion, you cannot have too many twinkling lights outside. They make me happy.
LIghts do add magic to any occasion, don’t they? 🙂
I don’t mind seeing fairy lights all over the place but the obvious Christmas stuff (e.g. lights in the shape of Santa or an inflatable candy cane) really need to be removed sometime in early January I think.
Looking at the Christmas lights is something we enjoy each year. Some displays are simple,but beautiful, and others have all the bells and whistles. I’ve always wanted to visit Vermont, and seeing the light displays would give me a good excuse to go.
There is something so magical about the lights, aren’t there?
By the fact you’ve always wanted to visit Vermont, I suspect you aren’t thinking of the Vermont in Melbourne that I was writing about 🙂
I live near Hershey Pa, aka Chocolate World. Every year they put on what they call Sweet Lights. It’s a spectcular sight to see. Over 300 thousand lights in every Christmas theme you can image. It’s a drive thru and you tune into their radio station to hear Christmas songs filling the air as you cruise through the arrangements.
WOW – it sounds amazing, pocs. That’s something I would love to see one day.
I love to look at lights. We have a local house that is quite the popular place to visit. They go all out, it is quite a sight to see. Here is a news link if anyone is interested!
I love looking at them, too, benjamin’s Mom 🙂
Thanks for sharing the link about Jerry’s house, too – takes it about 1,000 hours to set up and pull down! He is dedicated 🙂 Nice he started it as a gift for his Mum and continues to make Christmas special for everyone else, inlcuding collecting food donations for charity – he is making Chrismas magic.
This makes me want to visit Vermont. I would love to see these lights close to Christmas with lots of snow. I do think it is sad that many have down sized their lights and displays. I do understand it but it is still sad.
You won’t find snow in Vermont for Christmas, Lisa, or at any other time either for that matter! Melbourne is in summer for Christmas so we often are dressed in shorts or sundresses when we go looking at lights 🙂
Hopefully some of the peole downsizing their lights can switch to the cheaper-to-run LED lights and bring back some life to their displays – or new people will grab the gauntlet and amaze us with heir lights instead 🙂
I wonder if they’ll still be up next week when I visit Melbourne? Living out in teh country we don’t see heaps of lights but these could be worth a drive from the city.
I think they are charming.
I would leave them up though. Although I have white Christmas lights on and around my fake tree in my living room. When it’s Christmas they are part of the twinkling decorations and then I consider it “decor” when it’s not Christmas so it saves me putting them up each December 😛 😀
You must have a festive looking living room all year round Enrico 🙂
I have a bit of festivities when I saw glimmering Christmas lights and that feeling of goosebumps because you really feel the spirit of season.
Hi Jay, Christmas lights so help set the Christmas mood don’t they? Hope you get to see some lovely lights this Christmas!