Shands Rd Christmas Experience gets 'bigger and bigger'

By Molly Swift of RNZ

“It’s dead Christmas,” Carl Yates says. Around him, a graveyard of sleeping elves, reindeer and toy soldiers lay still.

‘Twas eerily quiet at Shands Road when RNZ visited. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Tangles of wires wound their way between model carnival rides, above them rows of thousands of fairy lights hung dull and lifeless.

Lusterless stars sat at the top of the trees, wreaths hung from closed doors, and the trains were parked at the station waiting for the spark of festive spirit to kick in.

But when the sun sets on Friday, and the switch turns on, the ‘graveyard’ will come alive, and transform into Christchurch’s very own Christmas wonderland.

“Most people, when you put up your Christmas lights, they’re up for a month, and then everything comes down and your home returns to normal,” Yates says.

“This place, it’s like this all year round, but of course, the lights are off… So, it looks like dead Christmas, but it comes back to life again in a spectacular way.”

It’s an acre full of colourful lights and extravagant animations, with a twist of steampunk creations and a touch of New Zealand history, including old displays from the Court Theatre, and the original Goodnight Kiwi.

Thousands of people flock from all over the country to experience the synchronised light and sound show.

For almost two decades, Yates has been tinkering away in his very own Christmas workshop, building all sorts of festive backdrops and animatronics.

Setting up the plethora of decorations is no easy or cheap task; the thousands of Christmas lights cost around $60,000 a year.

“We literally work on this all year. I’m always coming up with new ideas,” Yates says.

His late wife, Maureen, was the driving force of the show, which all started off with her collection of Christmas bears.

“I created one of the display rooms for her because the house was getting overloaded. We put up a few Christmas lights, and it got bigger and bigger,” Yates says.

Maureen died from motor neurone disease in 2020, but Yates continues her legacy.

The show now features an information stand and donation box dedicated to Motor Neurone Disease NZ.

Putting on the show remains a family affair, with daughter Odette Rose on the door.

“It was never intended to be a business. It was really just set up for friends and family, and it escalated from there. So, I didn’t really think too much of it. It was just them being their crazy selves,” she says.

The colourful Christmas village, a new expansion to the show, was largely Yates' new wife Yvonne's work.

Her favourite part of the experience is the low sensory night just for autistic children and adults, when the music is turned down.

“A lot of the parents say it’s so nice we can bring the children out and they feel comfortable,” she says.

But don’t expect to hear lots of the usual Christmas carols when the public visits. While the village plays blues Christmas music, the rest of the light show flashes in sync with popular rock music.

“We are out here every night… Do you want to listen to Christmas music every day like that? I sure as heck don’t,” Yates says.

For Yates, the show is a labour of love. He enjoys seeing children’s faces light up when they arrive.

“We are going to keep doing this as long as we can. Yes, I do fall off the roof quite regularly, but I’ve learnt to land on my head, so no damage happens,” Yates says.

Next year will be the show’s 20th anniversary.

“I am dying for this Christmas to be over so I can start on the ideas that are already coming together,” he says. “That’s going to be our big year.”