Out and About with Michelle Byrne
Christmas truly is the most magical time of the year. It’s a season filled with joy, goodwill, and the chance to celebrate with family and friends as we farewell the year that’s been and look ahead with hope to the year ahead.
For children, the excitement is almost impossible to contain. The anticipation of Santa’s visit brings endless questions — “How many more sleeps till Santa comes?”, “How does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?”, “Do you think Santa will bring me a horse?”— and their enthusiasm only grows as neighbourhoods begin to brightly light up with reindeers, snowmen, and inflatable Santas riding everything from surf boards to dinosaurs.
One of our favourite family traditions in the lead-up to Christmas Day is piling into the car to explore the local Christmas light displays. Each year the decorations seem to grow bigger, brighter and more creative. Flashing lights, coordinated music shows, laser projections and even snow machines make every stop an adventure — often accompanied by squeals of delight from the back seat.
So far this Christmas, one of the standout displays for our family has been at Hillsong, Norwest. Giant illuminated reindeers, a sleigh perfect for photos, a glowing giant gift and snowflakes, a walk-through tunnel, a giant Christmas Tree make it a magical experience. The trees shimmer with golden lights, and the whimsical gingerbread house is always a hit.
The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Rose, home to Hills Illuminate, also provides a wonderful light display to explore with thousands of twinkling lights, a walkthrough through the Christmas Tree, a giant bauble seat, a nativity scene and other installations to enjoy. On Friday and Saturday nights, carollers sing your favourite Christmas Carols adding to the experience. The recently renovated Vineyard Sydney also hosts an immersive “Christmas Village” with plenty of twinkling lights and installations to explore.
Across the Hills and Hawkesbury there are so many incredible displays worth visiting. It’s easy to appreciate the enormous amount of work that goes into bringing these displays to life. Many take weeks to assemble and feature tens of thousands of lights and countless decorations.
Yet when you speak to the homeowners, they all say the same thing: seeing the smiles on people’s faces makes every hour worthwhile. Many also use their displays to raise awareness or funds for charities close to their hearts — a true reflection of the Christmas spirit and the desire to spread joy and kindness.
Every night we discover new displays, and each one adds a little more magic to the season. I encourage you and your family and friends to get out, take a wander, and enjoy the Christmas lights in your neighbourhood — you certainly won’t be disappointed.
To find displays near you, visit christmaslightsearch.com.au
From my family to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I look forward to sharing more of our “Out and About” adventures with you in 2026.
