Post 1- 2017 Here we all are. Illuminated.

2017 has been a stupidly busy year for me and I really didn’t think I’d have the energy to get this blog happening again. But as I seem to be developing more and more stupid habits as I get older, I feel I can’t pull a Taylor and shake this off just yet (I know, that joke was so 2014).

Elf Jason

Maybe the reason I restarted the blog was because I have this existential need to creatively express myself further in ways that light just can’t do it for me or that after last year I thought I had said all that needed to be said and that was that.

Or maybe because this year I’ve decided to hold a Christmas Lights Tour Bus Trip (-insert your interpretation of bombshell sound drop here-). At this stage, I’ve been keeping the invites among friendly faces as it’s still in its trial phase, but I hope to make this a regular thing and perhaps extend the invitation to more folks. So, it seems there’s still plenty to talk about.

Not only do I want to share with you the best of the best around Brisbane, but also I want to share with through my process in which I will select the route for my Christmas lights tour hopefully in an attempt to encourage you to get out and support some local lighting artists. Stay tuned for further updates and blog posts and I will share with you my route! As there is nothing worse I find then getting to a house only to find three strands of badly hung Christmas lights, a faded blow up Santa and an old creepy looking guy named Rob with no shirt on limping around the yard. You my readers deserve better than that.

Now back to what you’ve all came to read about, the Christmas lights. So here I go turning on my attempt to brighten your day…

Um. Maybe that’s why I shouldn’t write or self-edit.

Last Night Jess and I visited 16 houses in the space of 3 hours. Starting in Caboolture and working our way back to finish in Grange. We saw many things from beautifully lined rooves, laser lights to Rob from Morayfield who ‘needed to put a shirt on as people were arriving.’

Again, like last year Jess and I had our five point criteria for assessing the houses we viewed. We rated houses based on their Community Engagement, Creativity, Execution, Technology and overall atmosphere. That then allowed us both to give each house a score. For more info on this scoring method, check out last year’s blog post!

We also again used the 4KQ Christmas lights app as a guide (you know I swear by this). We gave preference to the winning entries and judges commendation houses to form the best route for the night. And there’s nothing better than executing a good route.

I will sum up the last few paragraphs as, re read previous blog posts for all my Christmas lighting tips! Now we’re on a roll.

So, our top 3 of the North were (jam-roll please)

Coming in at number 3, keeping it close to home is 123 Adelaide Street East in Clayfield. A traditionally lit grand house very cleanly lined with Christmas lights. The overall execution of the display was one of the best of the evening with every plant and tree in the garden lined beautifully and precisely with fairy lights. Colour was also well considered in this display and used beautifully. The display looked grand. Unfortunately what let this display down was the experience and overall atmosphere. Whilst some displays offer interaction and activity for the kids such as colouring in or photo ops or even Santa, this display was a traditional lights display in the true sense that after you saw the display you had nothing better to do other than leave. Like Christmas lunch with the family. Also, it’s amazing what a little festive music can do to lift the overall atmosphere. It could have helped a this display a bit here. But still, worth checking out. Booop. Like the scanners at Coles…?

(Photo of number 3 house)

Number 2! 4 Huron Street Banyo. Yo-yo! A stunning effort in a front yard themed like a fairy garden. This house was an entry we saw last year, not a lot has changed but still taking our breath away was the beautiful canopy of lights strung through the tree in the front garden plus the displays delicate use of colour. There were lots of little set ups and hidden displays to explore throughout this garden, so you could spend a while here. Great atmosphere, worth checking out. Jess wanted me to mention that there was a cat she liked to stroke at this one so that got it an extra point.

(Photo of number 2 house)

And taking out first place of the north was this year’s runners up for best of the Northside (but last year’s number 1) 25 Addisom Crt Morayfield. For community engagement and overall spectacle just due to its here size alone, this display can’t be beat! It’s such a great one for the family with a golf cart converted into a train ride for the kids, some interesting themed sections, a snow machine and a few nativity models set up. The overall lighting display felt a little empty (probably due to there being a large yard to fill) and colour could have been planned a little better, but the atmosphere and the grandness of the yard here just gave the display an epic immersive feel and to me that’s important. You have to feel comfortable at the display you are at to fully appreciate and enjoy it.

Jason in the Morayfield Snow storm

Now, this guy came in at number four but is definitely worth checking out and that is 11 Eacham St Petrie. This place created a maze in which you could try to lose yourself in to get to the other end. I made note that it was aMAZEing. That joke made the blog. A simple set up, but great idea as the kids at this display were loving it. The guy there also showed us some 3D type plastic glasses which made you see stars or candy cane shapes when staring directly at the fairy light displays. Hard to explain, but a great idea and I was sober. I’m going to try and track some of these down and show you all. But worth checking out this display if you are in the area.

I didn't feel the 4KQ winning display of the North on Elm St Murrumba Downs was worth it, and already disagree with the Church on Maundrall Tce in Chermside West taking home the 4KQ best display of the year. But those opinions can be for another post.

So there are some of my picks of the North. Will any of these make the tour bus good route? Who knows, yet but they sure are contenders. I coulda been a contenda… But that’s another post.

Tonight I visit the lights of the West!