Mr Lane and his wife, Donna, caught the bug early and started their enormous collection when their daughter was just three.

“When we moved to King Creek and built our home, our daughter was three, and I decided that our first Christmas here I’d put some lights up for her benefit,” Rod said.

“From memory it was about 3,000 lights, but these days it’s hard to count. I’d estimate anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 lights are up now.”

In 2004, Mr and Mrs Lane’s home in Sarahs Crescent, King Creek, won the ‘Best Lit Home Award’ for the best in Australia.

It is not just beautiful light displays, some hand built including a seven metre tall tree with 2,000 LED globes, but nativity scenes, statues, model towns and full sized mannequins are displayed in the open windows for all to come and admire.

Mr Lane estimates that over the years he has collected more than $10,000 worth of displays alone – not including the lights.

“The kids love it and I’d guess the entire population of Port Macquarie comes through to our place to have a look each December,” he said.

“People come from all over the place, even have bus loads from Newcastle, coming to see the house.

“Donna and I come out and mingle most nights and talk to people.

“Santa makes an appearance on Christmas Eve and it’s a real family and community affair.”

With the advances from classic globes to LED globes, Mr Lane said he has far less lights these days.

“I’d say the house actually looks brighter these days despite the fact I have fewer lights than I did a decade ago,” he said.

“The enjoyment it gives to everyone is fantastic. Not everyone can afford to do big displays, or don’t have the time.

“But it was a challenge for me when I started and I got a lot of enjoyment from it, as did my family.

“I got the bug once I saw how many people were enjoying it and I kept adding more and more things to what it is now.”

When he worked full time, Mr Lane would start decorating each weekend starting in September.

“These days it takes me about 30 days, so I will start early November. It takes seven to 10 days to pull down,” he said.

“I have two grandkids now, so I will have to keep it going for a while longer yet.”