Christmas bus tours light up lives
It has tinsel, four wheels and is proving wildly popular among retirees.
Meant to get older people out and about at what can be a sad time of year for some, the free Christmas Light Night Rider tours around Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua or Wellington stop off at properties with Christmas light displays.
Loot bags with lollies, biscuits, Christmas cake and other goodies are handed out by on-board Santas, and singers entertain passengers while they are on the road.
Organiser Al O’Connor said the outings, for people aged 65 and over, had been so popular that he and his volunteers had added extra dates and more buses.
‘‘Some of the older people don’t get out too often. It’s not just about seeing the lights, but having company and getting to see their communities,’’ O’Connor said.
The buses, petrol and treats are all provided by Porirua and Upper Hutt businesses.
Co-ordinator Rose Vailima said word had got out about the tours, and she had received more than 1000 texts, and countless calls and emails, requesting seats for the trips.
Kathy Farrell, of Upper Hutt, went on the Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt tours before deciding she wanted to volunteer as an entertainer. She now performs the Maca-reindeer, a festive version of the Macarena, on the buses.
She said the trips were wonderful because many older people were unable to drive or weren’t confident to go out at night. ‘‘I can’t thank [the organisers] enough. The lights are beautiful and the bus stops right outside the houses.’’ Another Upper Hutt resident, Katrina Burton, said: ‘‘It was like Christmas had come early ... [Many of us] wouldn’t have been able to see [the lights] on our own.’’