Victoria Park tree lighting ceremony

The Telecom  Christmas Tree will return to Victoria Park this Christmas with the  lighting taking place this Saturday December 1.

Telecom Chief Executive for Retail Chris Quin says that the Telecom tree is a part of the Christmas events calender with more than 100,000 visitors in 2011.

"On opening night, we're encouraging Aucklanders to come down to Victoria Park - bring your family, bring a picnic and enjoy the spectacular display.

"We will have some very exciting special guests performing- so exciting I've been sworn to secrecy on who they are! And whether you're 9 or 90, you can't help but feel the magic of Christmas when you see light rush up the 7-storey high Telecom Tree to the star at the top," says Mr Quin.

The tree has a total of 375,000 lights and will run from dusk till dawn every night until Boxing Day.  Telecom will once again give children (and adults!) the chance to call the Santa line from special phone boxes at the base of the tree. 

Strings of fairy lights, connecting the phone boxes to the Tree, are activated by the sound of children's voices and their wish will travel up the tree to the star at the top.

From there they are transmitted to Santa's workshop at the North Pole.

Anyone can also visit www.telecomtree.co.nz from 1 December to design their own light sequence which will be 'played' on the tree for all visitors to enjoy.

To help share the spirit of Christmas, Telecom is also encouraging visitors to the tree to bring Christmas presents for children in need.  

The gifts will be distributed by the Telecom Foundation to Auckland City Mission and the Kidz First Children's Hospital in Manukau.

The tree will be right in the middle of the "Auckland's Christmas Walk", which includes the largest advent calendar Auckland has ever seen in Silo Park at Wynyard Quarter, and of course the Franklin Road lights - also lit on Saturday.

What:          Lighting of the Telecom Christmas tree

When:        Saturday 1 December
                   7.30pm - Entertainment, with special guests, begins
                   9.00pm - Lighting ceremony takes place