Homes across Tauranga are glowing with Christmas spirit.

Homeowners have spent weeks, or even months, decorating their homes and gardens to brighten the night with dazzling displays of Christmas lights.

The Sun Media Christmas Light Drive guide is available here, so gather your family and friends together, plan your route, and head out to see what has been achieved.

It's a fun thing to do at a fun time of the year, and not only with friends and family. Strangers meet on strangers' lawns, and in between the ‘ooohs' and ‘aaahs', become ‘light friends'.

As you drive around, you'll find yourself meeting the same people, at different houses. Everyone chats about the lights at a house, and then catch up again around the block. There's camaraderie in the air, and new friendship in the lights.