Halloween chaos as family runs out of candy after 2500 trick-or-treaters come calling

Thursday, 1 November 2018

Thousands of Halloween revellers enjoyed themselves in Torbay, Auckland.

A quiet neighbourhood in Auckland transformed into a haunting scene of thousands of trick-or-treaters for Halloween.

Resident Martin Siebrits said at least 2500 kids came past their door on Alexander Ave in Torbay, North Shore.

With help from his wife and 12-year-old son, Siebrits dispensed about 14 kilograms of candy.

Halloween crowds kept coming to the Torbay neighbourhood. This photo was taken from resident Martin Siebrits' lounge window.

'We gave out a full igloo chilly bin of lollies. We ran out of lollies at 7.30pm and the driveway was still packed with people,' he said.

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'The crowds just kept coming. At the rate this is growing each year we may need to starting stockpiling lollies now.'

It has become a annual tradition for families to open their doors and treat Halloween revellers, but the scale has grown bigger every year, Siebrits said.

Around 15 houses on the street participated in the carnival. Residents who did not want to join in the festivities can put up a sign to advise the visitors.

People started to arrive at 5pm and it quickly built to a constant stream, Siebrits said.

His son Jonty stayed at home to hand out treats, with a few friends helping with the madness.

'What strikes me is how all the parents appreciate being able to take the kids down one road and let them enjoy the evening in a safe and friendly environment,' Siebrits said.

'It is quite rewarding to be involved as everyone seems to love coming down our street.'

The Circle in Manly also has a reputation for putting on a good night for families.

The north Auckland street was well-known for its annual Halloween shenanigans, with thousands being spent on decorations.

Veronica Cox didn't take part last year, and felt really guilty.

'There's 500 to 800 disappointed kids if you don't [take part].'

As the tradition grew in popularity, Trade Me recorded hundreds of thousands of searches for Halloween items this year, from pumpkins to props and even cookie-cutters.

First Retail managing director Chris Wilkinson said Halloween has become increasingly popular over the last decade due to the media and a change in culture.

While New Zealand had not yet embraced Halloween in the same way as the US, in recent years there had been increasing demand for it, he said.