Lynley's final batch • In 4 active carts right now • Only 316 left
Lynley's Homecoming Reindeer
Lynley's Homecoming Reindeer
Dispatched within 1–2 working days
30-day money-back guarantee
Insured & free shipping with tracking
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Lynley's Homecoming Reindeer
Made by hand in Clyde, Central Otago · since 1990
A little evergreen reindeer that lies by your door and glows until everyone’s home.
Lynley’s final batch · Only 316 left“I make every one as if it’s going to my own front door.” – Lynley
“People always ask me why mine lie down. Because a reindeer standing on the lawn looks like a decoration. One lying by the door looks like it’s waiting for you.”
– Lynley Macaulay, 68, Clyde, Central Otago
What arrives at your door
- ✦1 Homecoming Reindeer, lying down, about 60 cm long and 55 cm tall to the tips of the antlers
- ✦Warm-white fairy lights already woven through the greenery – nothing to string up yourself
- ✦Battery box, tucked out of sight under the greenery
- ✦Remote control to switch the lights on and off from across the room
- ✦Cream burlap bow with a real-look pinecone and a little brass bell, tied on by Lynley
- ✦Packed by hand by Brooke and Nikau, so the antlers and greenery arrive in shape
What makes Lynley’s reindeer different
No. 01
A frame bent by hand
Every reindeer starts as plain wire that Lynley bends into shape herself – the folded legs, the long neck, the turned head. That’s why it lies flat and steady instead of wobbling.
No. 02
Layered like feathers
Hundreds of soft faux-cedar sprigs – artificial, but they look just like real needles – go on one by one, each overlapping the last, so no wire shows through from any side.
No. 03
Light from the inside
The fairy lights are threaded through the greenery, not wrapped around the outside. The reindeer glows softly from within instead of looking like it’s tangled in a light string.
No. 04
Antlers like weathered branches
Shaped and coloured to look like twigs from the woods, so the reindeer looks like it wandered down from the willows behind the woolshed.
No. 05
The bow, the pinecone, the bell
A cream burlap bow sits around the neck with a pinecone in the middle and a little brass bell underneath – the finishing touch Lynley ties on last.
No. 06
Green every December
Faux cedar doesn’t shed, doesn’t dry out and doesn’t turn brown. Pack it away in January, and it comes out looking the same next Christmas – no brown needles, even after a hot December.
How to set it up
- 1Unpack and fluff. Lift the reindeer out by its body, not the antlers. Gently fluff any sprigs that were pressed flat in the box.
- 2Batteries in, switch on. Open the little battery box under the greenery, pop in the batteries, then turn the lights on and off with the remote.
- 3Pick its spot. Beside the front door, on a covered verandah, in the hallway or next to the Christmas tree. Switch it on at dusk – that’s when it looks its best.
A mass-made light-up deer vs. Lynley’s reindeer
| Mass-made deer | Lynley’s reindeer | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame | Thin pressed wire, often wobbly | Bent by hand, lies flat and steady |
| Greenery | Tinsel or a few sprigs, frame shows through | Hundreds of faux-cedar sprigs, layered by hand |
| Lights | Cold white, wrapped around the outside | Warm white, woven through from inside |
| Face | Blank or cartoonish | Dark eyes and nose, gentle and watchful |
| Details | Plastic ribbon, if any | Burlap bow, pinecone and brass bell |
| Who made it | A machine | Lynley, one at a time, in her woolshed |
Made by hand in Clyde
Lynley Macaulay has worked in the same old woolshed outside Clyde, among the dry brown hills of Central Otago, since 1990. It started with wreaths and garlands for the neighbours. Then people began asking for “something for the front door” – and the Homecoming Reindeer was born.
In 36 Christmases she has bent, wrapped and lit more than 11,000 of them. Now her hands are telling her it’s time to stop. At the end of November she closes the woolshed for good, and the 316 reindeer from her final batch are the last there will ever be. Her grandkids Brooke and Nikau keep sending them out until the last one is gone.
“I’m not trying to get rich off the last ones. I just want them lying by front doors where somebody’s glad to see them.”
Lynley Macaulay
Perfect for
Lynley’s standard
- ✓Every frame bent and every sprig placed by hand
- ✓Every reindeer switched on and checked before it’s boxed
- ✓Packed by hand and dispatched within 1–2 working days
- ✓Only 316 left from the final batch – no restock, ever
30-day money-back guarantee. Bring the reindeer home and see how it looks by your door. If it doesn’t win you over, send it back within 30 days and get your money back. No questions asked.
Care & use
Indoors or on a covered verandah. The faux greenery handles warm summer nights just fine. Keep the battery box dry and keep the reindeer out of harsh all-day sun and rain.
After Christmas: switch off, take out the batteries and store the reindeer lying down in its box, somewhere dry.
Every one is handmade, so the layering of the sprigs and the shape of the antlers vary slightly from reindeer to reindeer.
Product details
| Size | About 60 cm long × 55 cm tall (incl. antlers), lying down |
| Greenery | Faux cedar that looks like real needles, on a hand-bent wire frame |
| Lights | Warm-white LED fairy lights, battery-operated, with remote control |
| Details | Branch-look antlers, burlap bow, pinecone, brass bell |
| Use | Indoors and covered outdoor spots |
| Made by | Lynley Macaulay, Clyde, Central Otago |
| Shipping | Dispatched within 1–2 working days (NZ Post) |
| Guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
The Final Series
The Final Series
A message from Lynley:
After 36 Christmases, I'm closing my woolshed at the end of November. These 316 reindeer are the last I will ever make. Every one was bent, wrapped and lit by hand in my old woolshed outside Clyde. Nothing rushed. Nothing outsourced.
Brooke and Nikau will keep sending them out after I lock the door, until the very last one is gone.
When they're gone, they're gone.
Free Shipping
Free Shipping
Free shipping across New Zealand
- Dispatched within 1–2 working days (NZ Post)
- Insured: every parcel is fully insured
- Packed by hand so the antlers and greenery arrive in shape
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Brooke and Nikau personally reply to every single email – as quickly as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to say kia ora to Lynley, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (NZDT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (NZDT)
Email: info@backroad-goods.com
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. We stand behind everything in our shop 100%. If the reindeer doesn't win you over, just shoot us an email within 30 days and we'll make it right – no hassle, no headaches.