In landlocked Wanniassa, a ghostly pirate ship has materialised on the front lawn of the Warburtons - just in time for Halloween.
There are pirate skeletons and scary wenches and a fabulous purple kraken, its tentacles enveloping The Buccaneers Strumpet, the pirate ship heralding the start of Halloween season.
The couple is welcoming Halloween trick-or-treaters to the display - and their accompanying legendary Haunted House - from next week.
The Halloween House will be open Halloween night on Tuesday from 5.30pm to 10pm and then next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (November 1-3) from 6pm to 9pm.
The house is at 26 Osmand Street, Wanniassa.
Connie has prepared 2500 lolly bags in anticipation of all her spooky visitors.
"This year, the kids can dip in the slime and pull out a doubloon and exchange it for a little toy or trinket," she said.
The Warburtons are again collecting gold coin donations for the Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation to brighten the lives of children in the ACT and surrounding region who are living with serious illnesses.
A KRAKEN GOOD TIME
The couple won't be open for trick-or-treating this Saturday.
"We're still be putting things up," Ian said.
But that hasn't stopped excited Halloween fans driving by in the lead-up to Tuesday's opening.
"It's usually after school after the kids have gotten home, people drive by slowly, checking out what's happening," Ian said, with a laugh.
The Warburtons started their Halloween adventures in 2013, initially with "just a couple of inflatables".
"We've always done something but it was only tiny in the first few years," Ian said.
The display has grown every year, the last six featuring huge installations ranging from a giant spider to crashed UFO to an infestations of witches and dragons.
"I especially love Halloween. Halloween is my Christmas," Connie said.
"It's awesome. I love the creepy stuff and watching the kids.
"We've had kids coming here since they were two or three. There's one little boy, his mum does a lap past every day to see what's changed.
"Last year, when it was raining, she didn't want to come but she made her bring him in his pyjamas before he'd go to bed.
"She said, 'Sorry he's not dressed up but he wouldn't go to bed until I brought him here'."
HOMEMADE HALLOWEEN
While much of the displays come from overseas, a lot of it is built by Ian and Connie.
The kraken is made from old air-conditioning ducts, insulation, pallet wrap and pool noodles cut into suckers.
A map of all the Halloween houses and details about individual houses can be found on the Halloween and Trick or Treat Canberra ACT Group on Facebook.
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