The installation of the Christmas lights in the towering Terrace tree, located within the grounds of the old Rectory, typically signals the start to the festive season in Port Stephens.

"Sitting at the top of the tree feels normal to me," Mr Hopper told the Examiner through a headset while fixing one of the strings of lights to the top of the 43 metre-tall tree.

"We get a real kick out of doing this every year. It puts a smile on people's faces and I think there's a few people out there who need a reason to smile and to feel some sense of normalcy at this time of the year."

Mr Hopper, who is known as Hopper the Tree Lopper, has a long history with installing the Christmas lights in the Norfolk pine tree. So long in fact that he has lost track how many years he has done it.

On Monday, it was business as usual - butcher bird swooping him and all.

"He's just letting me know he's here," Mr Hopper joked. "He's swooping me less this year. Maybe it's used to me now."

Throughout the day on Monday Mr Hopper scaled the tree and was fed from his team on the ground 12 lots of 40 metre-long strings of multi-coloured LED festoon lights, which he fixed to the top. He then fixed the star to the very top of the tree.

Port Stephens Council, who own the lights, will switch the lights on once they have been connected to power.

In a week or two, depending on the weather, Mr Hopper and team will be in Nelson Bay to install the Christmas lights in the Norfolk pine tree in Apex Park.

This year, both of the big Norfolk pines in the park will have lights installed. In the past, the tree to the left of the stage in the park has had lights installed but not the second tree closest to the visitor information centre.

The lights in all three trees will be taken down at the end of January or beginning of February.