Kiwis are preparing to ring in the New Year this evening, despite the bad weather forecast for much of the country.
In Auckland, SkyCity will help light up the Sky Tower for five-minutes and 30 seconds with a fireworks display as the clocks strike midnight.
Watch the live stream of the fireworks at midnight
It will start with a 10-second countdown projected onto the base of the tower, followed by 500kg of pyrotechnics which will be launched from three purpose-built firing sites mounted onto levels 55, 61 and 64 of the Sky Tower.
PyroStar International owner Robert McDermott helped set up the display.
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He told 1News the unique thing about the Sky Tower celebration is people can "stand underneath" the display near the tower because the special products used "burn out in flight".
Although McDermott has been helping organise the Sky Tower display for the last eight years, he admits he still gets nervous before things kicks off at 12am.
"This is the only display in New Zealand which is shown internationally, so the world is watching. Auckland leads the way with the major cities in the world. There are a few smaller countries which come before it, but Auckland really is the focus."
Across the country, most council-run New Year's Eve celebrations are going ahead tonight, despite bad weather forecast for many areas.
In Wellington, the city council is still planning on holding its waterfront event tonight, despite high winds today which have seen several flights cancelled or unable to land.
Covers band Zephyr will be on stage at Whairepo Lagoon to start the festivities at 8pm. There will be a kids' countdown and short burst of fireworks at 9.30pm and the night and year will end with a larger fireworks display at midnight.
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The display will last for five minutes and 30 seconds and feature 500 kilograms of pyrotechnics.
However, in Tauranga, the city council said on Saturday it had made the decision to cancel five New Year's Eve community celebrations.
Fireworks displays planned there for 9.30pm and midnight are still on schedule.
A Queenstown bar manager said that town will be pumping this New Year's Eve, despite the blustery weather.
White hospitality group operations manager David Dwyer said the wind is due to die down this afternoon, and they are expecting big numbers through their handful of venues this evening.
He said the madness kicks off around 10pm with punters vying for a spot at Public Bar on the waterfront to watch the midnight fireworks, which is always a spectacle.
Dwyer said his team will be closing the doors soon after that, to give staff a well-deserved rest to kick off the new year.
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In Gisborne, one business said the town is busy with festival-goers at the iconic Rhythm and Vines festival, which is held over three days at Waiohika Estate, north-east of Gisborne city.
Sarah Scott, manager at coffee company Raglan Roast, said their two locations had been slammed with customers, and the beaches were packed as temperatures hit the high 20s.
Scott said it was great to see the town busy again after a tough year. They should stay busy for the rest of January as holidaymakers flock to the town following the festival, she said.
The police are also promising to have a strong presence across the country.
In a statement police said that "while they encourage people to enjoy themselves at celebrations, partygoers should be sensible and look after their mates to ensure everyone gets home safely".
If anyone feels unsafe or is worried about dangerous, illegal or suspicious behaviour, they should phone 111.
Additional reporting by rnz.co.nz
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