Dan Carter joins America's Cup revellers at Auckland Viaduct

Bars and restaurants around the Auckland Viaduct are packed this evening as families and sailing fans, including All Black star Dan Carter, lined the harbour for a celebratory fireworks show.

Team New Zealand claimed the America's Cup for a third time today after securing a 7-1 series victory over holders Oracle Team USA.

The 90 second fireworks-and-flames display started at 6pm, followed by a light show around the harbour's sea wall.

The show kicked off late, with "oohs" and "aahhhs" from the crowds closest to the huge jets of flame. But there were few fireworks - a little disappointing for some of the 1000s who lined the Viaduct Harbour.

Carter, who now plays in France, joined the celebrations at Dr Rudi's bar on the Auckland Viaduct.

Some people are on boats, one man even climbed a pohutukawa tree to watch the show, which ended in an explosion of ticker tape.

Apeksha Shetty & husband Pritam are down at the viaduct every weekend & say this is the busiest it's been in a long time. "This crowd is extremely big - much more than normal. All the bars and restaurants, it's like a weekend," she says. They didn't watch the races at home say they will "surely be there" at the parade next week.

Jackie Yandall and Tony Kearns are at the Head Quarters restaurant with a great view of proceedings. They've watched every race live from home & this morning they popped a bottle of champagne as TNZ crossed the finish line.

Yandall says there were more bottles of champagne and reruns of the race played in the boardroom at work.

"We had 2 bottles of bubbly in the boardroom...and then we got the invite to come down here at 5pm."

"I just think it's a really great thing that NZ can win it - we're such a small country, it's like David and Goliath," Yandall says.

"They have sailors from all over the country, TaurNga, the Bay of Islands - it's not just for Auckland, it's for all New Zealand."

The team will bring the Auld Mug home after it left New Zealand 14 years ago.

More than 1000 punters were packed into the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron early this morning to cheer on Team New Zealand - and the drinks have been flowing non stop since then.

By lunchtime today the Squadron had sold more than 300 bottles of champagne, not including those given away for free.

Euro Restaurant on Princes Wharf was helping Aucklanders celebrate the win with free champagne today.

The swanky eatery was offering free glasses of Louis Roederer for diners, and groups of four were shouted a whole bottle.