Cyclone Gabrielle, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, an election and never-ending wet weather - goodbye 2023.
People in the region are ready to hang up their 2023 boots and embrace 2024.
Hawke’s Bay Today headed to Napier’s Emmerson Street to see gauge aspirations and outlooks ahead of the New Year.
While one student was excited to get NCEA, another felt ready for a year with fewer disruptions.
Holly Gould and Mikayla Brown are excited to start the new school year at school as they both head into the new year awaiting results to kick-start year 12.
“I am excited to get my NCEA results,” Brown said.
Marco Martorana is hopeful that 2024 will bring something different from the previous year and is eyeing better job opportunities.
“Hopefully life turns a bit in 2024,” he said.
While Jodie Simmons is excited, as someone who lives in Puketapu she has had an extremely tough year brought on by the cyclone.
“It will be a nice fresh start, from the floods that we had,” she said.
Teacher Holly Simmons said the year had been up and down for those going to and working for schools with the teacher strikes.
“I’m hoping that it is a lot more calmer than this year has been,” she said
French national Jean-Baptiste, who studies music in Sweden and is in Hawke’s Bay to visit his father, said he hadn’t given it much thought.
“I’m quite optimistic about a lot of things,” he said.
Diana Kirkland like everyone is ready to jump into a new year with a fresh start to life.
“It’s been a hard year being in Hawke’s Bay,” she said
Meanwhile, a walk in the sunshine, enjoying a coffee and going to the gym are three examples of “daily wellbeing rituals” Rotorua-based wellness coach Rachel Grunwell recommends doing instead of having a New Year’s resolution.
“A little bit gets you a long way … it doesn’t have to be a long time,” the Inspired Health retreat leader said.
Grunwell reckons there were “incredible health benefits” by going for a walk and clocking 2000 steps, even if the eventual goal was 10,000 steps.
“People focus on the 10,000 and that can feel overwhelming some days and so people just won’t even try.
“But doing a little bit often [is] incredible for how you feel.”
She encouraged people to think more about the “mind work” and less about “how you look” when working on wellbeing goals.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.