By SCOTT KARA
At 8.30 on the morning after the party of the century, many of the remaining revellers in central Auckland had three things on their minds: a big breakfast, coffee and then home to sleep.
Some of the hundreds of thousands who partied in the central city overnight went on
to the dawn ceremony at Okahu Bay to see the sun rise.
Others had more pressing concerns, and went looking for cafes and breakfast.
For the people cleaning up after one of New Zealand's biggest parties, the morning was reasonably kind.
Teams of cleaners from Metropolitan Waste had already worked through the night picking up thousands of beers cans and bottles.
Some hardy revellers were heading for nightclubs in Karangahape Rd at 8.30 am, and the ravers were still going hard at the Millennium Dance Party in the Town Hall.
But the only thing Auckland friends Natasha Rive, Eric Groves and Brennan Loft wanted to do was have a coffee.
A Turkish cafe on K'Rd was just what they needed.
The City Viaduct Cafe opened at 6 am and became a beacon for hungry partygoers.
One group tucking into breakfast had danced at Sky City, watched the fireworks at midnight, danced some more and then gone to Okahu Bay.
Deb Fleming, one of the hardy group, laughingly said breakfast conversation was slow but it was about serious issues - specifically, how to discipline children.
She and her companions looked surprisingly fresh.
"Because I haven't been to bed I haven't woken up with a hangover," Ms Fleming said.
Some cleaners were still working.
Metropolitan Waste spokesman Ian Jepson said about 85 per cent of the rubbish picked up was cans and bottles.
About 20 per cent of that amount was broken glass.
It was "a hell of a mess," especially Queen St and Queen Elizabeth Square, he said.
"It was mainly beer cans or some form of alcohol container."
Mr Jepson said collecting cans and bottles during the night not only helped the cleanup in the morning, but deprived bottle-throwers of ammunition.
"You've got to get as much of these collected as possible so if things turn the other way, there's nothing for people to throw."
Bill Beare, manager of the cleaning division at the American Express NZ Cup Village, said tidying up as the night progressed made the morning cleanup easier.
But the cleaners who worked from 10 pm on New Year's Eve to 8 am were "absolutely shattered."
By SCOTT KARA
At 8.30 on the morning after the party of the century, many of the remaining revellers in central Auckland had three things on their minds: a big breakfast, coffee and then home to sleep.
Some of the hundreds of thousands who partied in the central city overnight went on
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.