KEY POINTS:
While the New Year's Eve weather in some parts of the country may be less than sizzling, police in traditional holiday hot spots are gearing up for a busy night.
Liquor bans are in place and police numbers are being boosted in many areas, as police try to
ensure celebrations are enjoyable for all.
Queenstown is a favourite holiday spot for many and the New Year's Eve one day cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will boost the number of revellers descending on the southern town.
Senior Sergeant John Fookes said liquor bans were in place in central Queenstown and Arrowtown and would run right through until January 5.
Police numbers were also being boosted.
"We peak on New Year's Eve at about 50 extra and starting yesterday through to the 3rd we have five extra at Arrowtown and five extra at Queenstown -- they come from Dunedin and Invercargill," Mr Fookes said.
So far there had been lots of people around but no problems for police.
"We expect from today onwards that it gets busier and busier."
But the hope was that people would enjoy themselves but still be well behaved.
"That would be nice," Mr Fookes said.
While South Island revellers may enjoy a balmy evening, those celebrating in the North may literally find themselves chilling out, with cold southerlies forecast.
Sergeant Dave Grace of Whangamata said since Boxing Day there had been 24 arrests for breaches of the town's liquor ban, compared with 31 at this time last year.
"The weather's not too crash hot up here so that might deter a few people." he said.
Police numbers were also building, and would peak in the next few days.
At Mount Maunganui, a traditional party hot spot, a 24-hour liquor ban has been in place since Boxing Day.
This also applied in Tauranga, Papamoa, Omanu and other popular holiday locations.
Senior Sergeant Tania Kura said in Mount Maunganui there would be more than 200 police on duty on New Year's Eve.
"Basically everyone who works here is rostered to work New Year's Eve, so even if they're on days off they're in," she told NZPA.
"And we have got staff from Christchurch, Palmerston North and Rotorua coming to help us out as well".
They had also been running a "holiday policing operation" from the beginning of December, with staff out on the frontline trying to educate the public on liquor bans and disorder.
" We have a conditioning period leading up to New Year, hoping that that will make it a little bit easier on the night and the days that follow," Ms Kura said.
"The key message would be that basically we want everyone to enjoy New Year here, not just a few."
Ms Kura urged people to lock away their valuables and secure their properties.
On a more positive note, she said so far this holidays more good things had happened than bad, including two wallets being handed in yesterday -- one with more than $300 in it.
"So there is actually an amount of goodwill and plenty of honest people out there still."
Liquor bans are common at this time of year in holiday locations and in the centre of many cities and towns, so revellers would be advised to check the rules before beginning their celebrations.
Police in Taupo are unsure what to expect this New Year's Eve as the traditional party spot takes on a more family flavour with the closure of a campground favoured by young revellers.
Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen said the camping ground had previously attracted about 2000 young people. It had been turned into a park where the council would this year hold its free concert.
This shifted the emphasis to family fun instead of "a gathering point for various people to imbibe a little bit too much," Mr Jeurissen said.
"Coming to Taupo's a bit different now. Three or four years ago we were making 400 to 450 arrests (over the peak four day period)," he said.
"We've managed to drive that down and change the philosophy and environment in town to last year where we were happy that we only had 70 arrests -- and we're hoping we won't have that many now."
A New Year liquor ban runs through to January 4 and extra staff will be on hand.
- NZPA
