KEY POINTS:
The camping grounds are pumping, booze is flying off the shelves and police are preparing themselves for another busy and unpredictable New Year's Eve.
Liquor bans are in place at beach resorts, lakes and cities throughout the country but cooler temperatures may dampen the partying at traditional hot
spots.
North Island revellers may find themselves chilling out literally: cold southerlies are expected on Sunday.
MetService forecasts afternoon showers inland with possible thunder, showers and cold southwesterlies in the east and south of the North Island. The South Island will have a few showers but otherwise fine weather.
Whangamata police said the number of officers arriving in town would peak around 100 staff in the next few days.
By yesterday, officers had made 24 arrests for breaches of the town's liquor ban since Boxing Day, compared with 31 at the same time last year.
"The weather's not too crash-hot here so that might deter a few people," said Sergeant Dave Grace.
At Mt Maunganui, a popular party spot, a 24-hour liquor ban has also been in place since Boxing Day. The ban also applied in Tauranga, Papamoa, Omanu and other popular holiday locations.
Police have a warning for anyone planning to cause trouble at the New Year's Eve hot spot this year: "There are plenty of us out there."
Senior Sergeant Tania Kura, who is in charge of 200 staff rostered on for the town's busiest night of the year, said people caught ruining the celebrations would be dealt with swiftly.
All local staff have been moved to frontline duty and reinforcements are arriving from Rotorua and Palmerston North to cope with the hordes of partygoers who descend on the town each New Year's Eve.
Yesterday, a group of six officers from Christchurch were at Alcatraz, a set of temporary cells at the back of the Mt Maunganui station.
"They're just getting the rundown about how Alcatraz works," Ms Kura said.
Last year, 89 people were arrested and processed in the temporary cells, down from a peak of 188 on New Year's Eve 2002.
In Taupo, another popular New Year's destination, police are promising a similar hardline approach to trouble-makers.
"If they're going to cause trouble, they'd better not come here," Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen said.
In the past few years, he said, the community had focused on making New Year's Eve a family celebration.
"If people don't buy into that, they'll be dealt with pretty firmly - but fairly - early on."
About 70 officers from Taupo, Turangi, Tokoroa, Putaruru and the central districts would be on duty. Last year, 70 arrests were made compared with 450 four years ago.
Mr Jeurissen said the closure of the lakefront motor camp this year could hit the number of revellers on December 31, as the camp previously accommodated up to 2000 people on New Year's Eve.
This year, a free concert will be held in the reserve that recently opened at the old motorcamp site.
At Mangawhai, north of Wellsford, the holiday influx is well under way, and at least 10,000 people are expected to see in the New Year.
Senior Constable Graham Gough said extra staff would join him in town on New Year's Eve. They would be supported by Wellsford police, with back-up available from Orewa and North Shore.
On New Year's Eve last year, police at Mangawhai dealt with a large number of youths fighting with bottles and knives. Mr Gough hopes there will not be a repeat.
The beach has an overnight New Year's Eve liquor ban from 6pm to 8am.
The ban is significantly shorter than most popular beach towns and cities around the country, and police are keen to have it extended.
"I would like to see it extended for possibly a week to fortnight, covering that period from Boxing Day through until January 5 or 6 ... it would certainly help us," Mr Gough said.
The Kaipara District Council had been reluctant to extend the ban until there was proof of problems without a wider ban.
Mr Gough said police had been collecting statistics on alcohol-related incidents. "I believe it will be handled favourably [by the council] but they want something to back it up ... and that's fair enough."
He hoped there would be little trouble but added police were concerned about people who arrived "with nowhere to stay and a boot full of grog" .
The New Year's Eve one-day cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will boost the number of revellers descending on Queenstown.
- STAFF REPORTERS, NZPA