Auckland's Sky Tower is ready to blast into 2017 in style.
More than 500kg of explosives, one tonne of equipment and some 10km of wire were required to set up what promises to be an impressive spectacle.
The fireworks have been installed more than 200m up the Sky Tower on two levels. They will reach a maximum height of 280m with a spread of 120m. About 3000 shots will be fired during the five-minute show.
As well as the traditional fireworks display, a Kiwi-themed laser animation will be beamed across the tower in the two hours before midnight. This will include a 15 x 15m countdown clock 160m up the Sky Tower.
Preparation has taken months, with five pyrotechnicians spending some 350 hours on-site setting up the show.
"It's quite a logistical nightmare," said SkyCity interim chief executive John Mortensen.
"It's significant [the cost] and it is worth it. We see that we're a major player in Auckland and ... the Sky Tower is a central point in the city. It's the first thing that people see when they drive into Auckland, it's the first thing you can see from the harbour."
SkyCity's senior facilities supervisor Paul Novella has been working at SkyCity for 10 years now and has been involved with 15 different Sky Tower fireworks displays, but said he never gets tired of it.
"It's just such a pleasure to watch the crowds all gathering on Queen St and down by the waterfront, because we all watch it from the top of the tower. You'll see 10,000-15,000 people down there and it's just amazing, quite honestly."
Fifteen crates of fireworks have been installed at regular intervals around the upper-most deck of the Sky Tower, meaning the display will be visible from most corners of Auckland.
"The money shot is a big crate which faces over the viaduct. That's the last part of the display and it'll be one massive, colourful explosion. It's going to be really cool," he said.
SkyCity senior facilities supervisor Paul Novella and SkyCity interim CEO John Mortensen stand near the top of the Sky Tower where the fireworks will be set up. Photo / Dean Purcell
SkyCity rigger Eddy Howell has also been involved with preparing the site, and he couldn't wait for the clock to strike 12.
"I'm one person looking down and you've got 30,000 or so people looking back up at you, so it's absolutely incredible. You can see the flashes going off from the cameras and you can feel it pulse through your body with every explosion, it's just awesome."
This year's fireworks display is choreographed to music, and those watching from vantage points around the city can tune in to More FM (91.8 FM) to listen in to the tracks played in time with the display.
Putting on a show: Sky Tower's New Year's Eve Show
• More than 500kg of fireworks, 1 tonne of equipment and 10 kilometres of wire are used in the display set-up • Firing from 200m up the Sky Tower, the fireworks will reach a maximum height of 280m with a spread of 120m. • 3000 shots will be fired during the 5m, 20s show • Five pyrotechnicians will spend 350 hours on site setting up • Five months and 250 pre-production hours were spent designing the pyrotechnic show
