1. Queenstown: Yes, it's touristy, but on New Year's Eve Queenstown knows how to turn on a party. Celebrate in the streets with the locals or cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw before returning to Steamer Wharf at midnight for a spectacular fireworks display.
2. The Marlborough Sounds: With thousands of bush-clad coves and miles of sandy, golden beaches, the Marlborough Sounds are a perfect place to party. Hire a holiday house with friends, tramp the Queen Charlotte Track or just relax aboard a boat and enjoy the summer sun.
3. Gisborne: New Zealand's eastern-most city has grown in popularity as a New Year's spot in recent years, largely thanks to the fantastically successful Rhythm & Vines festival. It's a worthwhile destination even if you're not heading to Waiohika Estate for the music though; given its location, revellers here will be among the first in the world to see the dawn of the new year. And despite last week's earthquake, the party here will likely go well into the wee hours.
4. Stewart Island: For those who want to get away from the madding crowds, Oban on Stewart Island is the perfect spot to celebrate New Year's Eve. Party with the locals, then spend a few days tramping or kiwi spotting for the perfect start to a new year.
5. Takaka: A popular New Year's destination for over a decade, Canaan Downs in Takaka is a campground set in rolling grasslands and surrounded by native beech forest. This year's five-day Canaan Downs Festival will feature dance acts, stalls and storytelling. Go for the atmosphere and the stunning landscape.
6. Russell and Paihia: These Bay of Islands destinations have had their share of trouble in the past, but more family-oriented events have calmed things in recent years. For those who do want to celebrate in time honoured fashion, there are a number of bars which hire their own bands for the evening.
7. Waiheke Island: Again based around an established event, Stonyridge Vineyard's New Year's Eve Party draws revellers who want to dance under the stars. Waiheke's other attractions speak for themselves: good food, good wine, great beaches and stunning sea views.
8. Wanaka: Generally a younger crowd than that which assembles in Queenstown, Wanaka is nevertheless a great place to celebrate New Year's Eve. Crowds gather in the main street to dance, browse the stalls and watch the midnight fireworks.
9. Mount Maunganui and Whangamata: These Coromandel townships are perenially popular New Year's Eve spots but are notorious for spawning riots. Liquor bans and a strong police presence have helped contain the clashes between police and drunken revellers in recent years, but the towns' reputations as party destinations still attract a mainly young crowd.
10. Taupo: For family-friendly celebrations, head to the central North Island. Latin dance band Kantuta will help bring a carnival atmosphere to Taupo's free event, which will culminate with fireworks across the lake.
Top 10 New Year's Eve destinations overseas:
1. Hogmanay in Edinburgh: It's famous for a reason. If you want to attend one of the best New Year's Eve parties in the world, head to Edinburgh in Scotland. A torchlight procession, live music and some of the most spectacular fireworks you're ever likely to see make this one unforgettable street party.
2. Sydney: The harbour city does massive celebrations well and New Year's Eve is no exception. Watch the fireworks explode from the harbour bridge at midnight before partying into the early hours.
3. Rio de Janeiro: Head to the world-famous Copacabana Beach and welcome in the new year with thousands of fellow revellers. Brazilians know how to party and the night is guaranteed to pass in a whirl of music, fireworks and dancing.
4. Berlin: The German capital hosts an impressive party each New Year's Eve with revellers gathering along the two-kilometre stretch between the Brandenburg Gate and the centre of Tiergarten park. Once you've warmed up with a boogie in the streets, head to some of the city's renowned clubs.
5. Las Vegas: Sin City is not quiet at the best of times, but on New Year's Eve it puts on a show to shame many other destinations. Confetti fills the air and fireworks blast from every casino on the Vegas Strip at midnight, making for a truly amazing spectacle.
6. Cape Town: For a warmer new Year's Eve, Cape Town in South Africa is perfect. The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront hosts a massive party with live music and street performers. At midnight, fireworks explode out over the water and light up the entire waterfront.
7. Reykjavik: Keep the Icelandic cold at bay by partying into the night with the locals and enjoying the spectacular fireworks display. Each suburb lights its own bonfire and the festivities often last all night in the city's many nightclubs. If you're lucky mother nature will also come to the party and you may also see the magical aurora borealis (northern lights), which are sometimes visible in Iceland between October and March.
8. Times Square, New York: On New Year's Eve there's only one place to be in the city that never sleeps - Times Square. New Yorkers have been welcoming new years there in style for over a century and waiting for the New Year's Eve ball - a sparkling orb of Waterford Crystal - to descend into the square always is a highlight.
9. Goa, India: The golden sands of Goa are the setting for some of the biggest New Year's Eve parties in the world. Dance the night away on one of the many palm-fringed beaches and spend the next day recuperating in the sun.
10. Amsterdam: Not content with one night's partying, the people of Amsterdam begin their festivities as early as December 29, with children surprising unsuspecting passers-by with firecrackers. On New Year's Eve, head to Dam Square, which is filled with beer tents for the occasion and then take up a spot on one of the city's many canal bridges to watch the midnight fireworks display.
