Party spots fill up for New Year fun

Thousands of Kiwis are descending on the country's holiday hot spots in preparation for tomorrow night's New Year's Eve celebrations.

However, the tight economic times are leading some to conserve their hard-earned dollars by choosing backpacker accommodation or campgrounds instead of motels.

Police say visitors to Gisborne, Taupo and Hawke's Bay have been well behaved so far, but they are taking no chances on New Year's Eve, with most leave cancelled and extra staff brought into Gisborne and Whangamata.

Napier i-Site manager Carolyn Neville said the number of visitors was about the same as usual but there was a trend towards camping instead of motel accommodation.

"I think there's still the same buzz but it's perhaps a little quieter in town because people are camping out at the beaches."

There had also been a trend over the past year for more people to choose backpacker accommodation to save money, Mrs Neville said.

Gisborne is already buzzing, with the three-day Rhythm & Vines music festival winding up tomorrow night and the usual party at the town clock, plus entertainment and fireworks on the riverbanks on Friday evening.

Senior Sergeant Moera Brown said about 14,500 tickets had been sold for Rhythm & Vines and police had called in extra staff from Hawke's Bay and Wellington.

"Altogether we'll have 40-odd staff working on New Year's Eve, though in the past we've had no issues with visitors to our area," she said.

Gisborne i-Site manager Keryn Thornton said holidaymakers were arriving in their usual numbers and accommodation was almost full.

Rhythm & Vines kicked off last night with a lineup of about 70 acts including Moby, Editors, Empire Of The Sun, 2ManyDJs and the John Butler Trio.

In Wellington, Courtenay Place was expected to be "a hell night as usual" as revellers flock to the bars, Senior Sergeant Anita Dixon said. Extra staff were being brought in from other parts of the Wellington police district.

Bay of Plenty district operations manager Inspector Scott Fraser said most holiday spots now had liquor bans in force. "We have a low-tolerance approach to breach of liquor bans and we will take some form of positive action, be it a warning, confiscation or arrest."

Whangamata, on the Coromandel Peninsula, will see one of the biggest influxes of police, with 100 officers joining the six local staff as they expect many thousands of visitors.

WHERE TO GO

* Wellington: Party central in Courtenay Place – with lots of police.

* Gisborne: Rhythm & Vines music festival plus party at town clock tower.

* Napier: Live music and fireworks at the Sound Shell on Marine Pde.

* Taupo: Family-oriented music and entertainment at Tongariro Domain.

* Hastings: Family entertainment at the Showgrounds.

* Palmerston North: Celebrate 2010 family party in The Square.

* Masterton: School disco themed party at the Homestead Bar.

- © Fairfax NZ News