Street lights went out and music played in semi-darkness in Dunedin's Octagon during the weekend as the city took part in an international observance of "Earth Hour".
This worldwide event, organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature, encourages households and businesses to turn off non-essential lights for one hour each year to raise awareness about the need to take action over climate change.
Dunedin band Easily Distracted provided some of the musical entertainment, and during the performance in the lower Octagon, helpers also took turns to pedal a nearby generator to charge the battery powering the group's instruments.
Maria Ioannou, a sustainability adviser in the Dunedin City Council's policy team, said a sign of Earth Hour's growing success in the city was the lead taken by lower Octagon businesses in organising the celebrations this year.
The annual Saturday night event had previously been run by the city council.
Earth Hour Dunedin 2012 was intended as "a mellow, relaxed, lights-off evening in the Octagon" with "sustainable menu choices" available in the restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as acoustic music and candlelight.
Ms Ioannou said the Dunedin event had been successful and more city businesses and other organisations had actively participated this year.
Dunedin South MP Clare Curran spoke briefly at the event's formal opening.
It had been "really good" to see the businesses leading Earth Hour this year, Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said.
"We all have a role to play in addressing climate change in our daily lives to reduce our own carbon footprints at home and at work," Mr Cull said.
Craft Bar manager Phil Ellis said the event had given people a chance to share their commitment to the environment.
And the "ambience and almost eerie atmosphere of little or no electric lighting in the Octagon" had added to "a unique and peaceful experience".
Dunedin police said the event had gone quietly, with no reported disorder problems linked to the darkness.
The Octagon was closed to traffic, and street and building lights were turned off between 8.30pm and 10.30pm, with traffic restored at 11pm.
Delta had agreed to meet the cost of switching off the lights, event organisers said.
