Forecast rain and a liquor ban in the central business district appear to be contributing to a quieter than usual build-up to New Year's Eve celebrations in Queenstown tonight.
MetService is forecasting occasional rain to hit the resort from 8pm and continue until the early hours of tomorrow morning.
Nevertheless the crowds are steadily building downtown, particularly along the waterfront and Earnslaw Park, where the celebrations will be capped off after midnight by a fireworks display over Queenstown Bay.
A mix of overseas visitors, family groups and couples as well as young revellers are giving the resort a relaxed and good-natured feel.
Although the number of people coming downtown is expected to exceed 10,000 as midnight nears, traffic delays and parking difficulties appear to be less of an issue than the past few years.
A CBD liquor ban and strong police and private security presence is keeping a lid on conspicuously drunk and disorderly behaviour for now, although if previous New Year's Eve celebrations are any guide, police can expect to be kept busy during the first few hours of tomorrow.
Meanwhile, tens of thousand of New Year's Eve revellers in the Upper Clutha are ready to say goodbye to 2016 and hello 2017.
Bars and restaurants are along the Wanaka lakefront are packed and Ardmore St is already closed ready for the more than 2000 people expected to celebrate the new year along the lakefront at the Queenstown Lakes District Council's's free New Year's Eve event.
Festivities have already started at the Top Paddock Music festival in Lake Hawea.
About 1000 country music fans were expected to see Wanaka country singer Jodie Direen bring in the new year.
At the Rhythm and Alps festival in the Cardrona Valley about 7000 people were expected to pack in to the festival grounds before midnight.
Predicted rain showers never eventuated with mild and clear conditions forecast for the rest of the night.
Police have had to move on large groups of drunken teenagers who have congregated on Ardmore St the past two nights.
A police spokesman said other than a few incidents it had been a relatively quiet few days which police hoped would continue through tonight and tomorrow.
A large number of police officers would be on patrol tonight.
