New year's eve New Zealand

Wellington City Council's city events manager, Lauren Fantham, says it is disappointing to have to make the call but the forecast is not showing signs of improvement. A fireworks display in Wellington at midnight is also cancelled.


"We think it's better that everyone stays indoors, dry and happy tonight."


A New Year's Eve event at Mount Maunganui's main beach was earlier cancelled due to poor weather but fireworks will still be let off on the Tauranga side of the city's bridge.


Rain is continuing across much of the North Island, with heavy rain forecast for Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and northern Northland.


The already drenched Nelson region is cleaning up so the party hotspots of Queenstown and Wanaka in the South Island look like the places to be weather-wise.


Police Commissioner Peter Marshall says there will be extra police on duty in popular holiday destinations in the Coromandel, as well as Queenstown and Wanaka, but he's confident there won't be much trouble.


"If this weather keeps up, there certainly won't be too many issues," he told Radio New Zealand.


Plastic ponchos will be in hot demand among those heading to Coromandel Gold, a two-day outdoor music festival near Whitianga. Festival-goers who brave the rain will be treated to performances by a host of Kiwi acts including Shihad, Shapeshifter and Fat Freddy's Drop.


The partying may give way to transportation chaos, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported in its online edition. Of the city’s 6,000 taxis, 2,500 won’t be operating because of owners who’d prefer to steer clear of drunken customers, the newspaper said. More than 65 trains, 500 extra buses and 29 additional ferries will be on duty, it said.


To safeguard Sydney’s festivities -- dubbed “Time to Dream” -- from crime, New South Wales police announced that “Operation Vela” tonight will include mounted officers, a riot squad, a marine command and an airwing patrol. “Don’t start 2012 with a criminal record,” police said in a statement yesterday.


In the northern hemisphere, more than 3 million people will walk through the precincts of Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine tonight and during the first three days of 2012. Temple and shrine visits are a New Year tradition in Japan, drawing more than 98 million people across the nation.


Lady Gaga, whose “We Pray for Japan” bracelet raised more than $250,000 for disaster-relief in 48 hours, will appear by satellite on Japanese public broadcaster NHK’s Red vs White, a New Year’s Eve sing-off between teams of the nation’s most popular male and female recording stars. Last year’s broadcast drew a viewer rating as high as 41.7 percent, according to Video Research Ltd.