Relaxed start to 2019
The crowds were out in force on New Year’s Eve in Nelson but revellers kept their celebrating relatively low-key.
Nelson’s Trafalgar St was the focal point for the area’s festivities, with locals and holidaymakers turning out for live music and fireworks.
The Vic Brewbar manager Phil Williams said partygoers were out in force, with a similar number of visitors as the year before.
‘‘It was a massive turnout, and just a really good night,’’ Williams said.
Police said several thousand people congregated downtown for the event but revellers there and across the wider district were well behaved.
Eighteen people were arrested in Nelson for drunk and disorderly type offending.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) and police were called to put out several bonfires around the region.
A Fenz spokesman said one crew was called out to deal with a report of fire and explosives going off in Nelson about 1am.
The spokesman said several tourists at a property on Bishopdale Ave had put an aerosol can on the barbecue, causing it to explode.
Managers of campgrounds around Nelson and Tasman said they were generally full.
There were few reports of any bad behaviour overnight.
On New Year’s Day, the Tahunanui Sportsfield was covered in stalls for the Lions Summer Fair.
The event, which raises money for the Nelson North Lions Club, included a wide selection of food, refreshments, arts and crafts.
Preparations are also gearing up for the upcoming Bay Dreams festival.
More than 20,000 people are expected at Trafalgar Park on Friday for the first Bay Dreams event in the South Island.
It will begin with a pre-party on Thursday, before the main event kicks off on the next day.
An after-party will wrap up the festival at 2am on Saturday.
Richmond’s Saxton Field campground, which has room for about 3000 people, will be the base for many of the partygoers.