Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has taken to social media to share her wishes for Kiwis in 2021.
After a tumultuous 2020, the mother of one said that while parenthood doesn't make staying up until midnight an easy task, she wanted to do so to see "the back of 2020".
"It's not often I stay up to see the new year in these days (not since we had a baby anyway) but this year I wanted to make sure I saw the back of 2020," the post read.
Ardern continued by thanking those who helped New Zealand with the challenges that 2020 brought.
"To everyone who helped us get through this year, thank you. While there are plenty of challenges ahead I feel more confident than ever that we're all up for it."
The Prime Minister finished by wishing everyone in Aotearoa a "Happy New Year!"
Ardern wasn't the only one celebrating seeing the back of 2020, a year where lockdowns and let-downs were often the norm.
But as a new year dawned after the coronavirus pandemic defined 2020, New Zealand was among a few nations where people were out celebrating, singing and cheering.
In Auckland, thousands of people gathered in Victoria St West to watch laser shows and listen to music before the SkyCity fireworks display at midnight.
Hundreds of others celebrated at the Viaduct Harbour where people basked in the sunshine before the final sunset of 2020.
At Silo Park, Che Fu DJed to relaxed partygoers sprawled across grass beside the water. He told the crowd it was a year of extremes.
"All my blessing to you and yours," he said. "2021 is going to be a good one, I promise."
Later in the evening, the sky was illuminated by a light show on Auckland Harbour Bridge, Auckland War Memorial Museum and the city's pink cycleway, Te Ara I Whiti.
It was followed by a dazzling display of fireworks off the Sky Tower.
"It's a time to celebrate and appreciate what matters most, and to look forward with a sense of hope and new beginnings," said SkyCity chief executive Michael Ahearne.
In Rotorua, the New Year's Eve Night Market bustled as people gathered for live music and family fun including balloon-twisting and face-painting.
"There's always a great vibe down here," Rotorua's Leanne Stewart said.
She said she was feeling optimistic about 2021.
Nearby, Wellington's Jo Purdey was visiting the market with her family.
Asked about her hopes for 2021, she said she wished the rest of the world could live as freely as New Zealanders could.
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