Whangārei New Year's baby a healthy 4kg boy born 40 minutes after midnight

Whangārei New Year's baby Roddy Nemisis Shortland together with father Bron Shortland. Photo / John Stone

Just 42 minutes after midnight, baby boy Roddy Nemisis Shortland was born at Whangārei Hospital as one of the first children of the new decade.

Mum Natalia Parore said the birth was quick and uncomplicated taking no longer than 40 minutes and that she was amazed by her third child.

Roddy weighed 4kg (8.8lbs) at birth and has two very excited older siblings, 8 and 5.

"I came into the hospital just after midnight. It went very quick. They released us the following day," Parore said.

Father Bron Shortland is just as excited about the cute new addition to the family and was also at the hospital during the birth which he described as a remarkable and great experience.

Roddy is home with his parents in Kamo now and has had a lot of visitors from his whānau.

Parore said he has been doing "really well" surrounded by his family and Shortland added that his son has also been sleeping soundly these past few nights.

New Zealand's very first baby of the decade was born at 12.04am at North Shore Hospital.

Baby Ziona Zhu – named after a mountain in Israel which means God bless – weighed 3.1kg at birth and proud parents Jason and Mira Zhu said their little daughter was "perfectly healthy".