The SeePort event on Quay St. Photo / Doug Sherring
The SeePort event on Quay St. Photo / Doug Sherring
Auckland's weather gods have taken note of the city's festive calendar and laid it on for Anniversary Weekend, as sunshine drenched an array of events on the city waterfront.
Fireworks crackled across Waitemata Harbour at 10pm last night to mark the middle of SeePort Festival, as over 10,000 people reclined on picnic blankets and cushions scattered atop the industrial Captain Cook Wharf.
The Royal New Zealand Navy's HMNZS Canterbury bobbed atop the harbour background, and modest proportions of BYO alcohol were sipped, as the Auckland Symphony Orchestra serenaded the city's 180th birthday last night.
Kiwi band White Chapel Jak also strung out some tunes.
Added to the busy night the Black Caps took on India yesterday evening at Eden Park for their second T20 match.
Today, Laneway Festival is also forecast to be an especially sweaty affair for hipsters gyrating to the beats of The 1975, Charlie XCX and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard with a forecast high of 26 degrees.
It is the 10-year anniversary of the Melbourne founded Laneway Festival, and the fourth year it has been held in Albert Park for its 12,000-odd Kiwi patrons.
Auckland's International Buskers Festival will also provide the less renowned musical and dramatic performers an opportunity to showcase their street acts across the Viaduct Harbour.
John Hicks performs at Karanga Plaza a the Auckland International Buskers Festival.
Floor Legendz perform at Te Wero Island at the Auckand International Buskers Festival. Photo / Michael Craig
Also in its final day is the Auckland Folk Festival, at Kumeu Showgrounds.
Back on the water, the Anniversary Regatta will today produce a fleet of dozens of tug boats racing off from Captain Cook Wharf at 10am.
Among the competing tugs is the unusually large William C Daldy built in 1935, and a vessel with an all-female crew at the helm for the first time.
Also particularly grateful for the warm weather yesterday were the organisers of the second annual Ice Cream Sundae market in Silo Park.
Interestingly, the date January 29 itself is not the actual day on which Auckland was founded but the day on which explorer and first governor of New Zealand William Hobson first sighted the North Island at the Bay of Islands.
The Holi Festival, Hare Krishna temple, Kumeu. Photo / Michael Craig
Bright colours were the order of the day at the Holi Festival at the Hare Krishna temple, Kumeu. Photo / Michael Craig
The mercury is set to stay perched around 30 degrees for much of the country for the coming week.
Auckland is forecast to dip no lower than 24 degrees for the next seven days.
Hamilton will be even hotter with a forecast high of 30 degrees today and temperatures of 26 and above for the coming week.
Wellington, as usual, will be more modest with forecast of 22 degrees every day from today until Friday.
The South Island is set for a scorcher with Christchurch forecast for a high of 31 degrees today, and Queenstown to hit 27 degrees.
For a more in depth account of this weeks weather across the county click here.
Carl Ingram runs through the water spray machine with Otis Fleming age 6 during the SeePort Open Weekend at the Ports of Auckland, part of Auckland Anniversary.
