A week of chilling at home, doesn't happen very often. The garden needs tidying before I go south or the weeds no-one wants will be seeding by the time I get back. So I do jobs and more jobs and tire myself out trying to get 22 College Ave, home and garden, into order. It's a bit boring but by the time I get in the car to go to Alexandra, it looks wonderful. I give myself a pat on the back.
New Zealand celebrates New Year, but Covid mutes festivities elsewhere
New Zealand is one of the few countries where New Year festivities went ahead as usual, with restrictions in place elsewhere as countries struggle to curb new spikes in Covid-19 cases.
Fireworks from the Auckland Sky Tower during New Year's Eve celebrations. Photo: 2020 Getty Images
Tens of thousands of revellers gathered in popular hotspots such as Gisborne, the Coromandel, Central Otago and Tauranga to welcome in the New Year.
There were public events in most New Zealand towns and cities - many with entertainment and fireworks.
People told RNZ they feel lucky to be in New Zealand as Covid-19 is still taking hold of many other countries.
Julie Rixon from Red Beach, north of Auckland, was at the Sky Tower celebrations in Auckland with her family long before midnight.
She said they wanted to enjoy the city vibe after a challenging year affected by the virus. Rixon said she hopes vaccine efforts will be successful in fighting Covid-19 in the new year.
People watch fireworks during New Year's Eve celebrations in Christchurch. Photo: AFP / NurPhoto
In other countries fireworks displays and other public gatherings have been cancelled from Sydney to New York.
Festivities are being particularly muted in Europe, amid fears over a new more contagious strain of the disease.
France has mobilised 100,000 police to break up New Year's Eve parties and enforce a night-time curfew.
More than 1.8 million people have died with the virus across the world since the start of the pandemic a year ago. More than 81 million cases have been reported.
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