Hundreds of people gathered at the Wānaka lakefront on Wednesday night to welcome the new year, enjoying fireworks and live music. A New Zealand Police spokeswoman said throughout Wānaka, Queenstown and Dunedin there were no major events on New Year’s Eve which needed police intervention. The New Year’s Eve crowd at the Wanaka lakefront. He has been charged with wilful damage and is set to appear in the Queenstown District Court on January 5. The Wānaka lakefront event was one of seven across the country attended by Red Frogs.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 01, 2026 15:34 UTC