Jacinda Ardern’s heartfelt New Years message for New Zealand

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 it to see “the end of 2020.”

“It’s not often that I stay up to see the new year these days (not since we had a baby anyway), but this year I wanted to make sure I see the end of 2020,” the post read.

Ardern continued to thank those who helped New Zealand with the challenges 2020 brought.

“To everyone who helped us through this year, thank you. While there are many challenges ahead, I feel more confident than ever that we are all prepared.”

The Prime Minister ended up wishing everyone in Aotearoa a “Happy New Year!”

Ardern wasn’t the only one to celebrate looking back at 2020, a year in which lockdowns and disappointments were often the norm.

But as a new year dawned after the coronavirus pandemic defined 2020, New Zealand was among the few nations where people were celebrating, singing and cheering.

In Auckland, thousands of people gathered on Victoria St West to watch laser shows and listen to music before the SkyCity fireworks show at midnight.

Hundreds of people celebrated at Viaduct Harbor, where people sunbathed before the last sunset of 2020.

At Silo Park, Che Fu DJed for the relaxed partygoers who were sprawled out on the grass by the water. He told the crowd that it was a year of extremes.

“All my blessing to you and yours,” he said. “2021 is going to be good, I promise.”

Later in the evening, the sky was illuminated by a light show at the Auckland Harbor Bridge, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the city’s pink bike path, Te Ara I Whiti.

It was followed by a dazzling fireworks display from the Sky Tower.

“It is a time to celebrate and appreciate what matters most, and to look forward with a sense of hope and new beginnings,” said SkyCity CEO Michael Ahearne.

In Rotorua, the New Year’s Eve night market was packed with people as people gathered to enjoy live music and family fun, which included spinning balloons and painting faces.

“There is always a great atmosphere here,” said Leanne Stewart of Rotorua.

He said he was optimistic about 2021.

Nearby, Jo Purdey from Wellington was visiting the market with her family.

When asked about his hopes for 2021, he said he wished the rest of the world could live as freely as New Zealanders.