While New Year's Eve has a reputation as a stressful night for police, Canterbury's officers spent their evening providing a light-hearted account of their busy shift and making fans on social media.

The district's Facebook page earned more than 5000 likes and its Twitter hashtag was trending among New Zealand users as officers posted humorous pictures and anecdotes throughout the evening.

The series of posts included descriptions of staff as "jacked up on sugar and coffee and ready to push through till morning", tongue-in-cheek accounts of numerous banal callouts, as well as some serious messages.

Say hi to your Christchurch Central Night Shift. They're jacked up on sugar and coffee and ready to push through till morning. #NZPCanterburyNYE pic.twitter.com/WEhhTBaoRs

— CanterburyPoliceNZ (@NZPCanterbury) December 31, 2017

"We've had a message from an enterprising chap who asked if we could pick him up, take him through the drive thru at Maccas and then drive him home to North Canterbury," one post read.

"So no, we won't be dispatching to that."

Others, meanwhile, prodded at the steady stream of calls coming in.

"We've had a disorder job called in - offender described as wearing a camo jumper. Our job update is, 'Currently can't see him'," a post read.

And of course, there were few farming jokes included too.

"Big news coming out of Timaru. Cows were wandering on the road but were mooved off by a motorist. Our unit didn't find cows but did find sheep. Ewe know what that could mean."

Big news coming out of Timaru. Cows were wondering on the road but were mooved off by a motorist. Our unit didn't find cows but did find sheep. Ewe know what that could mean. #NZPCanterburyNYE

— CanterburyPoliceNZ (@NZPCanterbury) December 31, 2017

However, the officers were also kept busy breaking up out-of-hand parties and, like many emergency staff, lamenting the use of fireworks in drought-stricken Canterbury.

"They're noisy. They scare pets. They can cause fires. It's really dry at the moment people. If you could just sort of not," they Tweeted, receiving 100 retweets and more than 300 likes.

Police said about 30 people were arrested in the district overnight for a variety of offences.

- NZ Newswire