Wherever you are in the world there’s a good chance you’ll be celebrating New Year’s Eve and the dawn of a new decade this year. One of the most spectacular celebrations takes place in Sydney, Australia, and the bonus is it’s the summer down there so you don’t have to wrap up in gloves and coats. The celebrations are focused around the picturesque setting of Darling Harbour and the fabulous Harbour Bridge. The waterfront becomes a breathtaking sight when the fireworks display celebrates the new year.
There’s a lot more to the event than just the midnight countdown though, as things kick off early with entertaining aerial displays as well as an indigenous smoking ceremony. The family fireworks show lights up the sky at 9pm and the Harbour of Light Parade follows it.
This features over 50 boats decorated in lights, which include ferries, Sydney’s Heritage Fleet, and tall ships as they sail around the harbour. When the clock strikes 12, one of the most fantastic fireworks displays in the world is launched and shown on television screens across the planet. The fireworks last for precisely 12 minutes, with each minute representing a month of the upcoming year.
The event attracts about 1.5 million celebrants to the harbour with hundreds of millions more watching on TV. The spectators contribute to a different charity each year which makes the evening even more special. When the midnight fireworks are over the party’s nowhere near finished as people head to the pubs and clubs of Sydney to celebrate until dawn.
For more information, visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/NYE/Home.asp
