349. New Year in Sydney

New Year happens everywhere, whether you like it not, but having New Year in Sydney deserves a mention due to the spectacle that is the Harbour Fireworks Display. Ever since the jaw-dropping show at the closing of Sydney Olympics in 2000 the rest of the world casts a jealous eye over Sydney to see just exactly what exuberant pyrotechnic exhibition they’ll pull off at midnight on the 31st December.

This year wasn’t going to disappoint. We had already heard about the fact that 1.5 million people would be lining all the vantage points of the harbour in the streets and apartments as well as designated viewing areas (some of which were unfortunately alcohol free zones) and also that the Foti Family, who do the fireworks every year, were planning to use some 3000 kg of explosive devices; approximately 11,000 shells, 10,000 shooting comets, and a total of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects. It certainly promised to be a bit better than standing in the freezing rain of George Square in Glasgow waving a pathetic sparkler all the while trying to avoid the fights, the vomit, the glass and the urine.

With that many people cramming into the city we really thought that we’d have no chance of getting a good view of the phenomenon but at the last minute a friend of Isla’s called to ask if we wanted to accompany her to a small party in Milson’s Point. As we had no other plans than spending a few hours trying to stake a claim to a small patch of grass somewhere remotely close to the harbour, we instantly said, “Yes!”

Thinking we would have problems even fitting on the train we made our way into the city a bit earlier than the proposed meeting time of 10:30pm but it gave us a chance to soak up some of the atmosphere and experience New Year in shorts and tee-shirts for a change. There were people everywhere but there had been plenty of room on the train. The thoughtfully derived all-night-pass cost us around $5 each and allowed travel on all forms of public transport until lunch time the next day – and apart from a break between 4am and 5am the trains ran all night.

Although the weather was completely novel for us at this time of year there were a few other pleasing differences to New Year back home. The first was the amount of alcohol. People were definitely drinking but there was almost no legless folk to be seen. Everyone seemed to be in control of all their faculties and when we ventured into one of the parks and found the afore-mentioned patch of grass we were surrounded with fun conversation and good humour from viewers of all ages. It had ambience of midday at a music festival, hours before the carnage of the night time begins.

Then next was the violence. There was none. Unlike the UK where people have all the intentions of only “having a good time”, fights still break out a plenty which I suppose that is due to the gallons of booze consumed by everyone – and I’m sure that the crappy weather doesn’t help. Here there were people having barbeques, children playing and families and couples enjoying the evening. There were the obligatory roving groups of boys and girls but they all seemed content to have a laugh with each other and were exhibiting the least threatening behaviour possible. Everything just had a completely different feel to it and although people are generally in a good mood at this time of the year in the UK it doesn’t take much to turn what should be a great night out sour.

After popping open a bottle of champagne we lay out on the grass enjoying the affair and the fizzy wine. An hour or so passed bizarrely rapidly and we left our space on the grass to some teenagers (who weren’t drinking and said “Thank you very much. Have a good New Year when it comes” as we walked off). A few moments later we met up with Lisa outside an apartment block where her friend lived. It took a few more seconds to confirm with the security guard that we were actually invited and on the scrappy list of guests he was holding, then we were in the elevator heading up to the flat.

A knock at the door and we were soon invited into a beautiful home about 20 floors above the park we’d been sitting in earlier. A few pleasantries later with the owners and, unnervingly a group of about 10 senior citizens that looked at us with some distain, we were ushered out onto the balcony which was blessed with the most awe-inspiring view of the Harbour and more importantly the Harbour Bridge and just in time too as it wasn’t long before midnight was upon us and the Foti’s got the 2007 fireworks display going, literally with a bang.

Unlike previous poorly organised New Years Eve celebrations I’d attended in Scotland everyone within a 10 mile radius knew that 2008 had begun. There were no little groups of people in amongst the masses cheering prematurely because someone’s watch was running a couple of minutes fast. A solitary white shooting star flew into the air then was consumed in blue/green fire signalling the start of the New Year and then the show began.

The explosions and colour decked the sky for almost 15 minutes from a combination of platforms including barges on the bay and other strategic locations. The still waters of the harbour reflected the show almost perfectly and it was like getting 2 performances for the price of one. Really there was too much happening to take it all in – one minute you’d be looking, mouth open, at sprays of reds and yellows and the next there were ear-splitting hammerings behind you indicating you were missing another spectacle elsewhere.

The finale was breath-taking and comprised of the famous Harbour Bridge Waterfall where streams of white sparkles fell in their millions from under the bridge into the bay. This was accompanied with hundreds of individual pyrotechnics being shot off the top of the bridge in a mind-boggling display of fire-wielding wizardry.

Our contribution was to open another bottle of champagne and hang over the balcony in wonderment revelling in the night’s proceedings. Although the locals were more interested in have a few drinks back in doors, we sat outside talking about what we’d just seen for ages, enjoying the night air and the novelty of it all. A New Year I’ll not forget and one which definitely stands out amongst all the other freezing, wet, unoriginal Scottish ones.