While it might not be the biggest fireworks display in the world, and neither the longest, the way Sydney celebrates New Year’s Eve is almost unique. First, because it’s summer there – for us, inhabitants of the northern hemisphere, it is hard to imagine a New Year’s party in shorts. But also because it has a wonderful setting. The show turns the sky above the famous Opera House into an amazing canvas painted in light and smoke, and the Harbour Bridge into a huge arc of fire.
But there’s more to do on New Year’s Eve than just watching the sky light up. There’s plenty more to do and see in the city before it passes into 2016.
For 6PM Sydney has prepared a less colorful, but equally amazing attraction in the skies, but also on the sea – an aerial show orchestrated by Matthew Hill, followed by a water display starring a special tug boat, creating an amazing image against the setting sun. By 8PM, Matt Hill will return with another flying attraction.
After an hour of rest, when you can walk around, have a coffee or play some online casino games, the first fireworks display follows at 9PM. Rockets will be fired from four spots in the Sydney Harbour. This year’s “Family friendly fireworks” will have a theme paying homage to the 200th year of the Royal Botanic Garden and and 100 years of Taronga Zoo. The show will last for 8 minutes.
Soon after the lights die off in the sky, they will once again light up – this time on the water. The Harbour of Light Parade returns to Sydney once again, with an illuminated flotilla of 60 lit up vessels gliding through the Harbour like ” a colourful chimera, enchanting adults and children alike”. The show lasts until close to midnight, leading up to the main attraction of the night: the midnight fireworks.
At the stroke of midnight the skies above the Sydney Harbour will light up once again, this time for a spectacular show that lasts 12 minutes. The midnight fireworks display will feature an array of pyrotechnic effects fired from seven barges on the harbour, 4 sails of Sydney Opera House and firing points across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, all synchronised with a new music track created by Imagination’s musical director, Alex Gooden. Like any great film, advertisement or theatre piece, key moments of excitement and joy are emphasised with a powerful, meaningful score to help the audience ‘feel’ more of what they are seeing. There will be shells displaying more flora and fauna to celebrate the special birthdays of the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney and the Zoo, in addition to the fireworks’ director’s store of surprises.
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Related post: Exploring the East Coast of Australia
Images credit (under CCL) by order: Christopher Chan (2)