New Year
Happy New Year to all my readers!
I have had a number of great new year's parties in the past - we usually have a house party to see in the New Year. This year was very different - we were outside in the sunshine, we had set up our spot at 9:30am to ensure we had the best position, there was much less drinking and drunkenness than usual (with one exception! She knows who she is...), and we spent the party mainly with people we hardly knew, but it was probably the best New Year's party... ever!
This was because of the fantastic view we had looking across Sydney harbour. Naomi, whom we were staying with, and her friends had scouted out an excellent position a few weeks before on the north shore of the harbour in Kirribilli, very close to where she lived. Accordingly, seven of us made our way from Naomi's house at 9:30am armed with large eskies (the Aussie name for those big insulated cool boxes) full of food, picnic blankets and some champagne, only to find that the spot they had their eye on had already been taken, by a group of guys who had camped there from 5pm the previous night. There was however space for us to set up next to them - the only downside was that the Opera House was partially obscured behind a tree. The view to the Harbour Bridge was completely unobscured, and this was to prove important later on when the fireworks started.
After breakfast, the girls were happy to save the spot for us, so Paul, Pie and I went to explore Sydney city centre. I particularly wanted to look around the Botanic Gardens, but this was one of the official positions to watch the fireworks, and so there was approximately a three hour queue to get in (ha, fools!).
Matt and Jules turned up at 6pm and we cracked open the first beers (unfortunately they were Australian beers and therefore pretty much tasteless) and sat back waiting for the show. There was a firework display at 9pm, mainly for the kiddies and old people who couldn't make it until midnight. This show was pretty impressive, probably more impressive than the show we saw in London for New Year's two year's ago. Then we sat back again waiting for the next show, entertaining ourselves in between with some sparklers , party poppers and blowers.
Then the countdown began to the most impressive firework display I have ever seen! It was the 75th anniversary of the Harbour Bridge, so there were lights in a diamond shape. The bridge is known to the locals at the 'Coathanger', and there were also lights in a coathanger shape as a self-parody. The fireworks themselves must've gone on for about 10 or 15 minutes. We tried to sing 'Auld Lang Syne', but it didn't really take off.
What a fantastic way to see in the New Year! That is definitely the best view I have ever had at a new year (apologies to Ruari's place in Hinckley, or to my place in Pimlico), and we made a new group of friends (although I did of course miss the old ones!!)!
I have had a number of great new year's parties in the past - we usually have a house party to see in the New Year. This year was very different - we were outside in the sunshine, we had set up our spot at 9:30am to ensure we had the best position, there was much less drinking and drunkenness than usual (with one exception! She knows who she is...), and we spent the party mainly with people we hardly knew, but it was probably the best New Year's party... ever!
This was because of the fantastic view we had looking across Sydney harbour. Naomi, whom we were staying with, and her friends had scouted out an excellent position a few weeks before on the north shore of the harbour in Kirribilli, very close to where she lived. Accordingly, seven of us made our way from Naomi's house at 9:30am armed with large eskies (the Aussie name for those big insulated cool boxes) full of food, picnic blankets and some champagne, only to find that the spot they had their eye on had already been taken, by a group of guys who had camped there from 5pm the previous night. There was however space for us to set up next to them - the only downside was that the Opera House was partially obscured behind a tree. The view to the Harbour Bridge was completely unobscured, and this was to prove important later on when the fireworks started.
After breakfast, the girls were happy to save the spot for us, so Paul, Pie and I went to explore Sydney city centre. I particularly wanted to look around the Botanic Gardens, but this was one of the official positions to watch the fireworks, and so there was approximately a three hour queue to get in (ha, fools!).
Matt and Jules turned up at 6pm and we cracked open the first beers (unfortunately they were Australian beers and therefore pretty much tasteless) and sat back waiting for the show. There was a firework display at 9pm, mainly for the kiddies and old people who couldn't make it until midnight. This show was pretty impressive, probably more impressive than the show we saw in London for New Year's two year's ago. Then we sat back again waiting for the next show, entertaining ourselves in between with some sparklers , party poppers and blowers.
Then the countdown began to the most impressive firework display I have ever seen! It was the 75th anniversary of the Harbour Bridge, so there were lights in a diamond shape. The bridge is known to the locals at the 'Coathanger', and there were also lights in a coathanger shape as a self-parody. The fireworks themselves must've gone on for about 10 or 15 minutes. We tried to sing 'Auld Lang Syne', but it didn't really take off.
What a fantastic way to see in the New Year! That is definitely the best view I have ever had at a new year (apologies to Ruari's place in Hinckley, or to my place in Pimlico), and we made a new group of friends (although I did of course miss the old ones!!)!
posted by Gaz man at 8:04 am
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