Sydney (Australia)
31 December 2015 - 01 January 2016
31 December 2015 - 01 January 2016
My hometown used to be Sydney and in my opinion, other than Rio, nothing else could ever quite match the extravagance and grandness of the spectacle that is a New Year's Eve fireworks display on Sydney Harbour.
This blog entry is more of a 'What you need to know' about NYE in Sydney rather than describing the experience Inga and I had, although, it will include elements of that too.
I didn't say that there wouldn't be photos of me - Sydney - NYE 2015-16 - Australia
Sydney - NYE 2015-16 - Australia
My NYE date!!
Things to remember
Yes, there are in fact two fireworks displays during the evening.
The first is as 9pm and will also allow the kiddies to appreciate some of the millions of dollars that are being blown up over their lovely little heads. For the grown-ups this is a great time to take those precious photos that you might not be in the position to take come midnight. Trust me, midnight photos are quite often out of focus, of random pieces of furniture, or of the floor, even from the floor and don't really do the spectacle justice. Sober people have tended to refute the outlook that I espouse but what do they know?
The 9pm fireworks give you a chance to get the photos and to plan for midnight in advance
It was a shame that our captain parked us so far down the harbour
There's a million people out there...seriously
There's a million people on the foreshore! We hear these estimates every year and don't necessarily believe them until such time you see the density of the crowds forming around the foreshore in person. As we drifted on out from Darling Harbour I couldn't believe the masses that had already taken up their vantage points by 5pm.
My suggest is, if you want a prime position then you'll need to get there early, be patient and be prepared to mimic the look and feel of sardines for a few hours. When I say get there early then I mean no later than midday.
My suggest is, if you want a prime position then you'll need to get there early, be patient and be prepared to mimic the look and feel of sardines for a few hours. When I say get there early then I mean no later than midday.
This scene was at about 6pm - still another 6 hours to go and the foreshore was packed
You're trying to book a restaurant a few days before the event - you should have done that in September! You might get lucky but be prepared to pay through the nose and eyeballs for any seat that's free. All the good places, or rather, all the places you'd rather be are also the places that everyone else would rather be and have probably managed to secure reservations for months in advance.
Where are the prime vantage points?
Look around, where is the open space and the safe space? The harbour looks relatively empty, right? So get yourself on an NYE cruise. Realise however that you're probably going to be paying $700+ for a ticket. It will of course provide you with a buffet meal, bottomless drinks and a decent vantage point but you'll need to pay a premium. If you're looking for a position on terra firma then anything around the Opera House will probably lighten your wallet by $1000 per person. Again, prime position equals prime expenditure.
Additionally look to the skies, any place that has a view over the harbour will be prime. Just note once again, you'll be paying for the views and if you think you might want to book some accommodation with a view then there's three things to consider:
1. There will inevitably be a minimum occupation period - at minimum 3 days over the New Year, likely 31 DEC - 02 JAN.
2. There's going to be a significant premium. Anything that might have gone for $350 a night mid year will be going for $1000+ a night..EASILY. Do the maths against your minimum reservation requirement.
3. Bookings, if they are even available, need to take place extremely early. Look to be doing this in August, latest September.
Moving around
Aside from walking public transport to EVERYWHERE is going to be your real go to option for getting around town. Trains and buses my friends, that's what you need to consider. If you want to drive then get use to the idea that getting to your destination or getting home will probably take triple the time you planned and will be a lesson in patience unlike any other.
Also, if you want to drive then don't drink, or at the very least, ensure you're under the limit. The police will be waiting for all the dumb arses wanting to risk it.
By the way, don't do drugs and drive either. Those same police are waiting for you too.
Trains are a good option but they'll be full for the first 90-120 mins after midnight. If you can, hold off, have another drink, wait until things mellow out a bit and then make your way home.
On the harbour
You don't know what you don't know. Inga and I jumped on a cruise so we could experience the event from the prime vantage point. The issue here is that there are hundred of vessels out there all battling for the best location, some big, some small.
What we didn't know is that there appeared to be some sort of 'priority' positioning. Why our boat was making manoeuvres out at Rose Bay for most of the evening I couldn't tell you. We even queried this with the staff but the simple response that came back was 'Our captain has been doing this for 20 years, he'll have you in the right position for midnight'...well no, not really. We were in fact located a long way down the harbour and didn't full appreciate the event or the impact for not being as close to Circular Quay as possible.
Being on a boat was good but not great, and I'm not sure how you can combat that unless you're in control of the vessel yourself.
Still, Sydney is great for a reason!
The fireworks are special. With the right attitude, patience, planning and a little alcohol, you're going to have a great night!
Look around, where is the open space and the safe space? The harbour looks relatively empty, right? So get yourself on an NYE cruise. Realise however that you're probably going to be paying $700+ for a ticket. It will of course provide you with a buffet meal, bottomless drinks and a decent vantage point but you'll need to pay a premium. If you're looking for a position on terra firma then anything around the Opera House will probably lighten your wallet by $1000 per person. Again, prime position equals prime expenditure.
If you can afford a ticket, jump on board - just make sure your captain can get you closer to the action!
Additionally look to the skies, any place that has a view over the harbour will be prime. Just note once again, you'll be paying for the views and if you think you might want to book some accommodation with a view then there's three things to consider:
1. There will inevitably be a minimum occupation period - at minimum 3 days over the New Year, likely 31 DEC - 02 JAN.
2. There's going to be a significant premium. Anything that might have gone for $350 a night mid year will be going for $1000+ a night..EASILY. Do the maths against your minimum reservation requirement.
3. Bookings, if they are even available, need to take place extremely early. Look to be doing this in August, latest September.
Now that's what NYE is all about!!!
Sydney Harbour - NYE 2015-16 - Australia
Sydney Harbour - NYE 2015-16 - Australia
Moving around
Aside from walking public transport to EVERYWHERE is going to be your real go to option for getting around town. Trains and buses my friends, that's what you need to consider. If you want to drive then get use to the idea that getting to your destination or getting home will probably take triple the time you planned and will be a lesson in patience unlike any other.
Also, if you want to drive then don't drink, or at the very least, ensure you're under the limit. The police will be waiting for all the dumb arses wanting to risk it.
By the way, don't do drugs and drive either. Those same police are waiting for you too.
Trains are a good option but they'll be full for the first 90-120 mins after midnight. If you can, hold off, have another drink, wait until things mellow out a bit and then make your way home.
The first hour into the New Year - 01 JAN 2016 - Sydney Harbour
On the harbour
You don't know what you don't know. Inga and I jumped on a cruise so we could experience the event from the prime vantage point. The issue here is that there are hundred of vessels out there all battling for the best location, some big, some small.
What we didn't know is that there appeared to be some sort of 'priority' positioning. Why our boat was making manoeuvres out at Rose Bay for most of the evening I couldn't tell you. We even queried this with the staff but the simple response that came back was 'Our captain has been doing this for 20 years, he'll have you in the right position for midnight'...well no, not really. We were in fact located a long way down the harbour and didn't full appreciate the event or the impact for not being as close to Circular Quay as possible.
Being on a boat was good but not great, and I'm not sure how you can combat that unless you're in control of the vessel yourself.
NYE fireworks - Sydney Harbour - Australia
Happy NEW YEAR - Welcome to 2016
What awaits us? A hell of a lot, guaranteed!
Still, Sydney is great for a reason!
The fireworks are special. With the right attitude, patience, planning and a little alcohol, you're going to have a great night!
