Sydney - New Years Eve

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

It's New Year's Eve and we are meeting my friends, Gail and Bruce for the festivities tonight at the Park Hyatt Hotel.  The preparations for the huge New Year's Eve celebration in Sydney continue.  

The crowds begin to gather at the Opera House early.

The area surrounding the Opera House began filling with spectators early this the morning.  The harbor continues to fill with boats of every shape and size.  Sydney is expecting 1.6 million people for tonight's New Year's Eve event.  Adding to the organized chaos and excitement is talk of a terrorist's threat tonight.  Slimy cowards!

We've been told that roads around the water front will be closed at 1:30 and even foot traffic could be restricted, taking over an hour to walk the normally 10 minute distance.  A recon mission was in order, so we found our way to the Park Hyatt, where we ran into Gail and Bruce and got all the details for the New Year's Eve party. Since the roads were closing around 1:30, Gail and Bruce's plans to visit Bondi Beach changed so we agreed to meet for lunch at Pony, in the historic Rock district of Sydney.  

We had just enough time before lunch for some power shopping.  I needed gifts for the adorable girls we plan to visit later this week.  So off to the Apple Store we went.  Is there an Apple Store anywhere in the world that isn't packed 24/7?  Sydney's was no exception to the rule.  But we quickly found the items I wanted for Kiralee, Kaitlyn and Kailani and were off to Lulu Lemon's for more work out clothes.  Lately, they've been sort of an "accessory" in my wardrobe.  My workout routine has been non-existant since Thanksgiving.  Time to get back to work!!  But first ... it's time for lunch.

Not knowing exactly what to expect with crowd control issues, Jess and I set off for the Park Hyatt to begin New Year's Eve.  We began the trek at 5:30 and arrived at the Park Hyatt at 5:40.  We must have beat the rush which allowed time to wander the dock beside the hotel and survey the hustle and bustle of last minute preparations.  Entertainers slated for the various stages scattered around the docks were arriving for sound checks, Food Trucks were in place with lines already forming, and the Opera House was gleaming in the distance waiting to be showcased with fireworks later in the evening.  The airshow began, followed by a tugboat's water show spraying huge plumes of water high in the sky.

Cocktails with Bruce and Gail

A short time later, we met up with Gail and Bruce and some of the other Vintage Club members whom we'll be traveling with for the next few weeks and the fun began with cocktails in Tom and Melody's suite.  Our dinner at the Park Hyatt was typical of a hotel "banquet style" meal.  

New Year's Eve Dinner at the Park Hyatt

They fancied it up a bit attempting to justify the cost, but failed miserably when the Waygu filet was offered medium or well done only.  How plebeian! 

Finally, the moment we'd all be waiting for ... the fireworks show.  We've all seen fireworks, but I've NEVER seen anything like the Sydney New Year's Eve Fireworks.  The Aussies have two shows.  One begins at 9:00 so the children can see the fireworks before they go to sleep.  Now this was a pretty spectacular 6 minute show over the Sydney Opera House.  

Boats illuminate the harbor after the 9:00 fireworks show.

Upon conclusion of the 9:00 show, to our surprise and delight, hundreds of boats in the harbor simultaneously flicked on lights outlining their silhouettes.  But, as you might expect, the real show started at midnight.  Launch sights were located in multiple locations throughout the harbor.  The show was phenomenal.  I tried to capture some of it on film.  Impossible. We were literally surrounded by fireworks.  

The show begins over the Opera House.

Illuminating the entire harbor, Sydney's fireworks show which lasted 12 minutes and cost an estimated six million dollars, is viewed by over a billion people internationally as the world's very first New Year's Celebration.  The show was totally captivating and over the top!  

We were surrounds with fireworks.  

After the show, the crowds very orderly dispersed.  The amazing thing was how clean everything was afterwards.  In the USA, people leave trash everywhere, but the streets of Sydney were clean and neat.  No evidence of 1.6 million people partying in the streets for hours.  On the news this morning, it was reported that there were only 30 arrests.  Inconceivable.

What an amazing way to ring in the new year.  I wish everyone reading this blog good health, happiness and peace in the new year.