So you may be thinking: we were in Sydney for New Years, so surely we stayed up until midnight and watched the spectacular fireworks on the harbour...?
Well, we did watch the midnight fireworks, but that was on TV...
...The following day.
...The following day.
We didn't miss out on live Sydney fireworks altogether though - we ventured out and walked 15 minutes from home, found our spot...
and waited.
Whilst we stood there, others joined us. (There had been a brief moment when we did look a little shifty, hanging around a petrol station...)
Then, at 9pm, the children's firework show began:
Whilst we stood there, others joined us. (There had been a brief moment when we did look a little shifty, hanging around a petrol station...)
Then, at 9pm, the children's firework show began:
Dazzling us for 8 minutes, it was still a pretty amazing show, but I am sure only used up a small percentage of the 7 tonnes of pyrotechnics being used that night.
There was a pretty big crowd of us in the end - some cars attempted to pull in to get petrol, but soon changed their minds when having to negotiate spectators, the majority of them rather merry too.
There was a pretty big crowd of us in the end - some cars attempted to pull in to get petrol, but soon changed their minds when having to negotiate spectators, the majority of them rather merry too.
Why didn't we go to the main event?
To tell you the truth, we have 'done' Sydney's fireworks 8 years ago - and from an amazing setting: on a yacht, on the harbour. This year, as with Christmas, we just hadn't thought about it. When the time came, we didn't fancy going down to the shore and squeezing in with the other 1.6 million or so others spectators (although that number is made up of residents and tourists, it is around one third of Sydney's population). So watching the children's firework display, from a distance, was our compromise.
I mean, how often have you been brought photos of Sydney's Children's New Years Eve fireworks, from outside a BP garage??!
We took advantage of the early morning quiet roads, and set off to the northern beaches around 7am. With a vague cycle route in mind - as located on a map a couple of days previously - we drove to Narrabeen, a beachside suburb 23km north of the CBD.
The route was no where near as long as we had expected: just under 10km. There were a few hills to contend with (I doubt there are many cycling routes in this city which are flat) and we discovered a few beaches and cafes we didn't know existed, so all was not lost.
Even though it was a short distance, the gradients meant that we were very deserving of a huge wedge of homemade Christmas cake with our coffee...ahem.
Plus eating it made T's rucksack a lot lighter...
Still being only 9am, we drove up to Palm Beach, and spent a couple of hours there, going in the water, surfing (T) and walking (me) before coming home.
It was very different to the last two New Years, where it has been too cold to even want to venture out to watch any fireworks (if they were even going on - not too sure what Montreal did to be honest!) as well as wear anything but layers of clothes and big boots on our New Years day walk - not even wanting to attempt cycling, and definitely not wanting to go near anywhere near water!
But that's it now for the festive period for another year; some of us are more partied out than others....