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Australians celebrate New Year with gusto. The occasion at the heart of summer festivities is marked across the country with huge outdoor parties, glittering fireworks, music festivals and family entertainment.
Sydney is world famous for its themed, multi-coloured pyrotechnic displays, which explode off the Sydney Harbour Bridge and six barges around the harbour. Multiple vantage points around the picturesque harbour make it a truly public celebration. Harbour cruises are another popular way to get amongst the spectacle. Sydney also hosts fireworks at Darling Harbour and smaller displays at Manly and Bondi Beach.
In Melbourne, the new year is seen in with several free celebrations around the city, from Federation Square to Docklands, Birrarung Marr parklands to Alexandra Gardens and Southgate Promenade. Festivities range from bands, DJs and comedians to family-friendly movies, roving street performers and dancing. All precincts offer views of the two sets of fireworks that usher in the new year.
Fireworks displays also form the cornerstone of festivities in Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and Canberra, where the various cities’ most picturesque locales are lit up with explosive colour.
In Perth, celebrations centre around the Northbridge entertainment precinct, where a giant street party features live bands, aerial acrobatics and a laser light show.
In Hobart, New Year coincides with the Taste of Tasmania Festival and the end of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Pyrotechnics, food, wine and yachties make a particularly celebratory mix on Hobart’s pretty waterfront.
Also in Tasmania, the Falls Festival takes place on a farm overlooking Maria Island. The three day music event happens simultaneously in Tasmania and Victoria, where the town of Lorne along the Great Ocean Road is the host venue.
In Queensland, the Woodford Folk Festival sees in the New Year with entertainment from more than 2000 performers at 580 events.
Inspirational settings, good entertainment and a sense of optimism are standard at the New Year celebrations across Australia.
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