Sydney - New Year's Eve

On December 29, I flew from Christchurch to Auckland. After an overnight stay, it was on to Sydney. The train service into the city is quite nice and I stayed in a hotel in the suburbs - a bit too far away, actually. The next day I took the train into the city on New Year's Eve day.

As one might expect, the crowds grew exponentially with each passing hour. I knew, from previous research, that certain areas along the Circular Quay would have restricted entry, so I checked them out early while the walkways still allowed relatively easy passage. Tickets were needed to enter these areas, and one had to obtain tickets weeks in advance. For example, there were only 6500 people allowed around The Opera House.








































Over 1.5 million people were later estimated to have been in the Circular Quay. News reports the next day noted that only 65 people were arrested, which was described as "remarkable." I agree, considering the drinking that started quite early in the morning. What concerned me was that crowd control was inadequate. Once the walkways became so crowded that no one could move, the security personnel started telling people that they had to leave the Quay. Unfortunately, no one told the staff at the gates to stop letting people into the area. Getting out took a lot of pushing and shoving, which I am not proud to say was what I had to do. It was unpleasant for anyone with children.

I eventually found my way to Potts Point, which is north of the harbor and hilly. It afforded a panoramic view, which turned out to be necessary to see the fireworks off the skyscrapers. Again, I was amazed at the number of falling-down drunk people in the park, carrying a 24-pack of beer under each arm. Was I that carefree when I was young?






















As I walked to the Point, I went through Martin Place, which has a rather large fountain. Someone had put detergent into the water - a popular trick around the world - and the fire brigade was called in because cars were slipping as they went through the foam. (You can almost make them out in the second picture.) This young lady entreated the crowd to join her in a romp. The crowd responded with a chant to "fall down," but she didn't acquiesce.








































From the 9 pm show. The park sits above a wharf used by the Royal Australian Navy, and the first picture shows one of their support ships in the foreground. I didn't take still shots of the midnight display, choosing instead to make a video. All 13 minutes of it. It meant holding the camera above my head, bracing it against the fence, and my arms were burning at the end.