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Sydney’s renowned fireworks did not disappoint with a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns filling the night sky across the city’s harbour and its famous bridge.
It was worth wait for the 1.6 million punters who arrived as early as the morning to ensure they had a prime position for the spectacular annual event that attracts people from all over the world.
The over-awed crowd cheered with delight as the explosion of colour and lights continually lit up the entire shoreline to see in 2015.
A highlight was the firecrackers pouring down the from the bridge to resemble a ginormous flowing waterfall.
Millions of revellers across Australia just experienced a taste of what is to come at midnight as the iconic Sydney Harbour lit up the night sky in preparation to celebrate the countdown into 2015.
The traditional prequel to the midnight annual spectacular – the 9pm firework display is particularly suited to families whose young children will be in a deep slumber by the time the clock strikes 12am.
Two bright blue seahorses were the stars of the first act of the city’s renowned fireworks display as the Sydney Harbour Bridge once again stole the show.
Never an event to disappoint – both fireworks displays feature a total of seven tonnes of fireworks, including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and more than 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects.
Following the 9pm display, the Harbour of Light Parade will see more than 50 illuminated boats carry over 8,000 people on a majestic passage around Sydney Harbour.
And as if that wasn’t enough – a third mini-display, known as the ‘Inspire moment’, kicked off at 10.40pm to keep crowds entertained in the lead up to the much-anticipated countdown.
Meanwhile, Australia’s dear country cousin – New Zealand is already celebrating 2015 with a dazzling light display at the top of the Sky Tower in Auckland as the revellers saw in the new year two hours earlier than their Down Under pals.
A party atmosphere had built before the show in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens where some had been queuing since dawn to get in.
Those who had bagged the best spots to watch the fireworks relaxed on blankets in the last of the day’s sunshine, many wearing 2015 headdresses and clinking drinks.
As the dark descended, loud cheers rang out among the throng in anticipation of the start of the night’s celebrations.
Calli Newman, from Ohio in the United States, had travelled from Brisbane saying: ‘I’ve wanted to do this for ages.’
Her friend, Chris Porter, added: ‘When you Google the best places for New Year, Sydney always comes out top.
‘I started queuing at about 7am but there were a lot of people here since 5am. It’s been fun.’
Below the gardens hundreds of boats of all sizes bobbed around in the harbour, with those lucky enough to be on board sure to have some of the best vantage points of all to watch the fireworks.
By just before 7pm, Sydney proved its popularity, with viewing spots around the Harbour, including Mrs Macquaries Point, East Circular Quay and Blues Point Reserve in North Sydney at capacity.
Most streets in Sydney’s CBD were also shut down for the New Year’s Eve celebration, while areas surrounding the harbour, including McMahons Point, Mosman and Potts Point were blocked.
An expected 1.6 million revellers will now wait for the third round of fireworks in the big midnight finale where the 12 storey, mystery symbol on the Harbour Bridge will finally be revealed.
Thousands of people started the festivities, streaming into Sydney’s CBD in anticipation of the evening’s spectacular fireworks display, with over 1.6 million Sydneysiders expected to fill the Harbour, and half a million expected in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
NSW Police began breathalising people on boats in Sydney Harbour, as the vehicles jostle for the best position to view the fireworks.
The harbour is expected to dazzle as 50 vessels carrying over 8,000 people erupt in light shortly after the first round of fireworks at 9pm.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen moored at Point Piper on Tuesday morning, snagging the prime position for the fireworks display with his 126-metre long yacht, The Octopus.
Hundreds of umbrellas and tents have popped up on Sydney’s Blues Point as people settle in to wait for the symphonic light display, with huge queues forming overnight to secure a prominent view.
At 12pm, the queue to enter Mrs Macquarie’s point, considered by many to offer the best view of the Harbour, stretched back for hundreds of metres.
Well-prepared revelers waited in the heat of the day with food, drink, sunscreen, and novelty hats to score the best position.
As of 3pm, Mrs Macquaries Point, Tarpeian Precint, the Sydney Opera House and Mary Booth had all been closed, reported The Australian.
While much of the evening will be dedicated to celebrating, floral tributes to Martin Place siege victims Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson are planned amid the evening’s fireworks.
The tribute will appear on the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge three times on Wednesday night, when seven tonnes of fireworks will be let off to illuminate the night sky.
‘It is in memory of the two young and talented people that we lost because of that siege,’ said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
‘We remember the trauma the hostages experienced, the bravery of the police and we remember the way Sydney responded as we expected – an inclusive, welcoming, multicultural community,’ he said.
Sydney Harbour will be a beacon of celebration as Australia farewells another year, sending 2014 off with an extra round of fireworks.
In what is believed to be a first, drones will be used to live stream the fireworks as they launch from the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and several barges in the water.
The famous Matt Hall air displays are expected to make an appearance at 6pm, and with a top temperature of 24 degrees.
The traditional 9pm and midnight fireworks will be broken up by a special 10.40pm display, but the organisers of the festivities are determined to keep the other surprise- the 12-storey mystery symbol on the Harbour Bridge- under wraps.
Jack Thompson, creative ambassador for Sydney’s New Years Eve celebrations, said the theme for this year’s New Years Eve, ‘Inspire’, is perfectly suited.
‘This city itself is a muse,’ Mr Thompson said.
‘The muse is what inspires the artist, and this city has been a muse since it was established,’ he said.
Fireworks in Melbourne are expected to be just as spectacular, with half a million people expected to flood the CBD to see the ‘ghost shell’ firework, which resembles a giant rolling wheel in the sky.
‘I don’t think it’s been used in fireworks display of this scale anywhere in Australia before,’ said Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.
‘When it’s fired it’s like a giant wheel in the sky and it moves about 70 metres across the sky, but as it does so, and as it rolls like a wheel, it changes colour.’
The fireworks will blanket six square kilometers of the city, firing from 21 skyscrapers to delight the senses of up to 600,000 people.
Premier Daniel Andrews encouraged Victorians to have fun, but make sure they had a plan to get home.
In Adelaide, the River Torrens is expected to be a celebratory hot spot, with up to 30,000 people expected to flock to Elder Park for New Years festivities.
‘Look out for each other, be safe, be responsible, but most of all have fun,’ he said.
Two people have been reported to have died on their way to Falls Festival, a man in his 20’s and a 19-year-old man.
Transport is expected to run smoothly across both cities, with additional trains and buses running to cater for the influx of people.
The recently introduced lockout laws will be relaxed for New Years Eve in Sydney, and more than 3000 officers will be working in the city as alcohol-related violence has been labeled the biggest threat to the festivities.
Bring-your-own alcohol has been banned from major vantage points around Sydney Harbour, in a move that may reflect the one-punch incident which saw the death of 18-year-old Daniel Christie last New Years Eve.
Deputy Premier Troy Grant said that safety was the priority of the NSW Police, and the City of Sydney, who also backed the decision.
‘We recognise people want to celebrate the start of the new year but we also want to maintain there will be no change to the last drinks at 3am or the tough measures we have implemented to protect the community,’ said Mr Grant.
The laws have been introduced to reduce street congestion and public transport pressure following the fireworks display at midnight, but only apply for the night.
People will be able to enter venues until 3am, though the no-take-away law still applies after 10pm.
Former premier Barry O’Farrell said the new laws, which included a curfew on trading hours to 3am across the city, sent out ‘the possible strongest message’ that drug and alcohol-fuelled violence will no longer be tolerated.
Maritime authorities will also be out in force to make sure operators of recreational and commercial vessels are compliant with maritime laws.
Meanwhile, over on the west coast there is expected to be as many as 15,000 people emerge in the Perth night entertainment district of Northbridge with live street performances.
A bit further south in the city of Fremantle there is expected to be more than 5,000 revellers seeing in the new year in the historic port town.
Online Reporter