New Year's in Sydney

Happy 2008 everyone!

I was mostly on my own on New Year's Eve, but still it was worth it to see the amazing fireworks that Sydney puts on at midnight. I found one of the most perfect spots, across on the north side of the harbour, almost right next to the bridge and with views of the Opera House and all of downtown. It was a small bit of park, but it didn't get crushingly crowded by midnight, at least not where I was sitting, and the people remained mostly civil. I spent all afternoon there, getting a bit sunbaked. It was sunny and about 28 degrees (low 80s F), but I fortunately didn't get burnt, I just kept slathering on the sunscreen. It may have been toasty here, but I was for once glad to not be in Melbourne since the forecast there was for 42 degrees (about 108F). That's just too much... It was quite warm here though and I envied the people around me who'd brought umbrellas for shade. An older couple sitting behind me graciously offered me the shade in the tent they had set up, so I sat in there for about an hour til it was late enough in the afternoon to be cooler. I later got to know the group sitting to one side of me, an Australian guy and his Polish girlfriend and German friend, very international... He shared some of their champagne with me at midnight, very nice of him, and we all wished each other Happy New Year. The fireworks were unbelievable. Actually, they give you a teaser at 9, the "family fireworks" so people with kids can see something and then leave to get the kids to bed. But that was nothing compared to the midnight fireworks. About 5-6 barges are set up on the harbour and from where I was you could see 3 of them, one being rather close to our left. All the barges had the same fireworks going at the same time and just one of them was about the same as what Portland might do on the 4th of July. Then there was the amazing stuff going off on the bridge, which is the centrepiece, and eventually added to it all was stuff going simultaneously on the tops of 8 buildings downtown, which we had a perfect view of. The finale brought me chills, the bridge was lost in all the fireworks going off, including a beautiful curtain of sparks falling from the base of the bridge, there were all the barges letting off tons of fireworks, plus an added barge on the water right in front of us.... There was so much at once, it was incredible, everyone cheering, and when it was over a huge cheer and applause from the whole harbour. Definitely a memorable beginning to 2008.

I have today in Sydney, then I drive towards Adelaide over the next 6 days. My last road trip of the trip. =( I'm kind of looking forward to moving on from Sydney, looking forward to being back in Melbourne in a couple of days, though I won't have a lot of time there. Should hopefully see some amazing views on the way...