New Year's Eve 2017 & New Year's Day 2018
Here we are, one of the biggest notable celebrations, New Year's Eve in Sydney, an iconic piece of tv reporting. Here we are, going to be part of it.
We awoke early to rain and a dull morning, luckily, it soon burnt off and we had yet another good weather day. A day where people were in the apartment's pool, on the edge of the Bay. Can this really be New Year's Eve? After breakfast, Jonathan cut Neil's hair, I messaged a few people & sorted souvenirs, Caroline got the picnic sorted before we headed off to the garden at 2.00 Up to twelve guests can be invited by each tenant/owner and a list of invited people have to be given to the gate's security person.
North Sydney, McMahon Point are sealed off by the Police and people who camped out overnight have to move off from the Point by 3/4.00 am New Year's Day.
2.00pm? Wasn't this far too early? What we do for 11 hours? Well, the time passed by so quickly and there was so much to do and see and to savour. A huge logistical exercise in the making with a maritime exclusion zone and Police helicopters "buzzing" the harbour and bridge. The flags on top of
bridge are taken down but amazingly, the trains carry on trundling over the bridge.
The camaraderie was great and time passed so quickly. The evening began proper at 6.00pm with a flying display which kept us occupied for a short while. Lots of good humour prevailed and security men were on duty in the garden.
At 8.40 a welcoming speech resounded and asked for respect for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait people. (The Torres Strait Islanders are indigenous people of T.S. Island which is part of Queensland.) A cleansing of the harbour ceremony came next. The smoking ceremony is an ancient custom amongst some Aboriginal Australians.
This involves smouldering and burning native plants that that
they believe have cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits. The smell of eucalyptus in the air was beautiful as it drifted across to the bay.
At 9.00pm came a family firework display, equally as impressive as the "main event" but shorter. This means that families, or those with children, do not miss out, but can leave early. After this came a Harbour of Light Parade, another highlight. Each vessel is decorated with a special rope light and they race between Goat Island and Cockatoo Island.
All of this and we still have two and a half hours to go before midnight. The weather was superb, and all day we just wore shorts and tee shirts - no sweaters needed. Not like wrapping up in the UK! We continued to graze on the picnic and had a big shared amount with friends. How great and unforgettable was this! All we see on the tv is a fraction of the main fireworks at midnight. I didn't know that so many things took place. Pinch me again!!
The midnight fireworks was a grand affair, lasting twelve minutes. A rainbow coloured waterfall cascaded from the Bridge celebrating the legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia.
Another day of memorable moments, how so very lucky to be part of it and from such a great vantage point of the "back garden".
After getting to bed at 3.0am we were awoken by squabbling birds at 7.30. Naughty Larakeets. Street cleaners were busy, tidying and generally restoring order. A lazy morning was in order and we took a taxi to The Oak, Military Rd, Neutral Bay. A lovely pub with a welcoming leafy patio, a massive oak tree was growing in the middle of the patio and all around were poinsettias - what an unusual combination!! A beautiful sunny and hot day, a welcoming cold drink and a roast lamb pizza not the NY Day that we are accustomed to. We returned to Milsons Point by bus, leaving Jon and & Caz to walk. We got off at the top of Lavender St and walked gently to Sourdough. We chatted to a couple about Academia/Cambridge and Stephen Hawking - well that's what my notes say! They spent their time living between Chatswood and Hunter Valley. After the enlightening chat we ambled down to Milsons Point and back around Lavender Bay. Happy 2018.
We awoke early to rain and a dull morning, luckily, it soon burnt off and we had yet another good weather day. A day where people were in the apartment's pool, on the edge of the Bay. Can this really be New Year's Eve? After breakfast, Jonathan cut Neil's hair, I messaged a few people & sorted souvenirs, Caroline got the picnic sorted before we headed off to the garden at 2.00 Up to twelve guests can be invited by each tenant/owner and a list of invited people have to be given to the gate's security person.
North Sydney, McMahon Point are sealed off by the Police and people who camped out overnight have to move off from the Point by 3/4.00 am New Year's Day.
2.00pm? Wasn't this far too early? What we do for 11 hours? Well, the time passed by so quickly and there was so much to do and see and to savour. A huge logistical exercise in the making with a maritime exclusion zone and Police helicopters "buzzing" the harbour and bridge. The flags on top of
The camaraderie was great and time passed so quickly. The evening began proper at 6.00pm with a flying display which kept us occupied for a short while. Lots of good humour prevailed and security men were on duty in the garden.
At 8.40 a welcoming speech resounded and asked for respect for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait people. (The Torres Strait Islanders are indigenous people of T.S. Island which is part of Queensland.) A cleansing of the harbour ceremony came next. The smoking ceremony is an ancient custom amongst some Aboriginal Australians.
This involves smouldering and burning native plants that that
they believe have cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits. The smell of eucalyptus in the air was beautiful as it drifted across to the bay.
At 9.00pm came a family firework display, equally as impressive as the "main event" but shorter. This means that families, or those with children, do not miss out, but can leave early. After this came a Harbour of Light Parade, another highlight. Each vessel is decorated with a special rope light and they race between Goat Island and Cockatoo Island.
The midnight fireworks was a grand affair, lasting twelve minutes. A rainbow coloured waterfall cascaded from the Bridge celebrating the legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia.
Another day of memorable moments, how so very lucky to be part of it and from such a great vantage point of the "back garden".
After getting to bed at 3.0am we were awoken by squabbling birds at 7.30. Naughty Larakeets. Street cleaners were busy, tidying and generally restoring order. A lazy morning was in order and we took a taxi to The Oak, Military Rd, Neutral Bay. A lovely pub with a welcoming leafy patio, a massive oak tree was growing in the middle of the patio and all around were poinsettias - what an unusual combination!! A beautiful sunny and hot day, a welcoming cold drink and a roast lamb pizza not the NY Day that we are accustomed to. We returned to Milsons Point by bus, leaving Jon and & Caz to walk. We got off at the top of Lavender St and walked gently to Sourdough. We chatted to a couple about Academia/Cambridge and Stephen Hawking - well that's what my notes say! They spent their time living between Chatswood and Hunter Valley. After the enlightening chat we ambled down to Milsons Point and back around Lavender Bay. Happy 2018.
Comments
Post a Comment