Good tip

Sydney, Australia

Celebrating New Year's in Sydney

Ringing in the new year under Sydney's fireworks

After two months in Australia, spending New Year's in Sydney was a no-brainer — the event is world-famous, and with good reason: thanks to its time zone, Sydney is the first major Western city to cross into the new year. Its images travel the world before Europe has even sat down to dinner.

On earlier visits I'd already scouted the spot I wanted to be at: Mrs Macquarie's Chair. You need to get there early — we went in the afternoon, but I'd strongly recommend arriving first thing in the morning.

✓ Bucket list

Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Fireworks

✎ what nobody told us: there are two firework displays. A shorter one goes off at 9pm — the Family Fireworks, designed for children and anyone who won't make it to midnight. The main show launches at midnight, fired from seven barges on the harbour, the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and rooftops across the CBD. If you're in place from the afternoon, you'll see both.

A substantial security operation is in place for the event, with drink stands and food trucks all around. At midnight, the countdown begins, the voices of more than a million people ring out across the whole bay, and then the fireworks explode across the entire sky — an absolutely incredible moment.

+Where to watch the fireworks

Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Free, no ticket · capacity 10,000

The legendary spot: this is where the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge line up in the same frame. The site opens around 10am, but the queue starts forming from 7am, and it's usually full by early afternoon. Arrive after 11am and the good places are gone, with views partly blocked by trees.

Cahill Expressway

Free, by ballot

One of the finest views in the city, on a stretch of motorway closed for the occasion. Access is by free public ballot, opening in September and closing in early October. Only a few thousand places across both sessions.

Opera House forecourt

Free but ticketed

Long a first-come, first-served spot, the forecourt is now ticketed — free, but you must book. Bookings open only a few days before the event, in late December. Don't turn up assuming you'll get in.

From a boat

Unbeatable view of the bay, booking well in advance required. The priciest option, often several hundred Australian dollars per person.

Rooftop bar

Festive vibe with a clear view. Booking essential, and usually with a minimum spend.

The north shore

Blues Point Reserve, Bradfield Park, Cremorne Point: free, less besieged than Mrs Macquarie's, with the Harbour Bridge in silhouette. A good fallback if you can't be there at 7am.

✎ prepare for the wait. You'll spend ten to fifteen hours on site, in the middle of the southern summer: water, hat, sunscreen, something to sit on, something to do. Most vantage points are alcohol-free zones, and bringing your own is prohibited — some sites sell it on the spot, others don't. Check your site's rules on the city's official page before you go.

✎ public transport is free on the evening of 31 December and through much of the night. Don't bother looking for a taxi: they're impossible to find and extortionate.

✎ if you're staying overnight, book a hotel or hostel far ahead — Sydney's rates soar over this period, and central hostels sell out months in advance

+After the fireworks

Take the chance to keep the night going at a club or bar — unlike most other nights, the dress code isn't strict. I got into one in flip-flops and shorts after a long day in the sun.

✎ your ID gets scanned at the door of any nightclub in the country. Get ready to see your worst photo displayed on a big screen for everyone to see.