“I swear, the last time I attended Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks was for the millenium”, I told my friend Kate last night. “We had a friend visiting from Ireland, so of course, we headed down the harbour”, I added, noting that every time since then I’ve either been at a party, at a pub, at home in Sydney, or, on a couple of occasions, in Lismore.

I’m not a huge one for crowds, so the idea of NYE fireworks doesn’t really appeal. However, a few weeks ago, a friend offered us tickets, as she was planning to travel home to Korea to visit family. So, of course we said yes.

Older, and hopefully wiser than we would have been twenty years ago, we packed food (a yummy selection), napkins, and blankets to sit on. The only thing we couldn’t bring with us was alcohol, which sadly, was very, very expensive.

And guess what? It was great fun. We enjoyed the night very much.

Even getting home wasn’t too bad. For Kate, it was a train trip home to Newcastle, and she reports the transport options were terrific. For me, there were numerous buses and trains, but in the end, I chose to walk home instead, bypassing the lengthy queues. It was nearly two o’clock by the time I made it through my apartment door, but I felt happy and healthy. Happy New Year.