By Miles Godfrey, AAP
January 1, 2012, 7:25 am
Sydneysiders and visitors have welcomed the new year with an extravagant pyrotechnic show
A giant four-coloured rainbow beamed from Sydney Harbour Bridge as the city's extravagant fireworks displays kicked off New Year's Eve celebrations across the world.
The symbol of hope and renewal formed the centrepiece of the spectacular $6.5 million show, in which seven tonnes of pyrotechnics rocketed into a perfectly clear night sky.
About 1.5 million people watched from vantage points across the harbour as multicoloured clouds, bow ties, spirals, hearts, smiley faces and rectangles turned the sky into a riot of light and colour.
Police were happy with the behaviour of crowds, although a man aged in his early 20s was taken to hospital after impaling his thigh on a fence he tried to jump at the Botanic Gardens.
NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch said 57 arrests made, mainly for relatively low-level crimes.
A 27-year-old man was arrested for shining a laser pen at a police helicopter at McMahons Point.
There were about 40 arrests during the same period last year.
An estimated global audience of more than one billion watched on television.
Creative director Marc Newson's theme of Time to Dream - which he said came with a message of hope for a better year ahead - was popular among those in the Botanic Gardens.
"It's absolutely inspiring. It's given me a lump in my throat," Miranda Fiske told AAP.
Connor Burstow, an Irish tourist, added: "It's a great theme really, spectacular, thought provoking and awe inspiring."
One person very much hoping for a better year ahead was homeless man David Saluzinski, who spent the night watching the fireworks on Pyrmont Bridge.
"I got made homeless earlier this year, so I'm absolutely hoping next year is better for me. It can't get much worse," he told AAP.
"The thing is everyone has been very generous to me. Even tonight I've had people coming up to me giving me $5 notes and wishing me happy new year."
The celebrations were set to a soundtrack of all-Australian music, including artists Josh Abrahams and David Carbone.
Other effects included never before seen cloud-shaped fireworks, butterflies and strobing golden waterfalls.
The words Welcome to Sydney were projected on to the Harbour Bridge pylons in 16 languages, said to represent the city's migrant and tourist population.
Chinese immigrant Chi Smith said it was an inclusive move.
"I loved the whole thing from start to finish," she told AAP.
"I know my parents are watching on TV and they'll love the fact Sydney's showing it welcomes foreigners."
Revellers began bagging the best vantage spots around the harbour the previous night, armed with tents, eskys of drinks, enough food to supply a small army and a party spirit that more than made up for the booze ban in force across much of the night.
Earlier, thousands lined Darling Harbour and other precincts for the early fireworks, a traditional curtain raiser and warm-up for the midnight celebrations.
A pyrotechnic waterfall cascaded from the Sydney Harbour Bridge as the family-friendly early display lit the sky above the harbour at 9pm (AEDT).
Hundreds of thousands looked as a 10-minute volley of fireworks was launched from barges, city buildings and the Harbour Bridge.
Chân thành cám ơn Quý Anh Chị ghé thăm "conbenho Nguyễn Hoài Trang Blog"
Xin được lắng nghe ý kiến chia sẻ của Quý Anh Chị trực tiếp tại Diễn Đàn Paltalk: 1Latdo Tapdoan Vietgian CSVN Phanquoc Bannuoc .
Kính chúc Sức Khỏe Quý Anh Chị .
conbenho
Tiểu Muội quantu
Nguyễn Hoài Trang
01012012
___________
CSVN là TỘI ÁC
Bao che, dung dưỡng TỘI ÁC là đồng lõa với TỘI ÁC
No comments:
Post a Comment