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| Sydney revellers gather to ring in New Year's Eve | Sydney revellers gather to ring in New Year's Eve |
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| More than a million revellers have gathered at Sydney’s top vantage spots to ring in the new year under the glow of a multimillion-dollar fireworks display. | More than a million revellers have gathered at Sydney’s top vantage spots to ring in the new year under the glow of a multimillion-dollar fireworks display. |
| Standing among the crowds of punters at Sydney harbour for New Year’s Eve stirred up nostalgia and a sense of homecoming for Anthony Tarabie, who has recently returned to Australia after many years living abroad. | Standing among the crowds of punters at Sydney harbour for New Year’s Eve stirred up nostalgia and a sense of homecoming for Anthony Tarabie, who has recently returned to Australia after many years living abroad. |
| “Being overseas and watching the Harbour bridge light up at midnight each year was always a bittersweet experience, so to be able to finally see the fireworks first-hand is something really special,” the 42-year-old said. | “Being overseas and watching the Harbour bridge light up at midnight each year was always a bittersweet experience, so to be able to finally see the fireworks first-hand is something really special,” the 42-year-old said. |
| His friend, Michelle Flocco, said she returned to the city’s annual fireworks after 15 years as a show of resilience after international terror attacks during the year. “It’s about saying we’re not afraid, we’re here and we’re proud, we’re a community and we won’t be stopped from celebrating. | His friend, Michelle Flocco, said she returned to the city’s annual fireworks after 15 years as a show of resilience after international terror attacks during the year. “It’s about saying we’re not afraid, we’re here and we’re proud, we’re a community and we won’t be stopped from celebrating. |
| “You couldn’t keep me away from this place – just look at the view we’ve got,” she said, proudly gesturing towards her prime vantage point between the bridge and Opera House. | “You couldn’t keep me away from this place – just look at the view we’ve got,” she said, proudly gesturing towards her prime vantage point between the bridge and Opera House. |
| The harbourside was already packed before the family fireworks display at 9pm, with some preserving their energy by dozing on stretched-out picnic rugs. | The harbourside was already packed before the family fireworks display at 9pm, with some preserving their energy by dozing on stretched-out picnic rugs. |
| Revellers can expect to see more than 7 tonnes of fireworks over the Sydney skyline on Thursday night, with a “brave and bold” welcome-to-country ceremony honouring Sydney’s Indigenous peoples planned before both the early and midnight firework displays. | Revellers can expect to see more than 7 tonnes of fireworks over the Sydney skyline on Thursday night, with a “brave and bold” welcome-to-country ceremony honouring Sydney’s Indigenous peoples planned before both the early and midnight firework displays. |
| Meanwhile in Brisbane, more than 100,000 were expected to turn out for the largest fireworks display in Queensland’s history, to be set off from five barges and three CBD rooftops. The show was planned to coincide with a display on the Gold Coast. | |
| Melbourne was planning to let off 10 tonnes of fireworks to an audience of about half a million people. | |
| Celebrations were expected to be quieter on Victoria’s surf coast, though, with fireworks permits revoked between Torquay and Apollo Bay. | |
| A destructive blaze continues to burn in the area but a wind change on Thursday afternoon sent it away from Kennett River, Grey River and Wongarra and back into dense bushland. | |
| Evacuated residents from those towns are now allowed to go home. | |
| A total fire ban was declared across south and central Victoria, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees in many parts of the state. | |
| Sparklers can only be used indoors during total fire ban periods, the Country Fire Authority said. |