Experience I NEW YEAR’S EVE
BYRON BLISS
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DUSK UNTIL DAWN IN MELBOURNE Melbourne is the perfect setting for the ultimate all-nighter. From 6pm, catch live music and entertainment at Early Eve in Yarra Park, winding up with 9:30pm fireworks. You’ll have time to grab a bite at Chin Chin or Supernormal on Flinders Lane before heading down to Kings Domain for the midnight display. In the wee hours, cradle a cocktail at Magic Mountain Saloon or Lily Blacks, followed by a Cantonese feast at Supper Inn or tonkotsu ramen at Shujinko. As dawn nears, wander down to South Bank to watch the sun rise on the Yarra.
MAKE AN AUSPICIOUS START Follow the Lunar New Year tradition and give yourself the best possible start to your new year. In China, many families give their house a thorough cleaning on the eve of the new Lunar Year and make sure they spend the last meal of the year feasting together as a family. It’s a time to settle debts, resolve grudges and throw out the old year for a completely fresh start.
SEE THE SUNRISE Be among the first to welcome 2017 on the remote East Cape of New Zealand’s North Island. The ruggedly beautiful area is the most easterly point on the International Date Line, and a laidback spot to spend New Year’s Eve. Find a freedom camp and get to bed early (or stay up all night), before climbing the 700 steps up to the East Cape lighthouse at first light to welcome in the year’s first sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.
THE BIG BANG
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Fireworks over Sydney Harbour; dawn on New Zealand’s East Cape; yoga on Byron’s Main Beach; dinner at Chin Chin.
The annual Sydney Harbour Fireworks is Australia’s answer to the Times Square Ball Drop, seen by an estimated billion people worldwide. If you’re not lucky enough to have a private yacht or don’t want to pay for a CBD viewing spot, there are plenty of harbourside parks with free views of the pyrotechnic theatrics. Pack a picnic and head to Birchgrove Park, Observatory Hill Park or McKell Park early for inner-city views, or avoid the melee out at North Head. See your options at sydneynewyearseve.com
The perfect way to start the new year
PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM AUSTRALIA
Start your new year the wholesome way at the easternmost point of the Australian mainland. The heart of Byron Bay becomes Soul Street on on December 31, with family-friendly activities planned until the sun goes down. Bright and early next morning join the yoga lovers on Main Beach for First Sun, where dawn is welcomed with a silent meditation session then the sounding of the gongs. Tourist numbers in Byron at this time are strictly regulated, so you’ll need pre-booked accommodation.
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