New Years Fireworks

What's the difference between a long-haul flight and waiting for the NYE fireworks? Not much it seems, the main difference being the food comes to YOU on the plane. I knew beforehand it was going to be crowded, and that we'd have to get there early - but finding a huge long line of people snaking around the outside of Sydney Botanic Gardens at 12.30 in the afternoon was still kind of surprising. Gave up on joining it as there were signs everywhere saying they'd shut that park as soon as there were too many people - the thought of waiting hours in that line only to not get in dissuaded us immediately. Luckily down the road there was another small park, situated just behind the opera house with a nice view of the Harbour Bridge and with hardly any line at all! Score! At least that's what I thought for the first couple of hours. After that, as the sun slowly turned my skin into crispy bacon, sitting on a tiny square of space hemmed in by increasingly rowdy, mostly naked Brits and Irish, I began to wonder whether this was all that worth while. Being a scorching day with no clouds, waiting for the sun to drop behind the nearby luxury apartments (with the best view of all) - watching the shade gradually creep across the grass was briefly more exciting than any fireworks countdown, but that may have just been a symptom of sunstroke. At 9pm the first fireworks went off, the "Family Fireworks"..unfortunately there was a rather large tree in the way, blocking all but a few streaks of flame. Drat. Then for the next few hours lit-up boats cruised around the harbour while everyone went slightly stir crazy. Finally midnight rolled around, everyone crushed up to the railings overlooking the harbour and what a display.. And it was worth it...my skin is almost back to its healthy pasty white, and six months from now I'll only remember the last 15 minutes if the 12 hour wait!