Fire Works

(Written 31/12, 14.40)

I am currently in a seemingly never-ending queue fir the Sydney new year fireworks. I rocked up at 11am thinking I had done well to find this massive hoard of people after my 8km walk to the site. The queue itself was very well organised and it seemed it would be a calm, but long, wait to get to Lady Macquarie's Chair - an awesome place with a view of both the opera house and the harbour bridge. Wrong! After about two hours of queuing I had reached the middle point when carnage broke out. No one was quite clear on what triggered it, but everyone started running forward! The queue that now seemd like a mere fabulation of the mind was replaced by first a stampede, and then just a disorderly and unruly crowd. The spaghetti had been overboiled. 

Now, after several near-fights ans some pretty good work by the stewards, order has been restored and I am nearing the front of the queue. Four hours later! Calm and composed, the whole ordeal (thus far) has been pretty amusing! 

Oh and I forgot to mention, it is a glorious day. I'm sure in England the heat of this blazing sun alone would have responsible for a few scuffles! 

(Written 01/01/14, 17.34)

So after the 4-5 hour queue, there was still much awaiting to do! A quick scan of the 17,000 people site later, I found myself parked on a steep hill wih trees obstructing my view of the bridge! After eating time (and sandwiches) chilling with some Brazilians, the family set began at 9pm. Now they were big and all, but they lasted about ten minutes and barely used the bridge (not that I could see the bridge!). However, this impression was replaced at game time, and the whole of the Sydney sky was on fire. The rockets off the Harbour Bridge and the synchronisation of fireworks across at least four points in the city made it an epic set of fireworks. The finale wih the bridge completely covered was massive. Unbelievably, though, I think the actual fireworks and "musicography" (but obviously not the setting) at Trinity and St John's Colleges' May Balls in Cambridge were better! Proud of that Cantab. Repping my stripes. 

A very very long day, but definitely worth itand certainly a memorable way to welcome 2014!