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In the first big party of 2009, up to 1.5 million people rang in the New Year in Sydney today with a $5m (£2.3m), 12-minute fireworks spectacle including 10,000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects to a background of rock music.
With the theme of Creation, the event was 15 months in the making, with a dazzling array of more than 100,000 individual pyrotechnics firing from the bridge, six barges around the harbour and the top of several skyscrapers.
The 12-minute spectacle is considered one of the best fireworks displays in the world, attracting more people on New Year's Eve than Times Square in New York or celebrations in London.
The Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations are always among the most spectacular in the world. Activity focuses around a glittering Darling Harbour and the majestic Harbour Bridge, the backdrop for some of the most breathtaking fireworks you'll ever see.
The night kicks off at 9pm with the Family Fireworks, followed by the Harbour of Light Parade. More than 50 boats - including Tall Ships, ferries and Sydney's Heritage Fleet - do a round-trip of the harbour, their hulls or masts twinkling with special Sydney New Year's Eve lights. Add a touch of glamour to your night by booking a trip aboard one of the boats.
Then, as the clock hands strike twelve, the world-renowned Midnight Fireworks light up the skies, whilst being broadcast across the globe. They last for exactly 12 minutes - one for every month of the New Year. Around 1.5 million people watch the Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations live around Sydney Harbour (joining an estimated 600 million watching on television) and each year they contribute to a specially chosen charity, announced in early December.
Amazing fireworks off Sydney Harbour Bridge on New Year's Eve. Courtesy of City of Sydney.