Over 1 Million People Converge on Sydney Harbor for NYE Fireworks

Early morning on Dec 31st in Sydney, thousands of people started to take-up vantage points along the Sydney foreshore for this evening's Fireworks Spectacular. Up to 1.5 Million people are expected.

Sydney Harbor, with it's natural beauty and Iconic Sydney Opera House will once again be the focal point of entertainment to welcome in the New Year. The Sydney Harbor Bridge and strategically placed barges on the Harbor will launch over 11,000 pounds (5,000 Kgs) of shells in a multimillion dollar pyrotechnics show. Sydney is the first major city in the world to see in the New Year, with a record 1.5 million people expected to ring in midnight on the waterfront at 1300 GMT. There will be a preliminary Fireworks display at 9PM Sydney Time for Family's unable to keep the children awake for the midnight blast. If GMT is not your thing, remember that Sydney time is : 16 hours ahead of Toronto, New York, 19 hours ahead of LA 9 hours ahead of London 3 hours ahead of China. It has been an idyllic day in Sydney, with clear skies, light breezes and temperatures in the upper 20s Celsius, leading into a clear tropical night. There are a number of web cam sites that will cover the Fireworks: Sydney-webcam Webcam/Australia/Sydney Sydney's Channel Ten TV will cover the events live. Later in the evening, the nation's largest single New Year event will be held at the city's Telstra Dome stadium, where up to 40,000 people are expected to dance their way into 2009.