New Years Eve will soon be here. As this goes to press, it is not even Christmas yet, of course, but there’s no sense in waiting until the last minute to make your New Year’s Eve plans. After all, no one likes a New Year’s Eve downer.
If you’re looking for something different for New Year’s, we’ve got it. If you’re looking for something involving travel or are already planning on being down under for the holidays, we have some great ideas for enjoying the best New Year’s Australia ever. Here are several of the best activities for New Year’s Australia has to offer from festivals and fireworks to quieter more nature-focused options.
Sydney Harbour
Perhaps the most obvious choice, Sydney Harbour is reputed to be the Aussie equivalent of the U.S.’s Times Square in New York City. It is the most popular NYE spot in the country. Ring in the new year with the Australian crowds beneath a beautiful blanket of flashy fireworks right off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. You might even catch crooner Kylie Minogue making a surprise guest appearance.
Falls Festival In Lorne, Byron Bay or Marion Bay
Tickets for The Falls Festival in any of these three locations are traditionally a coveted item. Still, if you can’t get tickets for the event this year, you can always plan for the next. It is always of special interest to those interested in art and music. In fact, for the creative crowd, the Falls Festival is said to be the perfect way to bring in the New Year. What could be more enjoyable than rockin’ out to several of the best live acts from across the globe in the memorable surroundings of this transitory festival village ambiance?
Lord Howe Island
While this might be the less obvious choice to some, Lord Howe Island is the first actual Australian spot from which to see the sun rise on a new year. This World Heritage-listed isle, located 500 kilometers east of Port Macquarie, offers a more intimate way to celebrate the occasion. It’s a more DIY-style activity where you can bring your personal beverage of choice and build your own bonfire on the beach to welcome in 2017. If you’re feeling extra naughty and adventurous, you can even sneak a skinny dip in the ocean under the dawn’s early light.
Yarra Party Boat Fever
If you don’t get seasick and you enjoy fireworks, this is the gig for you. Enjoy Melbourne’s fireworks as you cruise on the Yarra along the Docklands. Purchase a ticket on one of the party boats and enjoy the fully stocked bar and live entertainment or rent a private boat for a more intimate eve’s affair. Like the water but don’t have your sea legs? Reserve a table or buy a ticket and celebrate at one of the numerous waterfront bars or restaurants in Southbank, Docklands or St Kilda.
Gold Coast Skies
The Gold Coast of Queensland is a surfer’s paradise and they, of course, know how to party, dude. Naturally, when it’s time to celebrate New Year’s Australia-style, they go for it with multiple firework displays all along the coast from Coomera to Coolangatta. The celebratory center is Surfers Paradise where you can sit on the beach, have a drink and enjoy the night.
Hobart
If you’re a hardcore foodie and travel mainly for the food then you need to experience The Taste of Tasmania. While all these other places are shooting their wad with fireworks, Hobart is preparing a veritable feast for your senses at their famous Taste of Tasmania. From December 28 through January 3 the city streets will be alive with “feast-ive” market stalls presenting the area’s beers, fine foods, and wines.
Celebrate Twice
Celebrate Twice. Jump the border and celebrate NYE two times. You can sing “Auld Lang Syne” on the beach in Tweeds Heads and then do it again one hour later across the border in Coolangatta.
The best part? You can literally walk between the two prime locations in time to celebrate on both sides of the border. Take it easy with a NYE on the beach straddling your way between time zones.
You can ring in 2017 in Sydney then hop on a plane to Hawaii and see in 2017 again on U.S. soil. The 50th state is one of the last locations where people welcome in the new year. That means, like the Rolling Stones sing, “time is on your side.” You can party in the new year in Sydney, fly about 10 hours and land in the Aloha State on New year’s Eve. It’s like time travel! You can celebrate for 48 hours and then spend some time recuperating on a relaxing Waikiki beach enjoying all the delights of this stately island paradise.