We will be travelling from Europe just to see Sydney's fireworks on NYE and spend 10 days in the town (3rd trip to Sydney).

Which is the best spot/place to be for a better view of the fireworks ? From the shore on North Sydney ? From the Opera House ? or ??

Do public transports/ferries or taxis go after midnight January 1st to return to our accomodation ?

Appreciate your suggestions. Thank you

fabio

Hi Fabio,

Lots of extra public transport is put on for NYE in Sydney.

As for the best viewing spots - sort of depends how much effort you want to put into it, and whether you want to stake a claim to a prime space early in the day, and have the stamina and resources to hang on to it!!

I guess the SOH would be best of all but it will cost ya!!

We go down to a local park - west of the Bridge - where the view is good enough for me, and there's a great atmosphere, but it is not quite "in the thick of things".

Maybe this site will tell you all you need to know.

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nye/

And have a great time.

thank you chimani

I assume you are from SYD or around !! How lucky you are !!

For the 31st we are booked at Novotel Olympic Park, quite 40 minutes by ferry from Circular Quay. As we have 2 kids aged 12 and 6 we will wait for the midnight fireworks and then back to sleep shortly after midnight.

We have now to figure out how to reach our hotel after midnight: by ferry, bus, taxi.......

We are also considering to move to somewhere else closer to the harbour but availabilities and budget seem not to be on our side !!

Even apartments have higher prices than hotels in that period (24th dec to Jan 3rd)

Have a great time, you too

fabio

great website !!! thank you again

When we were there for NYE 2003 we went on a party boat that was part of the boat parade. I know you didn't ask about this option but thought I'd mention it. It was a BLAST. Our son was 13 at the time and he loved it also. We were anchored in the harbor (by a little island with a fort) and got to see the 9:00pm and Midnight fireworks. The buffet was actually good, it was beer and wine included and they had a band. Also being in the boat parade was great. We left and returned from Darling Harbor and took the monorail back to our hotel at about 1:30am. You will have a great time. This year we will be spending NYE in AKL.

I suggest you contact the hotel for ideas, the Novotel Olympic has a car service operating from the premises.

Just bear in mind that the ferries won't be running from Circular Quay, taxis will be very difficult to catch and the trains will be congested. You will probably have to change trains at Lidcombe.

If you decide to go the car route, it may be just as cost efficient to book a hotel in the city area.

Fabio, you have a problem maybe as Olympic Park is a long way from that Bridge and the trade mark NYE finale.

And if you went somewhere else, I honestly don't know how you would get back home. I believe train services to OP are not very regular at the best of times.

Looking for somewhere to stay for one night (31 Dec) in Sydney is like looking for the Holy Grail.

I thought I'd check the cheap and cheerful on your behalf - ie YHA hostels, but even they are all minimum 3 nights stay.

If it were me - and I have no idea what your accomm plans are for the nights pre- and post the big one, (and I have no idea of your budget or must-have comfort levels) I would consider the following:

YHA Railway Square has availability even now for the two nights - Sunday 30 and Monday 31/12 (but you would have to book a third night to qualify).

You and your missus could get a double with private bathroom for $98 a night and the kids could take a twin for $20 less and use shared facilities.

Or you could contact them by phone and see if you could get a whole dorm room to yourselves.

I haven't stayed there but I have stayed at Sydney Central YHA which is just a touch closer to the city.

And it was great. You are not looking for mega-service levels are you? Just somewhere good to sleep and close to the action.

Both hostels, Sydney Central and Railway Square, are at the top of George St.

You could walk home from the harbour in 25 mins - and you would also have much more chance of getting a taxi there, if it came to it, than one out to Olympic Park which must be 20kms away from the city centre.

Go check it out.

www.yha.com.au

Cheers.

thank you all for your suggestions

patw: we will check into the boat cruise options. It seems rates are about $ 550 each x 4 people = $ 2200

I know it is awesome !!! We will see and re-check the whole budget including the accomodation costs

chimani

My concern was right: Novotel at Olympic park is too far away and uncomfortable to return after midnight.

We have temporary booked all 10 nights at OP because it has vacancy for all 10 nghts but I might have another option:

24 to 29 at Novotel Darling Harbour (5 nights). They do not have vacancy after 29th until january

29 to 1st somewhere else as you suggested. No problem for min 3 nights stay and we are not looking for luxury at all !! I have been using YH quite a lot in my 20s as backpacker. Should I find a suitable accomodation for us 4 we will do it !!

I checked some links for YH but they had no availabilities. Probably I missed the one you mentioned. I will do it immediately. Thank you

1st to 3rd back to Novotel Darling Harbour
I have specal rate agreements with Novotel chain and they have 3/4 properties in SYD

regards

fabio

AYH Railway Square: all roomtypes are in RED as no available 29th to 1st

Sarvowinner: yes, I will try to contact the hotel for some arrangments in case we have no alternatives !!

fabio

Hi Fabio and Hi patw !

We were there the same night as Pat and we did what chimani says put loads of effort to getting our space....lol

We had a great spot next to SOH sat on the harbour wall,looking directly at the SHB it was a battle to keep it to be honest and I nearly threw an English woman and her whole family in the water as they gently tried to edge us out..lol Not to mention the indian family who kept asking if their elderly mother could sit down for a few moments on our spot..she should have brought a deck chair !! lol

But we had staked our claim on the spot at 12:00 midday, they arrived at 7:45 pm. Seems stupid really especially as I will never queue for anything here at home.

To be honest there are some good places to see the fireworks, but remember the fireworks are largely in the air and on the bridge so you can see them from many places.

Our children were 13 and 16 at the time and we too thought a planned position would be better.
With hindsight I probably wouldn't bother battling for the spot again, but just get there early evening and make the best of it.

Prices of hotels hike in the harbour on NYE but transport is excellent, I'm sure you will be able to get back to your hotel.

Good luck with your planning and have a fabulous time !!

Muck

Ciao Fabio,
It may be "mission impossible" but I've used these apartments at Potts Point for friends & have just emailed them to see what their availability is over New Year.
Should have a response by Monday pm (they close on the weekend).
I think my friends paid something like $160/2Br and were very happy with both the apartment & the location.
Actually, it was a Fodorite enquiry which led me to "17 Elizabeth Bay Road". I inspected it for her & was so impressed, I recommended it to my friends.

If you stayed there, you could all walk home from, say, Mrs Macquarie's Chair/Opera House - or view the fireworks from Rushcutters Bay/Darling Point.

www.seventeenapartments.citysearch.com.au

You may consider the north side of Sydney. We always go to Milson's Point to watch the fireworks -easily accessible by train and just down the road from Milson's Point Station. Great views and good atmosphere for both the 9 pm( children and families) and the midnight(main one)fireworks

So sorry, Fabio. To be honest I was surprised it wasn't all red, but it wasn't.

The last poster probably has the right idea. North Shore for viewing and accommo too.

North Sydney, Artarmon, would be suburbs to search as they are on the train line north from the City.

Meanwhile here are two places you may or may not have come across:

http://www.alishan.com.au/index.htm

http://www.glenferrielodge.com/?gcli...FREuYAodYDx9AA

Best of luck.

Hi Fabio

Just checked the Accor hotels website - these are all part of the same group as Novotel.

The Mercure Sydney has a room available on the 31st for (Gulp) $399 = 2 children under 15 can stay in the room. It is located by Central Station and it will be very easy to catch either a train or a bus from Circular Quay. Perhaps bite the bullet and move into town for the night. The rate on the 30th is $209 so you could stay at Novotel DH from 24th to 29th. There will be a lot more happening in the city over Xmas than at Olympic Park.

To see all the availablity - go to www.accor.com.au

thank you all very much again !!!

I will keep all your suggestions in mind.
I was also considering the North Shore of Sydney as I assume that viewing ofe fireworks with the bridge on the right and Opera House just in front should be fantastic !!

Accomodation.
I use Accor hotel chains since many years. Novotel usually take 2 free kids in the room while Mercure just one, ... but surprisingly Mercure in Sydney take 2 kids as well so I have moved my reservation as follows

24 to 30 Mercure Sydney, near Central Station. Alternative:

24 to 29 Novotel Darling Harbour,

30 to 2 or 3 still open

chiani: YHA Rail Square actually has no vacancy for 3 nights but only for 2, 31st and 1st but they have the 3 nights minimum stay. Option would be I make them a proposal to pay 3 and stay 2 with the 3rd stand by in case of cancellation......

I will also re-check the 3 nights at mercure 30-31-1, higher praces and nor cancellation neither changes are allowed.

Novotel Olympic Park I will cancell them. I wrote them and they replied that the only transportation back to hotel on NYE is by taxi, or I will keep the 30 to 2nd nights until I do not find anything else...

I will check all your listed accomodation. North Sydney sounds good forthe 3 crucial nights !

thank you Mucky Bokhara Sarvowinner chimani patw !!

angelnot1

thank you, too

I have checked that Milson Point is also a great location !!

It seems that the keyword is to be "close to train station" for any location on NYE !!

Fabio

Glad everything is coming together. I would take the Novotel at Darling Harbour over the Mercure Sydney over Christmas. There is a lot more happening at Darling Harbour over Xmas and there is lots of park land and places for the kids to run around whereas there isn't a lot around the Mercure. The Mercure will be fine for NYE if you can't find anything else.