Australia New Years Eve 2012

The first country to welcome in the New Year for 2012 was Australia and in true antipodean style, they did it twice to make sure that everyone was able to gain a great view and to ensure that children were in bed before the witching hour.

More than 1.5 million people gathered to watch the wonderful fireworks display in the country’s largest City. The display was launched from building roof-tops, barges on the bay and from the top of Sidney’s famous opera house. In addition to the locals, around the world, the display was watched by up to one billion people around the world as the first taster of the New Year to come.

The initial display at 9pm is a Family display and whilst still well received is simply a precursor to the big event at midnight.

Since the millennium, the fireworks displays have been designed and created by Australia’s premier manufacturer and display specialist Fortunato Foti of Foti Fireworks. This family-run company have had a connection with fireworks since 1793 and now the 7th generation of Foti’s stand in the shoes of some very impressive predecessors.

Overall winners of the World Fireworks Championships in Blackpool 2011, are no strangers to winning as they hold first place at the 2011 Hanabi World Cup Firework championships in Japan as well this year and have an impressive list of technically challenging displays like the River Fire in Brisbane, a display which was difficult due to it all being set on the water. The in July 2011 they held a 17-minute spectacular show in Spain, celebrating the Catalonian style of loud high impact reports on shells and artillery style salutes and high colour.

This years theme was ‘A Time To Dream’. Foti introduced some new effects this year which include ‘clouds’, ‘criss-cross shells’ which produce a lattice effect and ‘quadrant shells’. The quadrants are based on 4 colours, each representing differing ethos. Violet – community, peace and stability, Blue – the harbour and the country’s future aspirations, Green – environment, growing and nurturing and finally yellow – optimism and happiness. Also watch out for ‘double squares’, ‘butterflies with green eyes’ and ‘waterfalls’

The cost of the 7000 kilos of pyro? $6.3 million Australian Dollars which is a cool £4.17 million sterling.