Happy New Year!

[onlyslightlymad]

I hope your evening went well.  A wet one here in NZ, which literally put a dampener on things but a beautiful morning.  Here's to looking forward to 2024!

[MicCanberra]

Happy new year everyone, may all your travels be smooth.

[lyndarra]

2 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

I hope your evening went well.  A wet one here in NZ, which literally put a dampener on things but a beautiful morning.  Here's to looking forward to 2024!

NYE seems to be becoming a bit to regular for my liking.

[MicCanberra]

[MicCanberra]

40 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

NYE seems to be becoming a bit to regular for my liking.

Better than the alternative.

[ceeceeDee]

Wishing everyone all the very best for 2024.

 

Gold Coast is getting drenched accompanied by a soundtrack of thunder. It's just after 8am and I'm the only one awake. The rest of the household has decided to hibernate.😂

 

Wherever you happen to be, I hope you enjoy the first day of a brand new year.

 

Cheers

CeeCee

[OzKiwiJJ]

Happy New Year! 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful year full of love, laughter and cruises.

 

Sydney Harbour looked gorgeous last night during the firework displays. We can hear the fireworks from our place but have no views of the harbour so just watch it on TV. The midnight TV coverage ended with a beautiful rendition of Auld Lang Syne performed by the Australian Symphony Orchestra.

[Womble99]

Happy New Year all! Here is hoping that 2024 brings much joy and happiness to everyone.

[possum52]

Happy New Year to one and all! It is a beautiful sunny New Year's Day in Melbourne. Perfect for those having picnics and bbqs. 

[Aussieflyer]

Happy New Year. Canberra started very grey and drear this morning but there is some blue sky around now. We watched the fireworks from our place last night but were well in bed before midnight. Canberra only did one fireworks show at 9pm so that made it an easy decision.

Hope 2024 is all you wish it to be and brings joy and peace, thinking especially of those who are facing health or other challenges.

J

[Mareblu]

Your NYE programme sounds very much like ours, except that we joined a very small group of friends in Curtin for dinner, 9.00pm fireworks and the end of BBL.  We were back home by about 10.30, and with a wee dram of peaty, malty nectar, managed to stay awake for the Sydney finale.  The pre-concert was, IMHO, abysmal, but the haunting rendition of Auld Lang Syne deeply moving.  Sydney fireworks were certainly amazing, but the greatest spectacle of all was, as ever, that beautiful, shining harbour itself.  We were surprised that this year we made it past midnight.  It's always a special evening for us, last night it was fifty-six years since we met.

[Mareblu]

I need to qualify:  Harry Connick Jr and Casey Donovan were superb in the Sydney NYE concert.

[OzKiwiJJ]

We have a rolling feast on NYE. It's a good way to have dinner and keep ourselves awake. This year we had 6 courses spaced throughout the night:

- Guacamole and corn chips while watching Dinner for One

- Oysters

- Sashimi

- Japanese clam soup made from a concentrate we brought back from our trip. Just add water and tofu etc.

Then we watched the 9pm fireworks. After that we had:

- Grilled bugs with garlic and parsley butter (these were the hardest!).

- Pavlova with lots of fruit.

Although most of the dishes were very light I still ended up feeling very well fed by the end of the night.

[OzKiwiJJ]

It's been a very gloomy day in Sydney to start the year off. Never mind, it was a good excuse to do some of the ironing for our next cruise which is only two weeks away. 

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Happy New Year! 🎉

 

All the best for 2024!

[MMDown Under]

16 hours ago, ceeceeDee said:

Wishing everyone all the very best for 2024.

 

Gold Coast is getting drenched accompanied by a soundtrack of thunder. It's just after 8am and I'm the only one awake. The rest of the household has decided to hibernate.😂

 

Wherever you happen to be, I hope you enjoy the first day of a brand new year.

 

Cheers

CeeCee

I got drenched putting the rubbish bins out. I had to wade through wide gutters due to torrential rain.

Yes, we had thunder soundtrack also.  Never seems right in daylight.

Wishing everyone a healthy Happy New Year.  With memories ot those who have passed during the year.  In Scotland, I went first footing which is the tradition of the first foot in the house after midnight strikes on New Years eve.  I remember it was good luck if the first footer was a tall dark stranger.  I failed the tall bit.  We took a piece of coal.  Anyone know why?  They don't get sad on New Year's Eve, but on Christmas midnight.  Any wonder I love Scotland.  

[Mareblu]

8 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

I got drenched putting the rubbish bins out. I had to wade through wide gutters due to torrential rain.

Yes, we had thunder soundtrack also.  Never seems right in daylight.

Wishing everyone a healthy Happy New Year.  With memories ot those who have passed during the year.  In Scotland, I went first footing which is the tradition of the first foot in the house after midnight strikes on New Years eve.  I remember it was good luck if the first footer was a tall dark stranger.  I failed the tall bit.  We took a piece of coal.  Anyone know why?  They don't get sad on New Year's Eve, but on Christmas midnight.  Any wonder I love Scotland.  

It's a symbol of good luck for the house visited.  That I knew, but I also googled for you:  Ideally, the first foot should be a dark-haired male.  He should also bring (with the coal) shortbread, salt, black bun, and of course, a wee dram of whisky.  Only five months till we're back in the Highlands, home of my ancestors.

Edited January 1 by Mareblu