Happy New Year to all our friends and family. Saying goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012 in Sydney was pretty cool.

New Years eve we woke early and caught the ferry from Manly into Circular Key and walked the short distance to the Botanical Gardens. Both of us feeling fairly confident that we had arrived early enough to get a good spot.

When we walked into the grassed area of the Botanical Gardens we couldn't believe it our hearts sank as we saw that several thousand people had already turned up.... We later found out that most had camped overnight, which we were told was not allowed by the very helpful chap in the tourist office! After being in line for about an hour and half I went to get coffee and when I returned Ben was pretty mad he and the rest of the que had watched several hundred people push in right at the front and because the security was pretty lapse no one had stopped them.

So brushing aside our great British talent for queing for the first time in our lives we que jumped! The guilt we felt soon disappeared when we got closer to the entrance and security checks and realised that even more people had done the same, sneaking round the back of the entrance point and straight through security!

Ben took the blanket and tripod and ran as fast as his legs would carry him, I on the other hand carried all the bags and followed much slower behind! When I eventually found him he had secured a prime spot right on the edge of the water front overlooking the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

It was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day but very hot with little shade. At 9pm the first set of fireworks went off and then the boat parade began. At 15minute intervals a firework would go off and the countdown began!

The Midnight fireworks were incredible and lasted just over twenty minutes, everyone was clapping and cheering. It was everything we hoped it would and the perfect end to a great year!