Skip to main content

My first Australia Day after becoming an Aussie




National celebrations are one of the important days for all countries. It’s the day when patriotism is at an all-time high and a great opportunity for people to show their love towards their home nation. I got to experience my first Australia Day this year after becoming an adopted citizen and boy! Was I waiting for this day, or what? I had read up on Australia’s rich &diverse culture and experienced bits and pieces of it, but to experience it as an Australian citizen gave me a whole new sense of pride.

In my home country India, National day celebrations are on a smaller scale with most of the programs ending before noon. But Australia Day celebrations are on a larger scale with an event-packed day, from morning till night. It’s a day steeped in many traditions and events that have a history of more than a hundred years.

 Australia Day celebrations in Sydney are concentrated mainly around the harbour. There are many events like the Ferrython, Wugulora Indigenous Morning ceremony, Tall Ship race, RAAF aerial display to name a few. There is also the 21 Gun Salute, Tug and Yacht ballet, Australia Day Regatta and Harbour parade. The curtains to the Australia Day celebrations in Sydney are dropped with the Darling Harbour fireworks. A spectacular visual display of pyrotechnics, it’s definitely a fitting end to the Australia Day celebrations in Sydney.

Since most of these events happen in and around the harbour, I decided to spend my first Australia Day as an Aussie national around Sydney Harbour. There were many Australia Day cruises covering most of the events happening on the harbour. They had complete packages, offering great views of the harbour events and gourmet lunches. Since there were limited seats to prevent overcrowding of the vessels, I decided to go for it before the seats ran out!

 Boarding was at 10:15am, so to be on the safe side we reached the wharf by about 9:45am. Our vessel for the day was a paddlewheeler and looked very much like a vessel that would take us back in time. When boat races began in 1837, spectators stood on the decks of ships to get the best views of the races. It’s nice to see the tradition still kept going with Australia Day cruises now doing their part.

The viewing deck on top offered great views all round and we were able to see all the events,taking in every little detail. Combined with the delicious buffet meal, we had a great time, to say the least. The convenience is what appealed to me the most, as you get to see a large chunk of the celebrations with an Australia Day cruise on Sydney Harbour.

At 2pm after the cruise returned to the wharf, we alighted and went home to rest briefly before heading down to Darling Harbour to see the grand finale to the Australia Day celebrations! We were treated to a musical extravaganza with indigenous songs and more harbour events like the dragon boat races. The final event was the fireworks display that and provided a fitting end to the grand day.

My only disappointment was not being able to go on an Australia Day dinner cruise as it would have given a fine view of the fireworks display. Well there is always the next Australia Day and I will definitely be back for more!
Location: 32 The Promenade, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Year’s Eve in Sydney

The world is watching The New Year’s Eve capital of the world awaits! While other parts of the world are still stuck in the past, Sydney is one of those very few major cities that gets to celebrate first! All eyes are on Sydney- and it never disappoints. With benchmarks high and over a million eyes transfixed, Sydney New Year’s Fireworks is quite the spectacle . Sydney sure knows how to party- especially when it’s a party of this scale and the entire planet’s invited! Where can I see it from? With visitors from all around Australia and from around the world, finding a spot to   relax and enjoy the fireworks isn’t a particularly easy task; you’d be lucky even if you’re able to find a comfortable spot to stand. If you don’t mind spending the last day of the year camping out at one of the vantage points, you can guarantee yourself a good spot. And we’re talking about camping out from noon on 31st of December, just to be clear. I’m definitely not up for that. How
Post a Comment
Read more

The Big Billion Valentine’s Day Industry!

The date 14 th of February may seem impromptu at first, but when you hear Valentine’s Day, all hell breaks loose! If you just started a relationship, chances are you are bound to do something ‘amazing’to express your feelings and show how much your other half means to you. Well you are not the only one going down this road on February 14 th , and there will be millions of kindred souls around the world seeking to make a mark on this day. No wonder Valentine’s Day is a billion-dollar industry! My boyfriend and I had contributed a tidy little sum to the Valentine’s Day Foundation of in-love Fools sorry Souls, the year before. We had gone on a romanticValentine’s Day dinner cruise on the Sydney Harbour   to celebrate our first V-day. It was a great experience,with the delicious food and wine paired with excellent views of the Sydney skyline. We had a fun time enjoying the hospitality and will do it again in the future. Going a bit overboard to make your first Valentine’s
Post a Comment
Read more

Fantastic Vantage Points in Sydney to Enjoy the Special NYE Fireworks Display!

New Year’s Eve is a special time to revel in celebrations. It is a time to carry forward the best of the current year and brighten the New Year ahead. With some clever planning it is possible to transform New Year’s Eve into an unforgettable experience. New Year’s Eve is such a splendid time that you want to absolutely enjoy every moment of transition from the current year to the next year. There are some great vantage points in and around Sydney Harbour from where you can enjoy the spectacular New Year’s Eve Fireworks display that usher in the New Year with a big bang! NYE Fireworks Cruises in Sydney There’s no better vantage point in Sydney than the decks of any of the New Year’s Eve Cruises on the harbour. Most of the luxury vessels cruising Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve have access to the exclusion zone, treating the guests on board to uninterrupted, up close and personal views of the spectacular 9pm family fireworks and Midnight fireworks. These cruises have a
Post a Comment
Read more