STORY:
One Million welcome 2000 in Sydney
The world's largest New Year party so erupted in fireworks and fanfare in Australia
(Everything2000) What a show! One million people lined the Sydney harbor for a fireworks extravaganza and the first big New Year celebration of 2000.
It's already January 1, 2000 in Australia and the folk's there party in a big way. Fireworks exploded from bridges, barges and boats as the clock struck midnight. The sky was a burst of light for almost a half-hour as the fireworks just kept exploding overhead. Lasers bounced off the shells of the city's landmark opera house and a huge glowing smiley face shone from the bridge.
With about a million people on shore and another 6,000 boats in the harbor this was quite a party! And it should have been. Sydney is one of the world's first major cities to welcome in the Year 2000. The firework, laser and light show cost 35 million dollars.
Australia will party, party and then party some more! Australia is a nation of 19 million spread out over a continent the size of the United States, and it passes through four different time zones.
Three of those time zones converge at one place: Cameron's Corner. Cameron's Corner is a village with a population of 4, but will host 1,000 visitors for New Year's Eve!
Sydney is also the first major city to see if the computer Y2K bug causes any problems. So far, so good. The computer program that operated the 22-minute fireworks show worked without a hitch. There have been no other reports of problems so far, but New Year has just dawned in Australia. The city of Sydney alone has spent millions on Y2K repairs and even so, expects there will probably be some isolated problems here and there.
Source: Associated Press
DATE: 12/31/99