A Last Minute Guide to New Year’s Eve in the East

By Siriol Dafydd on January 1, 2019 in News

So you’ve done it again; you’ve filled your December social calendar to the brim with barbies and boat parties but you haven’t a clue about what to do on New Year’s Eve. Well, don’t worry, you’re only human – and besides, we’ve got your back. If you always feel compelled to read The Beast as soon as it gets delivered (understandable really, we’re awesome), then you’re just in the nick of time for our last minute guide to NYE.

Now let’s be a hundred per cent honest here, a couple of obligatory NYEs at the harbour are more than enough for one lifetime, and most reasonably sane humans would rather steer clear of the crowds and enjoy the fireworks from a safe distance. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a jolly good time! So what’s crackin’ in the Eastern Suburbs this year?

FAMILY FRIENDLY FIREWORKS

If you’re keen to avoid the harbour and all the perils that come with it for 2018’s final fling, there is no better place to be than Coogee, especially if you have a family. Coogee Sparkles will set the sky alight at 9pm with around 20 heart-pumping minutes of pyrotechnical precision. Take in an afternoon swim and enjoy a picnic dinner while waiting for the sun to set and the show to start.

If your heart is set on the harbour, you don’t have to be stuck in the rowdy crowds at the botanical gardens to enjoy the fireworks. There are plenty of fantastic van- tage points from Rushcutters up to Watsons Bay. Most of these parks are free to enter but they do vary in capacity, so get there early (most gates open from midday) to avoid disappointment. BYO booze is permitted at Christison Park and
a few other venues in Vaucluse, but many are alcohol-free and glassware is a definite no-no. You can find out more about this on Woollahra Council’s website.

If you fancy a bit more entertainment, head to Dudley Page Reserve with a picnic and enjoy a free jumping castle, face painting, playground, DJ, licensed bar, food stalls and the all-important fireworks. Gates open at 6pm and tickets are available from Moshtix or Waverley Council.

BUST A GROOVE IN BONDI

If you’d rather bring in the New Year with some funky beats, the Bucket List will be hosting ‘Live, Love, Bondi’ with techno legendLate Nite Tuff Guy. Doors open from 7pm and the party will continue until 2am. First release tickets are $70 and available via Moshtix.

If you don’t plan on spending the first few hours of 2019 with your head in a bucket, swing on over to Icebergs for their annual New Year’s Day celebrations. Every year, the sleek and sophisticated Icebergs Dining Room and Bar is transformed into the best day club in the Southern Hemisphere. This year, Mambo Brothers and Sneaky Sound System will be providing the beats whilst chef Monty Koludrovic will showcase a custom Australian- Italian menu. Tickets are $450 per person and include entertainment, canapes, signature Icebergs drinks and Perrier-Jouët Champagne.

OLD-SCHOOL COOGEE DISCO

Travel back to a simpler time with Coogee Diggers Club and their ‘80s RockFish party band. Enjoy a world where Michael Jackson is still alive and kickin’ and Donald Trump is just a super-rich creep rather than a super-rich creep in charge of the free world. Tickets for Fish Year’s Eve are a reason- able $17 and doors open at 8am.

BUGGER OFF TO BALI

If you’ve got the time and dosh to escape to Bali, resident nutcase Kai Suteja (of @urmumsyadad fame) is hosting a crazy futurist party in an abandoned airplane on the roof of a four-storey building, as you do.

With the capacity for 5,000 people, Gypsy Land 2049 is set to be Kai’s biggest event to date. Along with a bunch of techno lords from Germany, Kazakhstan and the UK, this Blade Runner themed party will also include a half pipe, fire breathers, circus acts, strippers and a jumping sex castle (seriously, no joke). And with pre-sale tickets at $30 via www. gypsy.land or $50 on the door, you definitely get your money’s worth.

So there you have it you disorganised delinquents. Despite your organisational inadequacies, your NYE is now sorted, courtesy of the good folk at The Beast.