My wife and our baby son moved to Sydney about 22 years ago. Shortly afterwards by 10 yr old Daughter from my first marriage joined us permanently. Our second daughter was born shortly after making our family 5.
Around this time we purchased our first yacht a 25 footer and we began exploring Sydney’s harbour.
When the children we a bit older we decided to spend the night on board and anchor to watch the NYE fireworks.
Later we traded the small yacht for a larger 36 ft yacht and this allowed us to invite friends out on the harbour with us.
i found the ideal Anchorage from which to enjoy the fireworks.
Farm Cove is the little bay next to the Sydney Opera House. The other side of the Opera house is circular quay.
From Farm Cove you can also see the Harbour Bridge. Depending on what time you arrive at the anchorage determines how close to the exclusion line you can anchor. The line runs across the bay, effectively herding all the boats away from the fireworks barge achorchored just in front.
Sydney puts on two displays, one at 9 pm for the children, so they don’t have to wait up for midnight, and then the big display on the stroke of 12.
Moored close to the exclusion line, one can feel the explosions high above, and smell the gun powder. At times if there is a noreasterly blowing, the fireworks debris falls all over the decks. Luckily it is out by the time it reaches us. But ash and tiny bits of paper needs to be cleaned off the decks in the morning.
After all these years I have amassed a quantity of photos of these fireworks, and as everyone knows digital cameras hold many photos.
i have started a series of oil paintings based on these photos.
The barge in front gives views that are more aerial as we are more beneath the fireworks, while looking westwards my view is of the opera house and the harbour bridge.
I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoy painting them.
At this stage I haven’t decided how many paintings will be in this series. At present there are 8.
My series of oil paintings of Sydney NYE Fireworks.
presently at 8 paintings, more to be added as I keep painting,