If you are looking to experience New Year's Eve somewhere else this year - my suggestion is Southbank in Melbourne. We have never gone anywhere before, so it was a choice between Sydney and Melbourne. I started looking early in the year, well I thought it was early enough. Not so apparently. Sydney accommodation in the city was nearly booked out and I enquired in June. A tour on the harbour watching the fireworks was going to be about $2400.00 for 4 people. At this point, I changed to Melbourne. I went straight to Southbank accommodation because we had been there before. Still, I booked the last room with a balcony in the location I wanted - so if you want to go interstate, start your search now.
We booked the Melbourne Short Stay at SouthbankONE.
Great views of Melbourne CBD
At SouthbankONE apartments you register and pick up your keycard up from across the road. There is a supermarket next door which sells food and alcohol. The apartment had 3 bedrooms one with ensuite. Kitchen and lounge and dining area. I could not ask for any better. It suited a family or couple as there was plenty of room and free WiFi, swimming pool, gym.
Great Melbourne accommodation
We decided to be up in the middle of the fireworks. Our room was on level 33 - just high enough. We had the best view, but any view from a hotel room on Southbank would have been wonderful. All Melbourne's fireworks are fired from the tops of their high rise buildings, so all along the Yarra the buildings fireworks were fired off at midnight.
New Years Eve Melbourne
We had the Crown Towers next to us and the reflection of the fireworks looked wonderful. The noise was loud and you could not only see the crowd below, you could hear them. We ordered pizza and drinks for us and the kids and watched it all unfold from 33 stories up.
Southbank fireworks show
Earlier in the evening, we had dinner along Southbank and at Christmas, you have to walk through Crown - the building is very beautiful. Kids just can't go through the Casino part of course, but there is so much more to see in there, with so many places to eat. There were plenty of photo opportunities over the three days - make sure to take your camera everywhere.
Christmas tree in Crown
At Crown, there are lots of tourists and locals getting out and enjoying the pantomime of Christmas on Southbank.
Every hour they open up to Christmas carols
Having spent this New Year in Melbourne, I would definitely go back again, but having lived in Sydney for ten years and never going into the CBD to watch the fireworks - I must put it on my list of things to do.
Room with a view
My advice would be research the fireworks, book accommodation early and start saving! Flights were booking up as well; when I booked there were only under dozen seats left. We left on the 30th December 2016 and back early on the 2nd January 2017. Prices were very reasonable. Enjoy New Year's Eve 2017/18.
