New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour

I wanted to do something special for my Dad’s 70th birthday so organised to spend New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour. Thankfully some family members joined us so we could share the costs. This is a bucket list item and definitely not something that is a cheap option.

The Boat

To start the planning process I booked a boat through Sydney Harbour Escapes. I found them so helpful and everything was very easy. They made it easy for me to organise New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour. As this was an expensive trip, I started planning and saving earlier in the year. I also knew that you wouldn’t be able to book a boat last minute for New Years.

Accommodation

We stayed at the Mantra on Kent for this trip to Sydney. It was a great location and we were able to walk to everything we wanted to including the Rocks and Darling Harbour. We did have to take a maxi taxi to the boat dock because it was too far away but that was fine with us. The Mantra on Kent offers Studio rooms as well as 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. We found the costs for that time of the year pretty reasonable too.

Boat Catering

Trying to organise an event like New Years Eve from another state did pose a few problems. I didn’t know any catering companies and the ones that were highly recommended had already been booked. After a lot of looking I decided on Fabulous Catering. I purchased hot and cold platters as well as desserts and fruit platters. I have to say I was surprised by how good the food was for the price.

We did have one hitch with the catering. Whilst on the plane from Gold Coast to Sydney I received a message to say they couldn’t deliver the food at the time we had pre-arranged. Thankfully with the help of Sydney Harbour Escapes we managed to get it all sorted out. When planning events like this you have to let go of the stress and just deal with the issues as they come up – in my experience most things can be sorted out satisfactorily if you don’t get worked up about it. Most importantly don’t lose your cool with the people you need to help you solve the problem

Alcohol

The next item was alcohol and this proved a little difficult because I had to get the alcohol delivered to the boat but in our case the boat was moored offshore. Thankfully Sydney Harbour Escapes were very helpful and offered to take delivery of the alcohol and food and transfer it to the boat for us. Our boat was moored in Rose Bay so we went with Rose Bay Liquor. We were able to order not only the alcohol but also soft drinks and potato chips.

Extras

I also prebooked a maxi taxi to take us all to the marina on the night and that worked out brilliantly. They were also there to collect us at the end of the night. On a busy night like this prebooking was definitely a smart move, especially at the end of the night.

The captain of our boat was amazing and made sure we had a great spot for the night. In fact he said he had never been able to get as close before so that was exciting for us.

Things to do in Sydney

We had a large group of people with us in Sydney so didn’t do a lot of the things we would normally do. We did however do the following things:-

• The Tea Cosy is a gorgeous little cafe in an old building in The Rocks. We booked a table which ended up being upstairs in room on our own referred to as Nana’s Nook. Each table has a basket of knitting on the table and people are invited to continue with the knitting as they enjoy their food. Most of our group had the devonshire tea and the scones were absolutely beautiful. Some of our group had toasted sandwiches and they raved about them too.

• The Rocks Markets are always worth a visit. They have some beautiful handmade items and delicious food.
• Darling Harbour is a great place to eat and was close enough for us to walk. They have many restaurants so you will be sure to find something that appeals. We had several meals there.
• Another great place for meals is Barangaroo
• Chinatown. We had dinner in Chinatown one night. As we were a group of 13 Chinese was a great choice. It was easy to find a table and Chinese food is perfect to share in a large group.
• Emperor’s Garden Custard Puffs. If you’re in Chinatown you have to try these. They are little fluffy balls of delight. So good!!!!
• A ferry to Manly for fish and chips.
• Visit the Queen Victoria Building. This old shopping centre is stunning to visit and also has some good shopping. I love Victoria’s Basement for kitchenware. If you have time you should also book for high tea at the Tea Room. We didn’t do it this trip but have done it before and its fantastic.

Last words

If you are looking for an unforgettable way to see in the new year you can’t go past New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour. The fireworks are second to none. We have celebrated New Years in New York which was awesome but I have to say Sydney was better. It really was a once in a lifetime experience for us and I am so glad we got to enjoy it with family. If you are interested in looking at some of my other travel posts, start with Prague.