{"id":382462,"date":"2025-12-31T11:31:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T11:31:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/382462\/"},"modified":"2025-12-31T11:31:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T11:31:18","slug":"wa-families-gather-along-the-river-to-get-a-prime-spot-for-the-fireworks-and-to-toast-in-the-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/382462\/","title":{"rendered":"WA families gather along the river to get a prime spot for the fireworks and to toast in the new year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Families have started to swarm into Elizabeth Quay to enjoy the early family-friendly entertainment and grab a good vantage spot to watch the New Year\u2019s Eve fireworks and toast the start of 2026.<\/p>\n

Revellers were determined to celebrate the year that was, and the new year to come, with smiles, laughter and plenty of fun.<\/p>\n

The City of Perth expects up to 120,000 people to attend major events in the CBD.<\/p>\n

From the start of the day, Perth was set to have the nation\u2019s best NYE weather – Brisbane reached 33C and was expecting a shower or two, while Sydney peaked at 26C and Melbourne reached 19C but both felt cooler.<\/p>\n

A warm day in Perth peaked at 33C, and was heading into a perfect, breezy evening. The temperature was forecast to be about 25C in the city as families settled in for the 8:30pm fireworks, before dropping to about 21C at midnight.<\/p>\n

Mandurah hit a high of 31C on Wednesday, and was forecast to cool to 23C by midnight. Families holidaying down south enjoyed a 33C day in Busselton, but might want to pack a jumper if they head out tonight, as the weather is forecast to drop to 18C at midnight.<\/p>\n

Sophie Amos, 26, was at Floreat Beach enjoying the heat on Wednesday morning after moving back to Perth from Melbourne recently.<\/p>\n

\"SophieCamera IconSophie Amos, Ronan Cash and Cliona Thompson at City Beach. Credit: Andrew Ritchie\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great getting back to the sun and the beach,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the best time to be with friends in the warm weather.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sophie will head to a friend\u2019s house party in Scarborough later but hasn\u2019t thought of a New Year\u2019s resolution.<\/p>\n

\"RowanCamera IconRowan Partridge (8), Hudson Walsh (10), Lucas Partridge (12 buried and Bailey Walsh (11) at Floreat Beach Credit: Andrew Ritchie\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

Hudson and Bailey Walsh\u2019s mum Carin said she might let them stay up until midnight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to a friend\u2019s for a barbecue tonight,\u201d Carin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to spend New Year\u2019s Eve with the kids, and we\u2019ll be back down here (at the beach) in the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in the area every day, they\u2019re always boogie boarding and surfing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert Kovacev, 25, and Ahmed Aljobouri, 21, were at Matilda Bay on Wednesday afternoon enjoying a sunny NYE and giving their new jetskis a spin.<\/p>\n

\"FriendsCamera IconFriends Ahmed Aliovouri and Robert Kovacev are enjoying the sunshine on Matilda Bay. New Years Eve revellers are starting to gather on beaches and fireworks vantage points around Perth. Justin Benson-Cooper Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

They usually hit up a festival or an event for New Year\u2019s, but this year they\u2019re avoiding alcohol.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have a barbecue here and watch the fireworks. We planned a chiller New Year\u2019s this year,\u201d Mr Kovacev said.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t have a New Year\u2019s resolution, but he wants to get more committed to the gym in 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think mine\u2019s to buy a new car, get a new job or find myself a girlfriend,\u201d Mr Aljibouri laughed.<\/p>\n

Despite the revelry, this year\u2019s festivities come with sadness and increased security efforts in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack.<\/p>\n

WA Police, and their counterparts around the country, have put extra security measures in place.<\/p>\n

WA Police commander Jason Longhorn said officers would be deployed at all major events across the State and some would be carrying long-armed rifles.<\/p>\n

\"MaddiCamera IconMaddi Galbraith with Hazel the dog, Hannah Flutey with 8 week old Sadie McGillcuddy, Josh McGillicuddy and Oliver Kirkman. Credit: Andrew Ritchie\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

\u201cThese high visibility patrols are a deliberate and proportionate measure designed to ensure WA police are well positioned to respond quickly and effectively to an emerging threat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Police will use edged-weapon scanning and wand devices, and will charge anyone caught carrying a weapon.<\/p>\n

The City of Perth started the party early on Wednesday, with roving performers, a live DJ and food trucks at Elizabeth Quay, free carnival rides were on offer in the Supreme Court Gardens and Grammy-award winning producer and DJ Kaytranada was headlining an open-air festival in Langley Park.<\/p>\n

Yagan Square also promised to be popular, with performers, DJs, lip sync battles ahead of a count down to midnight on the digital tower.<\/p>\n

The City of Rockingham confirmed its New Year\u2019s Eve fireworks would go ahead, despite calls from some communities members to cancel the display due to local fires – which have been burning in the area since Monday.<\/p>\n

Fireworks were also scheduled at Gloucester Park, the Claremont Showgrounds, the Breakwater Marina at Mindarie, Halls Head, and at HBF Arena at Joondalup.<\/p>\n

Regionally, the skies will light up with fireworks at Kalgoorlie, over the Hanover Bay jetty in Albany and on the Cocos Islands.<\/p>\n

Having spent the day out and about, the Strongtharm family were heading home for a New Year\u2019s Eve barbecue.<\/p>\n

Matriarch Barbara said her New Year\u2019s resolution was to find a way to stay in Australia forever.<\/p>\n

Ms Strongtharm and her husband David\u2019s visas are due to run out and in 2026 the pair will say goodbye to their daughter Sheryl and their grandkids and return to the UK. But they would love to return to Perth here to live permanently.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so beautiful here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"SiblingsCamera IconSiblings Makaela (10), Lewis (4) Chelsea (7) and Tara (9) Thornton are enjoying the sunshine on Matilda Bay. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper\/The West Australian<\/p>\n

The Thornton family planned to spend the afternoon paddleboarding on the river before heading home to Wembley for dinner and to light some sparklers.<\/p>\n

Mum Briony said her children wouldn\u2019t be staying up till midnight, but she might let them stay up for the early fireworks at 8:30pm. Ms Thornton didn\u2019t have a New Year\u2019s resolution, but she was planning to compete in a triathlon in 2026.<\/p>\n

Across the country, huge crowds descended onto Sydney\u2019s streets and around the harbour from early in the day, with revellers itching to nab some of the best spots to see the city\u2019s dazzling fireworks display.<\/p>\n

Despite a heightened community fears in the wake of Australian\u2019s worst terrorism at Bondi, queues formed outside Sydney\u2019s Royal Botanical Gardens of those wanting to get the best view of the night.<\/p>\n

At 11pm, the Harbour Bridge will be flooded in white lights and a menorah will be projected onto the pylons, and a minute\u2019s silence will be held for the victims of the Bondi attack – marked by three bells at its beginning and end.<\/p>\n

While half a million Melbournians were forecast to hits the city\u2019s CBD, which Lord Mayor Nick Reece said would be the \u201cbest organised\u201d New Year\u2019s the city had ever put on.<\/p>\n

\"RowanCamera IconRowan Partridge (8), Hudson Walsh (10), Lucas Partridge (12 buried and Bailey Walsh (11) at Floreat Beach. Credit: Andrew Ritchie\/The West Australian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Families have started to swarm into Elizabeth Quay to enjoy the early family-friendly entertainment and grab a good…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382463,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,203406,44,45],"class_list":["post-382462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-new-years","tag-news","tag-wa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}