Australia and New Zealand welcome 2016 with spectacular fireworks displays

2016: Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge
REUTERS/Jason Reed
Laura Proto31 December 2015

Colourful fireworks lit up the skies above Sydney and Auckland as Australia and New Zealand began to mark the start of 2016.

A spectacular fireworks display took place by the icnonic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, with an array of colours seen shooting into the sky.

Simultaneous fireworks displays erupted along the waterfront, where people crowded onto balconies, into waterside parks and onto boats for the best view, clinking glasses and cheering as the first pyrotechnics exploded.

More than a million people are thought to have travelled to Sydney to watch the world-famous display which lasted for 12 minutes as the clock struck midnight.

This year's display in the Australian city featured a 'waterfall' of fireworks cascading from the bridge in the shapes of flowers and butterflies.

Auckland's Sky Tower was lit up by fireworks to mark the start of 2016
Matias Delacroix/NurPhoto/Rex

New Zealand also welcomed in the New Year with a display at Auckland's Sky Tower.

As a giant digital clock counted down to midnight, crowds cheered and sounded horns as the colour of the tower changed from greed to red to white to mark the start of 2016.

Samoa was the first nation to see in 2016, with New Zealand the first nation with a sizeable population to celebrate the New Year.

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