With a bang: How SA farewelled 2023 and partied into 2024
From beaches, to Adelaide Oval, to Elder Park – South Aussie revellers welcomed in 2024 with a bang.
Lifestyle
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Thousands of South Australians celebrated New Year’s Eve with a bang, as a blaze of fireworks lit up the night sky across the state.
Revellers flocked to beaches, to Elder Park for its first hosting of the city’s main party for several years – the rightful home of SA’s biggest party.
Almost 50,000 punters created a sea of blue at the Adelaide Oval to cheer on the Strikers in the Big Bash, while across the Torrens thousands were treated to a spectacular lightshow with fireworks lighting up the sky from 17 different platforms.
Meanwhile SA’s beaches were also a flurry of activity with foreshores including Glenelg, Brighton, Semaphore, Victor Harbor, Robe and Streaky Bay putting on their own fireworks displays. Some held early displays at a family-friendly time before another big bang at midnight.
The city was bustling in the lead-up to the events, as temperatures warmed up and crowds poured in to town via trains, trams and buses, all of which were operating for free after 5pm.
Father-of-two Eben Lok, 45, and his sons Oren, 8, and Augie, 3, enjoyed a family excursion to enjoy the sun at Brighton Beach with their newest family member Betty the Aussie Bulldog.
“It our goal to enjoy as much quality time together as possible,” Mr Lok said.
Pippa Warburton made plans to enjoy the sun at Semaphore beach before heading out to Pirate Life Brewery with her friends and family to ring in the new year.
But to her surprise, a seal put on a display in the shallows of the beach, holding its fin and spinning.
“At first I thought it might be a bird or a dolphin … It’s not everyday you see a seal,” Ms Warburton said.
The 26-year-old has just brought a house in Two Wells and is hoping to bring some of her luck into the new year, and is hopeful she might start her own business in 2024.
Reshal Davis and her group of friends have made it a it a tradition to barrack the Strikers on New Year’s Eve, and with a couple of fresh faces their group rounds to eight excited fans.
Ms Davis said the groups plans were to enjoy game before heading to Elder Park for the fireworks and on to Hindley Street to bring in the year in style.
The 19-year-old said she was excited to see what 2024 would bring.
“Health and wealth, I hope to make it better than this one,” Ms Davis said.
A young couple have chosen to spend their last New Years in Adelaide in chromatic style.
Chadwick and Rose Bowman from Mt Barker are excited to be moving to Norway in 2024, but not without first heading to Adelaide Oval to watch the Strikers and the fireworks in Elder Park.
“If the fireworks are happening, we’ll be there to watch them,” the 24-year-old said.
Mum-of-two Katherine Barkley, alongside her twin daughters Lina and Anna and their friend Savannah, said they were gearing up for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Elder Park.
“We’ve come to Elder Park because it’s the first time the girls have seen fireworks ever,” Ms Barkley said.
The six-year-old girls are looking forward to the experience of a lifetime and getting an early night after the 9pm show to start the year off right.
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