Where to go for New Year’s Eve: from city breaks to beach parties

Byron Bay might seem like a good idea for New Year’s Eve celebrations, but recent years have seen this once cruisy beach town become quite commercialised. However, a few kilometres up the coast—the Tweed Coast in fact—things are all set up for the perfect family beach stay away from rowdy crowds.

Right at the water’s edge, the Mantra on Salt Beach near Kingscliff is the ideal setting for a chilled-out beachside NYE. Pools, parks, restaurants and shops in the resort’s Salt Beach Village keep you entertained all the way up to and past the stroke of midnight.

The fireworks on Salt Beach in front of the Mantra are ample, but if you’re looking for something a bit bigger, Coolangatta is just up the road across the Queensland border. Right on Coolangatta Beach, you’ll find more elaborate fireworks, more people and a busier atmosphere. You can also book a table at Cooly’s-Coolangatta’s surf club for dinner and enjoy the entertainment all the way past midnight till 1 a.m.

While you’re in the area, you’re still close enough to Byron for you to go and see what you’re not missing out on, but even closer are fun spots like Cabarita Beach and Paper Daisy for a pretty lunch venue and a striking coastline.

With the warm waters of the Indian Ocean lapping at its feet, Perth is a perfect place for a luxury escape this summer. Watching the sun set over the sea is one of life’s true pleasures, and even more so if it coincides with fireworks and NYE celebrations.

Set in a beautiful state building from the 1800s, Como the Treasury’s 48 guestrooms and elegant spa make for the finest stay over the holidays. You’re one block back from the Swan River’s Port of Perth and parties like Foreshore NYE.

But for true panorama, the views down from Kings Park over the city and the Swan Valley are prime for watching the NYE fireworks that Perth puts on each year.

Brisbane always seems to get overshadowed by Sydney for the best NYE celebrations on the east coast, but Queensland’s capital can more than hold its own. Whether you want to see the night sky light up during the fireworks shows or party hard in the city centre, the whole city comes alive with parties and fun for the last night of the year.

The Calile Hotel, right in Fortitude Valley, is the perfect place to stay for a Brissie NYE. The Calile’s light, airy Palm Springs vibe, and it’s slick white and rose gold colour scheme make you feel more like you’re in a far-flung glamorous resort than a city-central hotel.

Once you’ve enjoyed all the entertainment in the Valley, like beer-forward Tippler’s Tap or Alfred and Constance—a department store of bars, clubs and eateries, the build-up to New Year’s culminates with two 10-minute fireworks displays that set the city’s river on fire.

As the year ends, Surfers Paradise lives for the parties, fireworks and big celebrations. Watch as 30,000 fireworks light up the sky over the ocean from barges and a beach carnival with rides and games turns the already lively party atmosphere of the Gold Coast up to the highest notch.

Standing high above it all is Q1 Resort and Spa—the tallest residential building in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. Inside, rooms and apartments offer incredible views over the beach and across the Queensland landscape. When you’re not marvelling at the vistas, exploring the menus of Q1’s four restaurants or reclining beside its sparkling lagoon pools, there’s plenty of entertainment right on your doorstep.

With only a short walk from one of Australia’s most famous beaches in one direction and Cavill Avenue’s 300 specialty restaurants, bars and boutique stores in the other, you’ll be busy right until it’s time for Auld Lang Syne.

When it comes to the countdown for the new year, Q1 is home to SkyPoint Tower, whose observation deck hosts an NYE party. Tickets for New Year’s Eve are available online and include food, drinks, live entertainment and of course the view. From up here, you really will be the first in Australia to see the sun rise on a new year.

There’s always more than one reason to come to Tasmania, and never is that truer than at the end of the year. Not only does Hobart throw an excellent New Year’s Eve party, but throughout the last week of December and the first week of January, the Taste of Tasmania festival fills Hobart’s Salamanca waterfront precinct. Already famous for its food and produce, Tassie really turns it on for this festival.

In tune with everything that’s going on, the Hadley’s Orient Hotel, a monument to Hobart’s history, is full of the cosy grandeur that makes this city so compelling. Rooms have a regal old English elegance, and the hotel’s staircases and fireplaces only add a charming luxury to your stay. And only a quick stroll down to the water from your room, the Hadley’s Orient Hotel is perfectly placed to keep you close to the action.

For a New Year’s like no other, a trip to Darwin and its busy Waterfront Precinct has everything you need. From museums, galleries and shops to restaurants, a man-made beach, wave pool and waterpark it’s all here.

Looking out over it all, the Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront has all this on its doorstep, as well as the elevated walkway into Darwin’s city centre nearby too. Also, the hotel is equipped with its own restaurant, indoor pool, and access to the Deckchair Cinema and local boat tours. While you wait for the spectacular fireworks shows, take a dip in the lagoon, protected from the open ocean by the sea wall, or have a bite to eat over the water at Stokes Hill Wharf.

Why not go further afield this New Year’s Eve and relax on the beaches of Bali? There’s always something happening on this island known for its parties but also for its relaxing peaceful retreats away from the crowds.

Just far enough away from the hedonist paradise of Kuta but only 10 minutes to Seminyak, Legian Beach is the perfect spot for you to choose between going wild at Skygarden and the relaxed sophistication of Potato Head Beach Club.

Even better, staying at Pullman Bali Legian Beach also means you have the sand of the Indian Ocean at your doorstep, and spas, pools, restaurants and elegant rooms with hints of Balinese style at your disposal.

Get into real Island Time at Shangri La’s Fijian Resort off the coast of Viti Levu. Situated on its own little island, this resort gives you and your family privacy, safety, relaxed luxury and the perfect getaway for the end of the year and the beginning of the next.

When the party is over and January 1st comes around, you’ll have the warmth of Fijian hospitality to come home to. Shangri La’s Fijian Resort has five different concept restaurants to choose from, a nine-hole golf course, fishing, spa and a waterpark just off the island’s white sandy beaches.

New Year’s Eve is already an exciting celebration but imagine cheering in the new year from one of the world’s most famous beaches. Waikiki Beach, on the spectacular island of Honolulu, Hawaii is under 10 hours from Sydney, but a world away in terms of romance and fun.

Ideal for couples and families, this exotic volcanic island offers so much. In terms of celebrating the new year, Waikiki Beach is easily the most popular fireworks point. You can either watch them from the sand or take a catamaran cruise to enjoy the show from the water. What better way to see in the new year?

From a romantic luxury city break to a fun family holiday at this special time of year, Japan’s capital is the perfect NYE destination.

When it comes time to ring in the new year, Tokyo’s Roppongi district is where the party always is, thought the Port of Yokohama has the biggest countdown and fireworks. Lower-key celebrations at various temples around the city add a cultural edge to the fun. Especially the sacred Zojo-ji Temple under the Eiffel-style Tokyo Tower is popular at midnight on December 31st.