As soon as the alarm went off this morning, it was time to come off our swing mooring in Roseville Chase and head to the Spit Bridge in order to coincide with the 0830 opening. Although it was a rainy start to the day, by 1000 we were anchored off Bradley's Head with the perfect view of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge; the perfect spot from which to enjoy our New Year's Eve celebrations and watch the fireworks display tomorrow night. Fortunately the sun came out by midday and we have been basking in glorious sunshine since.

It was also wonderful to see Raya (Ros and Rick) anchored off our starboard side, along with a myriad of other yachts we've seen at various destinations during our 2017 sailing season; Moonshadow, Alexandra, Wind of Change, Maja, to name a few. Plastic Plankton, we understand, are arriving tomorrow, so plenty of company with whom we will be ringing in the new year.

That said though, the surprise of the day was recognising Zoom, a World ARC yacht that we haven't seen since Tahiti in 2016, sail into the anchorage. What are the chances. Needless to say, Ian wasted no time at all in contacting us to make arrangements for a reunion. What a wonderful start to our celebrations.

It has been a very lumpy and rolly day though, with the wakes created by all the powerboats and ferries and it never ceases to astonish us just how inconsiderate some boating people can be towards their fellow cruisers. Of course, there are also the usual numpties who arrive late and think it's acceptable to anchor on top of everyone else. We understand it's going to get a whole lot worse tomorrow when many of the local boats start to arrive, so a large dose of tolerance and politeness will hopefully serve us well. After all, we're all out to enjoy an experience of a lifetime!