Australia and New Zealand welcome in 2025 with huge fireworks displays
New Zealand has become one of the very first countries in the world to ring in 2025.
Fireworks erupted from Auckland’s Sky Tower, the tallest structure in the nation, to welcome the New Year.
It was an hour before that the Pacific island nation of Kiribati celebrated the arrival of January 1 as the clock struck midnight.
Since a change of clocks 20 years ago, in 1994, it has been the first nation in the world to enter the new year, followed shortly by New Zealand.
Thousands of people gathered in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, to watch the colourful fireworks display and a light show, which honours its Indigenous tribes.
Countries in the South Pacific Ocean are the first to mark January 1, with midnight in New Zealand striking 13 hours before London.
The final nations to ring in the new year will be the uninhabited islands of Baker and Howland.
It will already be January 2, 2025, by the time the new year arrived at Baker Island.
In Australia, more than one million people flocked to Sydney Harbor for the traditional fireworks.
Midnight finally struck in Sydney, unleashing a show like no other that has now been ongoing for more than 10 minutes.
People had queued for hours to get the best view of the celebrations over the iconic bridge and the Opera House.
Pop star Robbie Williams lead a singalong moments before midnight.
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