26 March 2010

Skyfire 2010 the biggest ever

| Jazz
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For all the hype in the lead up last weekends biggest ever Skyfire event i’m very surprised at how quickly we’ve all returned to normality of day to day existence.

According to all media releases the crowds were huge, the police were out trying to keep the unruly and underage drinkers locked up, & music from FM 104.7 was yet again masterfully orchestrated to the fireworks (despite Che’s pleading for more AC/DC).

For those who went, what was your impression? Are we getting enough bang for our buck? Or (like for a few enterprising individuals who alegedly procured a box on the day) do we need something else?

Lastly, we’ve got some good photos of previous years Skyfire, and would love to add more to the collection if anyone has some from Saturday night, just email them in to images@the-riotact.com

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Been to lots of the Skyfire’s — it’s always jawdropping. The crowds are always annoying; in recent years it is the teenagers with mobile phones glued to their ears during the fireworks display, telling people they are at a fireworks display, before calling someone else to say exactly the same thing.

The crowding and jostling on the Bridge is very disappointing, the traffic snarl is huge, getting a car park can be a problem.

This year we elected not to go. Instead, I walked up the suburban streets of Pearce, up Mt Taylor until I saw the fireworks. Sadly, Red Hill is smack bang in front of the view from Mount Taylor, even so, I got to see a lot of fireworks and hear the muted thuds of the mortars and explosions.

I don’t know how FM104 afford the display,it’s always triffic, and it’s always packed out. Those people who say ‘seen one, seen them all’, it’s still great to be up close to a big fireworks display, those feel-it-through-your-entire-body EXPLOSIONS, the colours the shapes and everything that makes it a spectacle. Being something you don’t (directly) pay to see, it’s excellent entertainment for all.

On the topic of more bang for our buck, I’d like to see stewards with pick handles clubbing ferals who leave their litter behind.

sexynotsmart11:43 am 27 Mar 10

Yeah it was AWESOMENESS.

We’re usually down on the lake, but this year we went to the rugrat-friendly Parliament House hill. Interstate visitors increased the ankle-biter quotient of our party.

Adding to Davo111’s comment… they were a Sydney family, and they didn’t believe the timeframe. We left Tuggeranong just after 7PM, got some drive-through Macca’s at Manuka, parked just off the Mall and had a 3 minute walk to the hill. They didn’t believe we would get a park or blanket space, let alone acres of grass and a fountain for the kids to run around.

The fireworks were great (thanks 104.7!).

But highlight of the night was the absolute HONEY paramedic riding her bicycle up and down in front of us (thanks ACT Ambulance Service!).

The fireworks were ok.

But as with any human activity, a few tarnished it for others.

I travelled along Parkes Way on the morning after the event. It was reassuring to see the amount of litter left on median strip and surrounding road verges. So, to those who feel that our public areas are their private rubbish tips, good onya! I imagine Commonwealth Park and the other viewing areas would have been a sight to behold.

Oh dear!

Hells_Bells748:54 pm 26 Mar 10

Whilst I had no intention to go, my partner and I happened to be driving on the Commonwealth Ave Bridge and saw it was about to start. So we pulled over just after the bridge and walked max 200 metres to find a good spot just off the bridge.

It was great, having never seen it from that side, I was impressed about not being in the crowd not to mention the quick in and out.

The fireworks themselves, I thought were just gorgeous, lots of oohing and aahing from me and cuddling up with my man. Totally agree with Fiona, those hearts and faces were so cute.

Just lovely!

The show was a lot better than last year and the finale was awesome. Usual problems with toilets, rubbish bins and parents who let their little kids run around doing whatever they want.

I wanted to see Hargreaves go up on one of the rockets. So disappointing that he wasn’t to be seen anywhere, at least by me. Apart from that it was a good show and I have seen many of them.

Gungahlin Al4:10 pm 26 Mar 10

http://nomadphotography.com.au/blog/2010/03/skyfire-2010-live/

I think this video has a better soundtrack that the radio station used!

What i love about the SkyFire is that you can show up 20minutes before the fireworks and find a place where you can actually see.

Unlike NYE Sydney where there are riot police, 1 toilet for 20,000 people, and limited views.

What a great night – i had a great time 🙂

Seemed to go off with a bang – there was a severe shortage of toilets on the southside of the lake though.

Thoroughly Smashed2:43 pm 26 Mar 10

I didn’t see the show this year, despite being close enough to hear it, but I thought that one confused Victorian lady’s letter to CT claiming the fireworks dumped radioactive Barium into the atmosphere, lake and onlookers was a bit of fun.

Gungahlin Al12:25 pm 26 Mar 10

I go to most of the public displays that are going in Canberra, and I have to say that this Skyfire stomped all over them. And the finale was full on – quite stunning – literally.

I watch from a location away from the worst of the crowds, which always makes it that much more enjoyable, and not spoilt by the traffic jams afterwards.

I do agree with Trevar – if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all

I do still sttend Skyfire, because it is a good excuse to catch up with friends/have a night out.
As for the crowds, there did seem alot of people, but this is only the 3rd year I’ve attended so I can’t really compare this years attendance with previous years.

la mente torbida12:08 pm 26 Mar 10

@trevar

Bang for buck? How much did you fork out? For me, Cost =0, bang for buck = infinity

The crowd numbers were helped by the awesome weather 🙂

I liked the hearts and the cubes and the smiley faces.

Perhaps I shouldn’t comment, as I believe that with fireworks, if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all! Still, in the spirit of RiotACT I would respond to the question anyway… except that the question of whether we’re getting enough bang for our buck is predicated on us knowing the size of the buck! So tell me how much it cost, and then I’ll say how much I think it wasn’t worth!

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