THOUSANDS flocked to Newcastle Harbour on Sunday night to witness the city send out 2023 with a bang.
And what a finale it was.
After a sluggish start due to light rain and cloudy skies in the afternoon, the crowds around the Queens Wharf precinct swelled from 6pm onwards as families and friends stretched out on the grass to soak up the festive atmosphere.
World-renown Newcastle stunt pilot Paul Bennet kicked off the entertainment with a "unlimited aerobatic display" in a Wolf Pitt Pro biplane.
By that stage the earlier clouds and drizzle had lifted and was replaced by Bennet's chemtrail that hung over the harbour like mist.
Bennet returned an hour later and was joined by a Zivko Edge 540 for a dazzling display of dual acrobatic flying, which included torque rolls, double hammer heads and forward flips.
As the sun set on Newcastle for the final time in 2023, the foreshore was packed with camping chairs, blankets and kids twirling fluorescent glow sticks. Anticipation grew for the 9pm lift off.
A few non-sanctioned firecrackers went off near Fort Scratchley at 8.30pm, providing the expectant crowd with a small taste of what was to come.
When the fireworks arrived, they didn't disappoint. The loud bangs echoed off the CBD buildings and brightened the gloomy overcast sky.
Earlier in the day the Queens Wharf Hotel was seemingly the place to ring in the new year.
A long line of people snaked along Wharf Road waiting entry into the hotel. The queue was still lengthy at 9pm.
Many were there to catch popular Newcastle party band, Love That Hat.
For Love That frontwoman Sue Carson, New Year's Eve is always her "favourite gig".
"We love New Year's Eve, because it's special for so many reasons," Ms Carson said.
"We had a few tough years, all of us, especially with COVID. We're no spring chickens anymore, we're older musos, but we have a beautiful and faithful crowd."
Love That Hat have been one of Newcastle's premier cover bands since forming in 1994 and have played the Queens Wharf Hotel's New Year's Eve slot for the last seven years.
Ms Carson, who is moving into a community coordinator role at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music in new year, said live music was "absolutely thriving" in the city.
"It's gotten its leg again since COVID," she said. "There's room for more funding for music and room for more flexibility around the events that we put on because this town is an amazing landscape for music and events."
Crowds around the Newcastle Foreshore precinct appeared down on previous years with the cooler weather and light drizzle proving a deterrent for some.
However, there were still plenty of families stretching out in the park to score a prime spot for the 9pm fireworks and stunt pilot Paul Bennet's aerial display.
Mother-of-two, Bridie Wilkes, from Singleton brought her family and her in-laws from Dalby in Queensland to Foreshore Park to experience New Year's Novocastrian style.
"I used to come here a lot when I was a kid," Mrs Wilkes said. "Maitland was terrible last year, so we thought we'd give Newcastle a crack this year."
Doctors Tess and Matt Hood only moved to Newcastle from Victoria three years ago, but have quickly made New Year's Eve at Foreshore Park a family ritual for their sons Archer, 3, and Fletcher, 2.
"It's easy for us to come to, so it's become a thing for us," Mr Hood said.
Becoming a specialist in haematology will be a major focus for Mrs Hood in 2024.
"I'm just hoping to pass my exams, it's very boring," she laughed.
