Nicholas Craig column

Jan 5 2007 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal

New Year's Eve in Sydney is an extraordinary occasion. They do spectacular celebrations with stylish excess, and the city is enjoying the influx of cricket fans who descended in their thousands this week.

We all congregated at the Sydney Harbour Bridge for its 75th anniversary on New Year's Eve. As well as the fireworks you may have seen on TV, there were hourly flyovers for much of the day from wonderful old aeroplanes including Tiger Moths and Convairs as well as Harbour Light parades and family firework celebrations.

There's less to celebrate with the Test series.

The Ashes are lost, and we still lack the experience of Michael Vaughan and the fitness of Flintoff. The Australians I meet, however, are not as triumphant as they could be - we would all have relished a closer contest.

Nevertheless, there are still benefits for the Barmy Army. A cool breeze during long, sunny days and A$2.40 to the pound are two particularly pleasant bonuses for winter visitors.

Sydney is now a massive metropolis of four million residents, and has lost some of the personal friendliness that once characterised its approach to doing business.

It is a city full of loud life and thriving companies, large and small.

I've yet again managed to locate a China Town, and also found a Little Italy, a Little Spain and a Little Saigon.

`Little' is of course a relative term in the sprawl of Sydney. We could easily introduce a `Little North-East England' with the number of expats I've already come across in Sydney.

The fifth Test is now almost over. In the shadow of the famous Opera House, I can almost hear the mournful strains of a fat lady singing.

I move on from Sydney to New Zealand's South Island this weekend. The island will be a striking contrast to the frantic pace of life and raucous humour of Sydneysiders.

I'm hoping to find out more about business in New Zealand and exploring the island's famed landscape. I'll tell you more next week.