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Paradise lights up Perth sky

The noise and colour of a spectacular Skyworks show drew hundreds of thousands of people to the banks of the Swan River last night, putting a dramatic full stop to an idyllic Australia Day.

Paradise was the theme as music from Guns ‘n’ Roses, Coldplay and the Choirboys heralded the first cascades of colour.

Red hearts shone for The Rolling Stones’ I’m Free and patriotic blasts of green and gold glittered over the river throughout.

And flag-waving spectators helped to set a world record for the most people simultaneously waving a national flag.

A City of Perth spokesman said more than 60,000 flags were fluttered, prompted by a helicopter towing a 15-metre flag over the Swan River.

The previous record stood at just more than 56,000 people.

“It was easily beaten,” the spokesman said.

Dianella resident Nicole Bleus said the 30-minute fireworks show was one of the best she had seen in years. “It was bigger this year,” she said. “The last bit was just, like, wow. I think everyone’s eyes were in the sky for that moment.”


Hundreds of fireworks were fired in just a few short minutes in the show-stopping finale.

State wide 87 people were charged with a total of 112 offences.

Commander Jon Tuttle said the day passed without significant incident.

St John Ambulance officers treated a number of people for heat and sun exposure as the temperature climbed above 37C before the show.

Earlier, the promise of a hot day saw West Australians, old and new, take to Perth’s beaches in their thousands, enjoying the opportunity to sit salty-skinned on the sand, watching the waves roll in.

Teenage surf lifesavers Adrian Folkard and Emile and Ben Mercier took advantage of a relatively uneventful morning on packed Floreat beach to build a pile of sand to top with an Aussie flag.


Quizzed on why they volunteered to stand guard on a public holiday, the answer was succinct: “Australia, mate.”

At Cottesloe, the crowd gathered early, many dressed in their Australia-themed finest, children’s joyful shrieks breaking through the broadcast of only the most Australian of musicians, including John Farnham, Cold Chisel and Daryl Braithwaite.

Darryl Earnshaw and four-year-old daughter Michaela were splashing in the shallows, celebrating their first Australia Day since moving to Como nine months ago from South Africa via Britain.

They’ve been down to Cottesloe just about every Saturday since. Mingling with yesterday’s jovial crowd, Mr Earnshaw could think of no better place to mark the occasion.


“It’s bloody amazing,” he said. “The weather is perfect, as usual. After this, we’re going to go and have a barbecue and then to South Perth for the fireworks.

“You’ve got to do it properly for your first Australia Day.”

Jodi Chalmers came from Canning Vale with her two-year-old son, Oliver.

“With everything that’s going on in the world, I wanted to make sure we came here today,” she said.

“It’s nice to be patriotic and to soak up all the nice positive things about the day.”


Also among the throng were visitors from countries including Brazil, France, Japan, New Zealand and Britain. They immersed themselves in simple Australian pleasures: a rapidly disintegrating ice-cream on a hot day, burying themselves in the cool sand or the time-honoured tradition of tipping their mates over in the surf.

Friends Charmaine Hill and Tracey Zucchiatti came to Cottesloe with victory in the annual Havaianas Thong Challenge firmly in mind.

On the crowded beach they met Rebecca Everitt, who had come all the way from Quinns Rocks for the same reason.

The strangers bonded over their shared desire to win and matching Australian flag bikinis. “Perth is going to win again for sure,” Ms Hill said.


“Besides, it’s 38 degrees — where else would you want to be?”

They weren’t disappointed. The trio joined 2207 others in the crystal-clear water, each on an oversized inflatable thong, to help Cottesloe smash last year’s record of 2099 people and soundly defeat the other States.


In their Oz bikinis at Cottesloe, Rebecca Everitt, Charmaine Hill and Tracey Zucchiatti. Picture: Michael O'Brien/The West Australian


An estimated 60,000 people waved Australian flags as part of a world record attempt before the Skyworks. The record stands at just over 56,000 flags.


Picture: Michael O'Brien/The West Australian