Sydney  - Australia said goodbye to 2008 and the global recession with a multi-million dollar fireworks extravaganza over its biggest city Sydney's Harbour Bridge and iconic Opera House that was watched by an estimated 1.5 million people.

Although New Zealand's Auckland was the world's first city to welcome 2009 with its own fireworks display, Sydney's spectacular show two hours later traditionally attracts a television audience around the world that is expectantly awaiting its own fresh start of a new year.

This year's display, which featured the theme "Creation," saw the city of four million cock a snook at the global recession by spending more than 3.4 million US dollars on an extravaganza using 5,000 kilos of explosive devices in about 11,000 shells launched digitally from seven barges, seven city buildings, and the bridge itself, creating
100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects.

It even won a nod of approval from the city's Catholic Archbishop, George Pell, who was asked by the Sydney Morning Herald if residents should be showing more restraint and less conspicuous consumption as they moved into a uncertain new year.

"Not at all," he told the paper. "There's no point in being miserable at such times. Sydneysiders should feel free to enjoy themselves on this special occasion."

An animated star appeared on the Harbour Bridge just after 9:00 pm (1000 GMT) kicking off a preview fireworks display for families with young children and transformed itself into different images building up to a midnight climax as the New Year arrived.

Australian landscapes were projected onto pylons of the bridge as a parade of more than 50 ships and ferries sailed down the harbour towards the city's famous Opera House.

The climatic display simulated lightning, thunder and rain in never-seen-before pyrotechnics that, in the words of creative director Rhoda Roberts "rained fireworks on everyone, across the harbour, very safely."

A golden waterfall cascaded from the deck of the bridge as the effect, kept top secret until midnight, changed shapes from a star to a spinning wheel to a flower before being revealed as a glowing sun.

The AAP news agency reported that watching thousands cheered and raised their champagne glasses and beer cans in a toast as fireworks exploded over the Opera House, with thousands of camera flashes rivalling the official show.

It quoted Dani Rogers, 26, a visitor from Brisbane, as saying: "They were really good, probably the best fireworks I have ever seen and the atmosphere was really lovely." (dpa)