WA:Lots of fun for New Year weekend in WA

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2010
WA:Lots of fun for New Year weekend in WA

By Angie Raphael

PERTH, Dec 29 AAP - Fireworks, family events, cocktails, romantic dinner packages,
sport and music festivals are on the agenda for Perth over the New Year weekend.

It will be a hot and sunny long weekend with temperatures hovering in the high 30s
and expected to peak at 40 degrees on Sunday.

The festivities will begin on New Year's Eve with the City of Perth teaming up with
the art show ARTRAGE to host family entertainment, including confetti cannons in the Northbridge
Piazza and fireworks.

Performing on three stages will be Sugar Blue Burlesque and the Fliptease circus group,
while roving characters will entertain children.

The pubs and clubs of the Northbridge entertainment district are offering themed parties,
including candyland and Las Vegas themes, while some of the outer suburbs are offering
dinner and wine packages.

Local councils are putting on their own free events, including the cities of Mandurah
and Rockingham which are using their scenic foreshores to provide family entertainment.

On a sunny New Year's Day, sport fans will revel in the first day of the Hopman Cup
at Burswood Dome featuring tennis stars Lleyton Hewitt, Justine Henin and Alicia Molik.

The BMW Perth Cup will also set the fashion stakes high while the Fremantle Arts Centre
will host a concert with Xavier Rudd headlining.

The biggest musical event of the weekend will be the three-day Southbound festival
in Busselton featuring more than 60 acts including Angus and Julia Stone, Birds of Tokyo,
Eskimo Joe, Paul Kelly, The Living End, Tame Impala and Ladyhawke.

Police spokeswoman Susan Usher told AAP that police would have a strong presence in
the main entertainment precincts on New Year's Eve and would conduct patrols throughout
the long weekend.

"All the main spots will be covered where we know people go to celebrate New Year's
Eve including Scarborough, Northbridge, Fremantle and Hillarys, and all the places along
the beach," she said.

"People should use their common sense over the weekend and remember that if they are
drinking alcohol in the heat they will need to drink more water, too."

Transperth will put on extra bus, train and ferry services for New Year's Eve, with
most finishing at 2am (WST) on New Year's Day, but some will continue until 4am.

On New Year's Day, trains will operate on the Saturday timetable and buses will operate
on the Sunday timetable.

AAP anr/ldj

KEYWORD: EVE WA

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