New Year’s Eve 2019 in Sydney Harbour queues began 40 hours ago at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

Thousands of New Year’s Eve revellers keen to secure the best spots to watch the fireworks on the Sydney Harbour have camped overnight ahead of the world-famous $6.5 million midnight pyrotechnics.

Despite temperatures hitting 33C in Sydney – the hottest New Year’s Eve since 1985 – tens of thousands were patiently waiting for the fireworks at midnight by midday on Tuesday. 

By midnight, more than one million will cram every vantage spot around the harbour to celebrate the end of 2019 and the start of 2020. 

At Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – one of the most popular vantage points – excited tourists began queuing up at 7am on Monday, more than 40 hours before the first fireworks was due to be launched.

Eager pyrotechnics lovers at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair have spent the night camping out at vantage spots around Sydney Harbour ahead of the midnight fireworks display

By the time they woke up early on Tuesday morning they had been joined by thousands more people all lined up in snaking queues throughout the Botanic Gardens.

When the gates were opened at 10am, thousands began streaming down towards the point overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Taiwanese tourist Andy Shim, 29, who was among the first group to begin queuing, told Daily Mail Australia it was a rough night of camping.

‘We slept here on the grass and the footpath in our sleeping bags, it was very cold,’ he said.

‘We were the first people here yesterday morning and most of these other people began arriving at 7pm last night.

‘It was a long night but we are excited to get in there, get a spot and see the fireworks.’

Revellers eager to lay claim to the best vantage points at Mrs Macquarie's Chair slept on the grass and footpaths overnight on Monday

Revellers eager to lay claim to the best vantage points at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair slept on the grass and footpaths overnight on Monday

A group of friends sit on the grass at Mrs Macquarie's Chair as the crowds gather for Sydney's world famous New Year's Eve fireworks display

A group of friends sit on the grass at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair as the crowds gather for Sydney’s world famous New Year’s Eve fireworks display

Firework enthusiasts are seen lining up before access is granted for New Year's Eve celebrations at Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Firework enthusiasts are seen lining up before access is granted for New Year’s Eve celebrations at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

Best friends Jazmine Tiley, 20, and Amy Banks, 19, have only been in Australia for four days but weren’t going to miss out on seeing the fireworks.

The pair from Brighton, in England’s south, said the New Year’s Eve spectacular had long been on their bucket list.

‘We’ve only been here four days but we kept hearing that it’s really good,’

Reduced capacity for the popular lookout spot at Mrs Macquarie's Chair means it will fit up quicker than normal this year

Reduced capacity for the popular lookout spot at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair means it will fit up quicker than normal this year

Capacity for the prime spot has dropped to 13,500 in 2019, down from 19,000 just two years ago

Capacity for the prime spot has dropped to 13,500 in 2019, down from 19,000 just two years ago

A family fireworks show will get underway at 9pm, before more than 100,000 fireworks light up the sky at midnight

A family fireworks show will get underway at 9pm, before more than 100,000 fireworks light up the sky at midnight

‘It’s one of those things that you can tick off your bucket list.

‘We weren’t too happy when we found out how early you had to get up, but we’re only in Australia for six weeks so we figured why not.’

Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is one of the first fireworks location to fill up every year, and it will do so quicker than normal in 2019.

Those waiting to get inside the lookout spot came packed with inflatable couches, rugs and umbrellas for the long day of waiting

Those waiting to get inside the lookout spot came packed with inflatable couches, rugs and umbrellas for the long day of waiting

Capacity for the prime spot has dropped to 13,500 in 2019, down from 19,000 just two years ago.

Wanting to make sure they didn’t miss out, a group of German students came packed with inflatable couches, rugs and umbrellas for the long day of waiting.

‘We got here about 3.30am and were able to get a spot right up the front,’ Luca Patz, 20, said.

‘I’ve been in Australia since January last year and I wasn’t too keen to queue up all day, but my friends convinced me.

‘We’ve never seen the Sydney fireworks before – not even photos on the internet – so hopefully it’s worth it.

‘The hype is pretty big for this year, so hopefully at the end of a long day in the sun the show is amazing.’

In total an estimated two million people will cram into the city to catch a glimpse of the Sydney fireworks.

Dawes Point, right next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, will be the location of choice for 38,000 people.

While only 7,000 lucky party-goers will be able to squeeze into the vantage point next to the Sydney Opera House.

A family fireworks show will get underway at 9pm, before more than 100,000 fireworks light up the sky at midnight. 

The fireworks will on Wednesday ring in 2020 despite the closure of popular vantage points and political and community opposition.

The NSW Rural Fire Service granted the fireworks display – seen by one billion people across the world – a total fire ban exemption on Monday evening.

The NSW Rural Fire Service granted the fireworks display (pictured last year's fireworks) - seen by one billion people across the world - a total fire ban exemption on Monday evening

The NSW Rural Fire Service granted the fireworks display (pictured last year’s fireworks) – seen by one billion people across the world – a total fire ban exemption on Monday evening 

A similar exemption for fireworks at Parramatta Park was not granted.

Temperatures around the state are expected to peak on Tuesday, with forecasts of more than 40C across western Sydney and in regional NSW.

Fire danger ratings for Sydney, Newcastle and the state’s south – where several emergency-level blazes are burning – range from severe to extreme. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk