Description & Facts: New Years celebrations are underway around the world, with firework displays in Auckland and Sydney starting a night of global partying. Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean was the first to welcome in 2009 at 10am Greenwich Mean Time. before the New Year arrived in New Zealand an hour later. Aucklands dazzling firework show, launched from the Sky Tower in the centre of the city, was broadcast around the world in a prelude to the enormous pyrotechnic display in Sydney Harbour two hours later. A record crowd gathered in the Australian city to watch Sydneys biggest fireworks display yet. Around 5000 kilograms of shells, comets and experimental fireworks lit up the sky over the Opera House and the iconic steel bridge, which dominate the citys harbour. Fortunato Foti, the fireworks director, said: Its probably 30 per cent bigger on the bridge alone than what its been in previous years. Personally, I dont think you can have too many fireworks. The more the better." The show cost an estimated five million Australian dollars (£2.4 million) with thousands of the citys four million residents queuing for harbourside spots some 12 hours before the main event. Police estimated that up to 1.5 million people watched the spectacle. Jessica Williams, 29, a British tourist said New Years Eve in Sydney was world-renowned. Coming from overseas youve kind of got to do the whole Sydney and fireworks thing, she said. It was a great experience." A similar event will be held on the Thames in