Aussies Welcome 2010

Fires, flooding, and cyclones wreaked havoc on Australia in 2009, but the nation is putting the past behind them as they entered 2010 with fireworks and celebration. "We are all now engaged in nation-building for recovery, nation-building for the future," said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. To celebrate, over 1.5 million people gathered around Sydney Harbour to watch 5,000 kilograms of explosives in what Australian politician Kristina Keneally called "the best show on earth." Melbourne and Brisbane also displayed big firework shows, but most Aussies across the nation rang in the new year with the grand old tradition of beer drinking.