In the simmering heat of Perth, in Western Australia, it was easy to forget rain-sodden Dublin. However, the 34-minute fireworks display, which I saw last night, and which united the people of this sunny state capital, is at least something Dubliners can look forward to.
The pyrotechnic mastermind who created this breathtaking array of electric hundreds-and-thousands is Australian Syd Howard. Here they call it the Lotto SkyWorks and hold it on Australia Day. In Dublin, on March 13th, it will be transformed into the Aer Lingus SkyFest, a spectacular to start the St Patrick's Day festival and Ireland's Millennium celebrations. Mr Howard will be here to orchestrate the symphony of light.
In Perth, the posters have been on lamp-posts for weeks, a finger pointing skyward exhorting the citizens to "watch this space". They heard the call. About 400,000 of them came to the shores of the Swan River in the centre of the city to watch the festival unfold on land, sea and air. They came bearing tents and chilled drinks and exotic picnics.
"A real family occasion," said a proud spectator. "The Irish are in for a treat."
To the soundtrack of a rather unpromisingly titled Four Decades of Australian Music, the crowd saw the release of more gunpowder than Guy Fawkes could shake a fizzing stick of dynamite at. The fireworks were set in time to music by the likes of Kylie Minogue, which was pumped simultaneously from one of the city's largest radio stations. There were 5,000 fireworks - cute love hearts, shooting stars and glittering spaceships straight out of Area Nine.
One of the original spacemen, John Glenn, christened Perth the "city of lights" while skybound over the area on his famous flight. Perthonians had flashed hello to him with torches. They did the same to each other across the river, creating an image of a city, momentarily, at one.
This wasn't just any fireworks display and Syd proved it by creating a world first. Only a genius, or a madman, could attempt what in pyrotechnic terms has been dubbed a skydrop. Take one helicopter, attach a 7-metre metal frame bearing 100 kilos of rockets and fly over a well-observed river. Set off rockets in every direction, including downwards, then stand back and count the "oohs" and "aahs".
Perth is a conscientiously clean city and the radio adverts blared: "Enjoy yourself, mate" while urging that everything, including cigarette butts, be placed in the colour co-ordinated recycling bags.
Lord Mayor Dr Peter Nattrass was similarly "right-on" with a call to party that demands repetition: "Be sun-smart, bring a torch, a radio and respect for each other," he said.
After all, it was Australia's birthday, Australia Day. Never mind that one contingent, the native Australian aboriginal, prefers to call it invasion day. It is when the very diversity of the nation is celebrated, a time when youths make love under trees and skinny-dip out of sight of the vigilant water police. Here, six skyrise buildings became flaming fortresses and the plan is for the Customs House to be similarly festooned with fireworks for the SkyFest in March. Barges and speedboats were Perth's firework carriers. INXS were conspicuous by their absence from the antipodean soundtrack. Boyzone, however, will no doubt be top of the Dublin musical backdrop and 5,000 big ones will be replaced by 15,000 smaller ones on Dublin's quayside. Last night, every firework told a story. No fewer than 5,000 Irish families have moved to Perth in the last two years, according to a local researcher. Standing in the heat watching seagulls dodge magical sparklers, you knew why.