At the media launch for the 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve, the theme of which is “Inspire”, Thompson said Sydney is “the city I love and there’s a lot to be inspired by.”

Thompson said he could think of nothing more wonderful to be a part of than gathering around the Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve celebrating life. He told reporters, “we are incredibly privileged people living in an incredibly privileged place and we need to celebrate what we have – and believe me, New Year’s Eve we will!”

The Inspiring Jack Thompson

As the designated storyteller of this year’s NYE celebration, the iconic Australian actor read out a poem he had written as his response to how Sydney has inspired him. In it he revealed:

I am Sydney. I am the city of Sydney.
Glistening in the sun, shining on in harbour lights when the day is done.
A city rich with achievements and stories that inspire,
A city who is vital here and now the whole world has come to admire.
And we, the people of Sydney, have Summer in our souls,
It is our dreaming and our lore, our heritage of old.

Upon reflecting on this section of Thompson’s evocative poem I considered what is was about the city of Sydney that truly inspired me. I moment of inspiration arose a few days ago when I was aboard a boat on the Sydney Harbour, cruising underneath the iconic Harbour Bridge, sailing past the incredible Opera House and admiring the stunning sights and wildlife of the Sydney Harbour National Park.

In a moment of appreciation, my friend uttered to me: “it’s moments like this that make me wonder why you would live anywhere else.” That is when I realised the true inspiration of Sydney for me – it’s unique history, iconic structures, magnificent sites, endless opportunity for adventure and exploration, and its ability to answer the call of ‘Summer in our souls’. Far from being simply a season, Summer in Sydney – as Thompson so eloquently expressed – is our dreaming, our lore and our heritage. Summer is embodied by the feeling of floating on the stunning waterscape of Sydney Harbour and feeling connected to its rich past, its magnificent present and its exciting future.

New Year’s Eve represents a time of hope and excitement at what lies ahead in the New Year; a time for gathering with loved ones to appreciate all that we have; and most of all a time for celebration. For this reason, I can think of no other place to celebrate New Year’s Eve than upon Sydney Harbour.

A Sydney Harbour cruise is the ideal way to appreciate Sydney’s beauty and celebrate this exciting event in style. A harbour cruise enables you to feel connected to the city and the Summer in a manner that those behind screens or even on the land would be unable to achieve.

The MV EPICURE I New Year’s Eve cruise is a perfect example of a sumptuous harbour cruise that coalesces history, celebration and opportunity. Sitting atop a luxurious vessel with unsurpassed views of the fireworks and enjoying gourmet food and beverages embraces what Jack Thompson referred to as ‘incredibly privileged people living in an incredibly privileged place’. New Year’s Eve is one of the most unique celebrations of the year and Sydney is one of the best places in the world to celebrate it.

So make the most of this incredible city and ensure you are inspired this New Year’s Eve by booking yourself on a resplendent harbour cruise this 31st December.

Our parties and holiday gatherings are normally great events, and we all look forward to silly season traditions. Last year, we had a really memorable evening. Sometimes we’ll still sit around and find ourselves laughing at some of the ridiculous events of that night.

Bob, our owner manager, had always encouraged performances at parties. The tradition started with parody songs and awful jokes, but soon devolved into a kind of ludicrous tournament where anything flew. But last year, Bob decided to one-up himself and tear down the walls.

He informed us in November that he’d booked a chartered cruise out on the harbour through Enigma Charters. It was going to be a fancy affair, he said, with everything taken care of. We were all elated to hear the news, but there was a twist. Bob had chosen the theme of stand-up comedy for this year’s performance. We’d all be given the chance to cut loose on the microphone and have some fun.

In the lead up to the big night, we were all obviously intimidated by the thought of performing. Some people had even refused to take part. Things started off a little slow, but the pace eventually spiked thanks to a downright awful set by Bob. After a few drinks started flowing, it got easier to revel in just how bad we all were. When my turn came up I froze a little, but decided to give it a go nonetheless. Thankfully, a wonderful dinner started being served and I was let off the hook.

We all enjoyed the rest of the night aboard the luxury cruise ship. The evening ended with a few of us gazing out at the harbour, happily following the city lights as they swayed on the horizon. It was truly memorable being in such a beautiful place and aboard such a lovely ship. It will surely be the benchmark against which next year’s party will be measured!