Some bright sparky has organised for pre-dawn fireworks for the Olympic Torch Relay through Canberra. Not sure exactly what time, or where, though viewing from Reconciliation Place would probably be a given.

Beijing Torch Celebrations - Events ACT

So make sure you get to bed early the night before! (so you are in a decent frame of mind to deal with tired crying kids who've been woken by fireworks)

glad i live all the way out here!! LOL

glad i live all the way out here!! LOL

yeah, me too, I just don't think we live quite far enough out if its at 5am and dead quiet! (did you hear the explosion in charny last QB longweekend? about 2am-ish? sounded like next street over!)

Oh ugh!

My DD was invited to be part of the mass choir, but I wouldn't let her - all the security checks and extra rehearsals were going to be a real pain. And we're Tibet supporters so it wouldn't really have been appropriate to have a daughter cheering the torch along .

Pre-dawn fireworks is just ridiculous (unless some bright spark is making a point about human rights and noises that make bullet-like sounds... )

Oh heck Imagine all the pets etc as well going off their nuts!! The dogs around here will be sure to hear it with their super sonic hearing lol and no doubt break into chorus!

Sorry but I'm going to say . I'm an Olympic nut (have been since a kid, and more so after becoming part of the Olympic family at Sydney 2000 as a baseball official) and I love fireworks.

Nothing will be stopping me going to see the Olympic flame for the 3rd olympics in a row (was there for the relighting of the Sydney cauldron with the Athens flame in 2004 as well), even if it means getting up pre-dawn.

The Olympic spirit is about coming together and overcoming political differences etc. I fully understand and support the issues around Tibet (& the issues for pet owners too ), but do not feel that disrupting the Olympics is the way to make the point. What has it got to do with the athletes (& sports officials) who have been in training all their lives to get there?

Fireworks...... ugh another one of the local council governments bright ideas

In saying that I hope the relay is peaceful, I agree with PP that the Olympics should not be mixed with political beliefs and protests Maybe the ACT can set a good example to the rest of the world and keep the peace....

Jet07, there's fireworks the night of the 23rd and the night of the 24th, so I've been told, so why do we need pre-dawn fireworks as well? I'm not commenting on the political status of the olypic torch relay or anything, just making people aware that they are putting fireworks on at a really silly time (the sun will be up at 6.30, so they'll have wanted to finish at least a half hour beforehand to avoid the pre-dawn light), particularly when it seems noone has seemed to have bothered letting us residents know it will be on!

Just to make it clear that I think the 2008 Olympics are a great opportunity to make a point about Tibet, not that they should be boycotted. But it's easy for me because I'm definitely not the sporty type (unless there's a two-left-feet race going... ).

I am involved in the Olympic Torch Relay choir - one of over 500 Canberrans to be singing. There are many children (boys and girls) involved too.

To my knowledge (and I have checked this with the Choir manager), we have not had to undertake any kind of security check at all. On the day of the Torch Relay, we will have a specially marked long sleeved t-shirt to wear which will show us as being part of the choir.

We have been rehearsing since February for this event with one (sometimes 2) group rehearsals each week (totalling some 4-6 hours a week). We have also been allocated "home work" and I'm sure many people have been practising daily as some of the pieces are technically very difficult.

We will be performing at the National Autumn Balloon Spectacular on 19th April, near the large pond near Old Parliament House at 7:45am. On the 24th our day starts even earlier (from 6:30am ) and we will be performing at 8am at the Pre-launch and at 8:45am at the end of the Launching Ceremony. Our choir responsibilities continue through the day. Our early morning section will be on breakfast TV - we are being told it will be the Sunrise show.

I would be surprised if any of the choir members is comfortable with human rights abuses etc. Our purpose is not to support what is happening in China and Tibet. We are show casing Canberra to the rest of the World and sing some beautiful and rousing songs. The Olympics transcend national borders. People can protest if they wish; such is their right in our democratic country.

I do hope it is a wonderful day. I'm looking forward to it with some trepidation and excitement as I'm unsure how it will all go after having seen previous torch relays in other countries.

Hope this clarifies some matters with regard to the choir. The Fireworks will be after I'm up, I'm sure and lucky to those who get a long lie. I have a 16 month old to get organised and out the door by 6am, so I'm not sure how that yet will work.

Alison

How exciting for you spacesweetie. I really hope the event goes ahead peacefully for you.

I hope you have a great time, Spacesweetie. We were told the children had to register name/address details etc for security reasons (I assumed checks). As I would have been dragging a 3yo and 6 month old to all those extra rehearsals (not to mention the *early* performances ) I'm glad we sat this one out.

I think the Olympic torch relay is a really good opportunity to peacefully let China know that the eyes of the world are focussed on Tibet.


Yes - I'd be really nervous if my 9yo were singing because if anything happened I don't have great faith in her ability to stay calm in a crisis! But I suspect the crowd in Canberra will either show some peaceful indicators of support for Tibet, or just enjoy themselves .

Janette I agree with you. DH and I have fabulous memories from the morning that Sydney 2000 opened. I got up before 5am and helped his ICU nurse get him out of bed (on a ventilator) so that we could go down to the highway in front of RNSH and see the torch relay go past. I then went off for my first day of work as a mountain bike course official .



I am nervous about taking DD (or even DH) to see the torch relay because I do not want any of us to get caught up in any kind of melee (or worse) and if a situation developed that we wanted to move away from quickly it would be extremely stressful and potentially dangerous.

Having said that all tho, if there is pre-dawn fireworks I will be there!!!

Steph

Steph - maybe we can meet somewhere so I can help with DD and you can concentrate on DH if necessary! I've dragged my Olympic medal out of storage, and have been looking through my memorabilia .

I've got a great photo of Shea with Steve Waugh an his son holding the Athens flame at the re-lighting of the Sydney Cauldron in 2004. Will try to find it. Unfortunately we were pre-digital in 2000!

NOt sure if a facebook link will work but the original is on our still to be rebuilt notebook! Another