We watched the fireworks from a balcony in the Sydney suburb of Mosman - a few km NE of where the Harbour Bridge and Opera House are. It also afforded a great view of downtown Sydney at the same time. The "real" crowds go down to the area around the Bridge and Opera House - crowds of a million plus. We decided to avoid that. While we couldn't see the deck of the bridge or the opera house, I think we had an excellent view from a distance.