A Date with the New Year.

Australia ambled into New Zealand's house dressed in jandals, shorts, and a tee emblazoned with the Aboriginal flag. He called out and New Zealand said she'd be right out. Flopping into an armchair, he waited. New Zealand came out dressed in sandals and a black tee-shirt dress emblazoned with a silver fern. "I see the plaster's off your nose there mate," she teased and he smirked.

"Yeah, no breaking it again eh?" he said as he stood up and offered his arm to her. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she giggled, taking his proffered arm. "And I reckon your nose is safe…for the night at least."

"You are too kind," he snorted, bumping into her as they headed off on their date.

The two arrived at the dock and boarded the vessel that would take them out into Waitemata Harbour in Auckland. Midnight was approaching and the two countries were going to celebrate in both places. As New Zealand rang in the New Year first, they started there with a late dinner. The countdown began and the two stood by the railing, glasses raised as the Sky Tower lit up with fireworks marking that the New Year had officially started.

"Happy New Year, Love," Australia said, wrapping an arm around her petite shoulders.

"Here's to a year free of quakes and needless loss," she sniffled, and he bent down to kiss the top of her head.

"Here here," he murmured in agreement.

The fireworks ended and New Zealand wiped the tears from her cheeks. She clinked glasses with Australia and the two drank to good fortunes for the upcoming year. "Right…now that we have the warm up over with, what do you say we hop across the ditch and watch as that bridge of yours gets blown up?" she teased and Australia laughed.

"Sounds like a beauty plan!"

They had a couple of hours to kill before midnight struck in Sydney and they wandered around, mingling with the crowds that had gathered along the harbour shore. A random stranger handed the pair a beer each and they thanked him as the crowd began counting down to midnight. Fireworks began to erupt from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and it was the beginning of a spectacular show set to music from all eras.

"Happy New Year, Mate," New Zealand yelled, mirroring his earlier greeting in Auckland.

"Here's to no more bloody flooding up north and no horrific fire season," he murmured, raising his bottle.

"Here here sweetheart," she agreed, hugging him tightly before clinking bottles with him and toasting again to the New Year.

"Right! Alice Springs awaits," Australia stated suddenly, dragging New Zealand along into the interior of the Outback.

"Three time zones? Is that how you make up for me getting New Year's first?" New Zealand teased as they swayed around the dance floor of a local pub in Alice Springs.

"Yep. At least I'm not like that greedy bastard Russia," Australia replied with a wink. "Eleven time zones…I'd be bloody smashed before I made it to Moscow." New Zealand winced in agreement before the crowd began counting down to midnight. They followed everyone outside and welcomed the New Year in with cheers into the night sky. An old man's voice caught them off guard and they were surprised to see the elders walking up to them.

"G'day kids, doing the time zone hop eh?" the Aboriginal elder greeted as he walked arm in arm with the Maori elder.

"Kia Ora," New Zealand greeted, pressing her nose to the Maori elder's before hugging her.

"Happy New Year's love," the elder grinned.

"Love the tee kid," the Aboriginal elder said as he clasped forearms with Australia.

"Ta mate!" he grinned. "Happy New Year's to you both."

"Where all have you two been?" New Zealand asked her elder.

"Started in Rotorua, then off to Frasier Island, Uluru, and we're winding down on the west coast somewhere," she replied.

"Shark Bay," her counterpart added.

"We'll head over with ya then, we're heading up to Ningaloo," Australia supplied and the four headed west to their final destinations. Once at Shark Bay, Australia and New Zealand stayed with the elders as the Aboriginal and Maori elders both said blessings for the New Year, before heading up north a bit to Ningaloo.

"Oh, very posh," New Zealand teased as she took her sandals off.

"Only the very best!" Australia laughed as he doffed his jandals and tee and headed towards the water. "Get the barbie going would ya?" he called out.

New Zealand wandered over to the caravan parked on the beach and set their shoes and his tee in it before wandering over to the pit he'd dug in the sand for a barbeque. She filled the billy hanging over the pit with water and got the fire going. Knowing how he operated, she went back to the caravan and looked in the fridge. Sure enough she found a couple bottles of wine, one each from New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand also found a pineapple, which she sliced up and some other nibbles in the tiny caravan kitchen. Taking the food and a blanket back outside, she set them up next to the fire before going back for the wine. She half buried each bottle into the sand at the edge of the blanket before dusting her hands off. She was just finishing setting up when Australia came back with a load of prawns.

"Had them netted in to keep 'em fresh," he grinned as he dumped his catch into the boiling water.

"It's almost time isn't it?" she asked and he glanced at his watch.

"Minute past it actually," he replied, taking up the bottle of New Zealand chardonnay. She took her bottle of Shiraz from the sand and they each took swigs from their bottles.

"Here's to no wars," Australia toasted.

"And no sorrows," New Zealand added.

"No tragedies," he replied.

"And no pain," she murmured.

"Peace to the whole world," he stated.

"To peace."

"Happy New Year Love," he toasted, clinking his bottle with hers.

"You too, Mate," she replied, and they both took another swig.

The prawns finished cooking and New Zealand retrieved them and put them into the bowl of ice water that she had ready. Once cooled, the two dug in and talked about their hopes and dreams for the coming year. Australia made the mistake of bringing up the coming rugby world cup and New Zealand smirked.

"Save the slaughtering for everyone else, please?" he begged and she laughed.

"We'll see," she cackled and he groaned.

As the night wore on, they lay back on the blanket and looked up at the stars, quickly finding the constellation that adorned both their flags. They star gazed until the sun rose on the first day of the New Year.

HAPPY NEW YEARS ALL!

The barbie on the beach up at Ningaloo on the NW Cape of Aus, is how I would ring in the new year with me mates and family when I was a kid. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe new year!