Sydney's biggest party yet

Sydney Harbour was packed for the opening ceremony

BBC Sport's Jonathon Moore watched Sydney 2000's opening ceremony at the best address in town - along with the rest of the city.

Sydney has never seen anything like it. Forget the celebrations that followed Australia's World Cup winning performances in cricket and rugby union, forget even the city's Millennium party.

This was the start of the 2000 Olympics and everyone was invited.

As the lucky 'few' sat in the Olympic Stadium, witnessing the opening ceremony at first hand, hundreds of thousands of others swarmed into Sydney Harbour to sample the biggest party in Australian history.

Glenys Brown: Carried the torch into the Harbour area

Space, of course, was at a premium and particularly so for torchbearer Glenys Brown who was surrounded by well-wishers.

"This is quite simply one of the best days of my life," she said.

"The whole of Australia welcomes the world today. I was lucky to carry the torch, but everyone is a part of this."

Susie Boyles from Minnesota had experienced Olympic fever in Atlanta four years ago. She promised herself she would not make the same mistake twice.

"I've been here most of the day and brought my little box along to stand on", she said.

"It took a bit of foresight and effort to get down here early. But I had a great vantage point and what a ceremony. It was certainly worth it."

Others, who had travelled even further afield, agreed the ceremony had been a success. Boleslau Porolmiczak and Yakub Becek from Poland said the event had blended 'old' and 'new' Australia into a multi-cultural masterpiece.

I think that was the best opening ceremony yet - It was a fantastic mixture of all things Australian

  Yakub Becek

"This is the most beautiful city in the world," Yakub said.

"I think that was the best opening ceremony yet. It was a fantastic mixture of all things Australian."

For the home fans, the event represented a celebration of the country's continuing sporting achievements.

"This is absolutely fantastic," said Susan McCulloch, who had travelled in from Perth earlier in the week.

Australian fans have started their biggest ever national party

"Everybody in Sydney seems to be here. In fact everyone in Australia seems to be here. Believe me, this country has been a great place to live over the past few years."

With two huge screens erected to broadcast events from the Olympic Stadium live into the harbour, fans were treated to an evening to remember.

Chants of 'Go Aussie go' rang out along the streets, as a sea of green and gold raised their flags at every opportunity.

"What a beautiful night," said Adelaide born Steven Phelps.

"Look around you. This place is buzzing. This is Sydney at its best. How can it get any better?"

Police reported no serious incidents, further proof if any was needed that the continuing party atmosphere has helped to reduce the city's crime levels.

"It's been great for the past few weeks," one officer said. "We've been working hard on Olympic security, but there's been very little for us to do."

When Australia's latest celebrity and possibly its youngest, 13-year-old Nikki Clark, kicked off proceedings at the Olympic Stadium, she was greeted with a huge roar.

Flung high into the stands on trapeze wires, her 'dream sequence' was clearly a hit with both home and foreign fans, though the typically dry Aussie humour was never far from earshot.

"Geez," one bystander said as he watched her rise into the air. "They'd better not drop her."