Rain, bedazzling fireworks, and optimism highlight the arrival of 2023 in Dubbo

Despite a dumping of an estimated 22 millimeters of rain as the gates opened at 5pm at the showground on Fitzroy Street, crowds of mostly families with children and pets in tow gathered in droves to wait for the countdown to the New Year munching on food and drinks.

Wellington's Australia Post manager, Don Nicholson, his wife Janelle, and daughter Julia were pummeled by the rain as they reached Wongarbon on the way to the showground but they were resolved not to miss the spectacle to welcome the new year with plenty of hopes.

"Just to be happy and healthy, that's what we are wishing for," says Mrs Nicholson, while Mr Nicholson said he and his team at the post office were relishing the festive break after an unprecedented three-fold increase in letters and parcel deliveries in the town.

"There are more than 700 parcels' deliveries daily in 2022, and over 800 letters daily to houses, so our volume has dramatically increased because everyone's shopping online," Mr Nicholson, a former staff of Fletcher International Exports, said.

Railway worker Tony Britton, his wife Janie Baker, and five-year-old son Blake took a vantage spot of the showground as they wished for a better new year.

"I'd be working much harder this year because I took it easy last year," Mr Britton, a railway welder said.

"Mine is to see Blake starting school next year," Mrs Britton said.

The members of the 50-year-old Dubbo Antique Automobile Club came in full force proudly displaying seven of their best vintages, one is a model 1928 Valiant and the earliest MG, that had people swarming around them.

"It's wonderful to be out with our cars and friends, and that was a lovely rain to wet out lawns wasn't it," club member Pam Carter said.

Darryl Brooks said the rain has "cooled down the afternoon and settled the dust" and they couldn't wish for any other beautiful New Year's Day in Dubbo since the dust storm in 2019 that cancelled the fireworks.

"At least the fireworks tonight won't cause any fire because the ground is so wet there won't be fire safety issues," Mr Brooks said eliciting a round of laughter around the crowds with them.

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The Josey family - Danielle and her husband Lyndon and their children Denver, Neveah and Declan - are admiring the region's attractions for tourists as they toured the Taronga Western Plains Zoo for the first time they spend a summer holiday in Dubbo.

"The zoo is a lot bigger than we thought, and this is a lovely town with many things to see that are easy to find," Mrs Josey said.

Jagapinder and Parminver Gill, from India, celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary at the showground with their two children, Zarah and Sarah.

"Life is really good and we're enjoying it," Mrs Gill, an aged care nurse said.

"We've been together since high school before we got married," Mr Gill, who owns the Dubbo Friends Auto Care mechanical shop on McKinsey Street said.

Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson accompanied by his son Andy and his friend, Tuneah Plumb, greeted locals at the showground and told the Daily Liberal he hoped to lead the council team with a focus on local economic opportunities to reduce reliance on ratepayers to foot bills.

"We are now going to hit the ground running making sure we take all that training we had as first-time councilors behind us now," he said.

"The economic potentials this year from the Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) are enormous and we will be working with REZ proponents so that we make earnings instead of relying on money coming out of the pockets of our ratepayers.

"We will use all that money from solar and wind farms for community projects and potentially fixing our local roads.

"As a council, we will make sure that the community benefits from the potentials of the REZ projects because I don't think we are realising those huge potentials available for us."

As the bright and colourful fireworks splashed and made whistling sounds in the sky for at least 20 minutes starting from 9:08pm and finishing around 9:30pm, Dubbo Show Society president Wesley Temessi said they are thankful for the Fletcher family for once again warming the hearts of people in the community.

"These are thousands of dollars worth of fireworks, and it's a very expensive display we don't need to spend on. We're very grateful to the Fletcher family for donating the fireworks display every year," he said.

"Apart from the 22 millimetres of rain we received this afternoon, everybody's been very happy, and those people who do these celebrations for us always put on the best show."