Which place(s) are the first to cross into New Year?

Question

Say I wanted to be the first to celebrate the New Year: what place or places are the first to cross the into the New Year and how do I get there? I think I remember this may be some South Pacific island or in Australia but not sure.

Answer 1

It is indeed in the Pacific, and the answer depends on how remote an island you are willing to be able to go to and celebrate. Kiribati in Micronesia would be the primary civilized location you could get an early jump on the New Year, and since most of the people in Kiribati live on Tarawa (of World War II fame), that would be the place. The island nation of Tonga would be next, then if you are looking for something even more Westernized then it's about a tie between Fiji and the north island of New Zealand, so Auckland would be your choice for the first major city of any size.