ON WINDY days, anyone on the pier in front of One Fullerton stands a fair chance of feeling the spray from the water jet spewing from the Merlion.

Yesterday, however, the spray came from a different source - a Chinook helicopter, flying by just some metres over Marina Bay.

Madam Azira Kassim, 34, and her extended clan, who were at the pier, did not mind getting wet; it added to the fun, she said. Unable to get parade tickets, they had picked a prime spot at One Fullerton at 2pm.

The 30 of them cheered at the highlights, such as the high-speed boat chase and the fireworks.

The One Fullerton pier was one of many locations near the floating platform tourists and locals went to yesterday to soak up the atmosphere.

Others packed Esplanade Drive and the promenade in front of the Theatres on the Bay. Still others wanted to wine and dine in style while catching the parade. More than 430 rooms in the two hotels with good views of the floating platform - the Ritz-Carlton Millenia and Mandarin Oriental - were snapped up.

At the Singapore Flyer, three people with Aug 9 birthdays, each with one guest, were hosted to a dinner atop the 165m observation wheel. Said business analyst Quek Yang Yuan, who turned 27 yesterday: 'You can see the fireworks in all their glory.'