An estimated 350,000 people watched as 120 floats and 8,000 marchers made their way through Sydney's Oxford and Flinders Streets last night. The parade was a diverse snapshot of the various LGBT communities in Sydney and arund Australia. Amongst the paraders were gay sportspeople, leather bears, youth, lesbians on bikes, Kylie fans, gay musicians, gym bunnies, human rights campaigners, hundreds of marching boys and many of the best-dressed drag queens from around the world, all enjoying cheers from the vast crowd of onlookers. Gay UK actor Rupert Everett was chief of the parade, so was leading the march, joined by camp Australian celebrity Bob Downe and Sydney drag icon Mitzi Macintosh. New South Wales police praised the behaviour of the most of the crowd, with officers making just eleven arrests despite the high turnout. The largest float was dedicated to diva Kylie Minogue, with 250 'Impossible Princesses' dancing along to her greatest hits. Dozens of members of the Surf Life Saving Association took part for the first time, a nod to 2007 being the Year of the Lifesaver in Australia. 'Objects of Love' was the theme of this year's event, although the parade also sent messages about climate change and the introduction of same-sex marriage. As Sunday's clean-up began, revellers were spotted making their way home well after dawn, dressed in what remained of their costumes from the night before. Mardi Gras chair, Marcus Bourget, said this year's parade was one of the biggest in terms of participants and was a success "beyond our wildest expectations". The official Sydney Mardi Gras party, held later yesterday evening at Fox Studios, also attracted a huge crowd. The party featured international and local DJ's and elaborate shows. After the 'Azure' party last weekend was shut down by police over drug use, there was fears police would get tough on last night's party - sniffer dogs were present and some arrests were made, but the party proceeded as planned. Ref: Nine News, GayNZ.com (m)