The biggest party the Gold Coast has ever seen is all but over.
For the past two weeks the tourist strip city has proven the doubters wrong by hosting a Commonwealth Games that were largely successful.
Like any good house party, there were a few problems - some guests accepted the invite then failed to turn up, others got lost on the way, and some are still missing in action - but once heads clear most will remember the 21st Commonwealth Games with fondness.
With 1.2 million tickets sold, lucrative sponsorship deals and a merchandising windfall led by an incredibly popular blue Koala called Borobi, the $2 billion cost of the Games was driven down by a quarter.
And with the Games projected to generate $4 billion in economic activity for Queensland, it's safe to say the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is not the only one happy it decided to back the Gold Coast bid.
The city was awarded the Games in 2011 ahead of Sri Lanka's Hambantota, with the CGF looking for a safe bet after the shambolic Delhi 2010 Games.
"These games have changed the conversation," CGF chief executive David Grevemberg said.
"(They've) Changed the way we think about the Commonwealth, about the City of Gold Coast, about Queensland, about what it means to be a Commonwealth citizen and that's the start of a legacy."
Now, as 6600 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories say their farewells, so begins a clean-up, and a transformation that involves much more than turning the venues back into community facilities.
Gold Coast leaders are hoping to re-position the metropolis, taking it from tourist destination to Australia's biggest non-capital city.
"We've delivered a fantastic Commonwealth Games," Queensland's Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones said.
"The world's stage has been opened up to Queensland and we have delivered.
"There are 680,000 people spending $1.1 billion in the local economy. We estimate the Games will deliver $4 billion in economic activity for Queensland."
Development and town planning experts Urbis has identified 342 infrastructure projects across the Gold Coast and Tweed regions linked to the Games, worth a total of $13.2 billion.
There's also the prospect of securing other major sporting and trade events on the back of the Games' success.
Talk of a southeast Queensland Olympic bid in 2032 seems optimistic given the costs involved, but Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) chairman Peter Beattie says having delivered the party of a lifetime, opportunities are there for the taking.
"It really is a matter for others now to pick up the ball," Mr Beattie said.
"We've delivered it. We've scored a goal with it. Now people have got to keep scoring the same goals."
He says the city-wide party can only be described as a hit.
"The Gold Coast has shone to the world," Mr Beattie told AAP.
"You'll always get a few little bumps in the road and when you look at this compared to other major events the bumps are pretty small ... you can't put on the biggest event in Queensland's history without some hiccups but those hiccups were minor."
The first of the problems struck as the Games began, with thousands of spectators waiting hours in the rain for a bus to the opening ceremony - but the ceremony itself impressed with its nod to Australia's indigenous culture.
When the sport began the pre-Games worries over transport and security were largely forgotten, but indigenous groups staged several high-profile and disruptive protests leading to arrests.
Meanwhile, some local businesses cried foul, complaining the Games had been bad for trade, but their concerns lessened as the second week of the Games brought crowds and atmosphere to the streets.
Two breaches of the no-needles policy at the athetes' village by India were not linked to doping, and organisers lauded the Games as a clean event.
And while some athletes didn't bother turning up for their events, others just disappeared from the village - with eight Cameroonians, two Ugandans and a Rwandan coach still unaccounted for.
As with any party, there were those who took their celebrations too far, such as Northern Irish boxer Sean McComb who was fined for allegedly brawling outside a notorious Surfers Paradise nightspot.
It was the same venue where boxer Steven Lavelle - a Scottish Commonwealth Games medallist not competing at these Games - allegedly glassed an 18-year-old man and punched an 18-year-old woman in a later incident.
Retired track superstar Usain Bolt was the centre of attention at the same club that night, with a stint as a guest DJ. He jetted in to Australia to support Jamaica at his first major meet as a spectator.
Sally Pearson was also in the stands instead of defending her 100m hurdles gold, pulling out on day one of competition, unable to overcome an ongoing Achilles problem in time.
Pearson's absence took some gloss off the event but that disappointment was quickly overriden by a gold rush in the pool as Australia's swimmers claimed a record 28 gold medals.
Flagging party spirits were also given a boost by the arrival of other high-profile visitors included royals Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Prince Edward and Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth.
