Arrival in Australia and straight to the Commonwealth Games
Published: 29.04.2018
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04/13/2018
On 04/12/2018 my flight from Manila to Brisbane went. I flew overnight and arrived early in the morning the next day.
On 04/13/2018 everything started officially. I arrived with Bob at around 9:30 am Australian time and from that point on I had exactly one year to leave again. No one wanted to see my visa or any proof of having enough money in my account. In advance, in addition to the visa, you have to make sure that at the time of entry you can provide a return ticket or 5,000 Australian dollars (AUD) - equivalent to about 3,500 euros - in your account. I only had to fill out a form stating why and how long I wanted to enter. The form was checked along with my passport and then my luggage was sniffed by a sniffer dog. It was forbidden to bring in fresh food. After all the checks, I could finally use a restroom to freshen up a little. With a fresh feeling, I went to the ATM and then bought a train ticket to get to my hostel. The people were all very nice and accommodating. That made everything much easier.
Shortly afterwards, I was already on the train to Helensvale. From there, I continued by tram to Surfers Paradise, my first destination.
Once there, I went directly to my hostel, which fortunately was not very far away. Some athletes also got off with me because many of them were accommodated there.
At the hostel, I first put my things down, changed quickly, and looked around.
I was pretty tired and undecided whether I should lie down again or not. I decided against it and went straight to town. I walked along the beach and got a first impression of the Commonwealth Games. There was a big stage set up on the beach where many of the games and competitions were broadcasted.
In addition to the games, there were concerts and other events. It was a huge festival along the coast.
I watched a lot of it and later took one of the many shuttle buses to Carrara to Metricon Stadium.
The athletics events took place there, for which I had already bought a ticket from Germany.
I was there at 6:30 pm and after a short orientation, I bought myself a beer and found my seat.
It started at 7:00 pm and the atmosphere was unbelievably good.
The Australians came almost all in shirts, with hats, flags, etc. to cheer on the Australian team. I was sitting right in front of the high jump mat, so I was able to watch the pole vault and high jump competitions up close.
I experienced so many emotions there, from excitement to tension, fear, joy, and sadness. Indescribable!
I actually wanted to meet Fred there since he was at the same event, but unfortunately, we were sitting so far apart that it didn't work out. I met Fred in London in 2012 when I visited Julia there. The two of them studied together and we met at a barbecue party (I even think it was Lisa's birthday). So I already had a contact in a country far away from my home.
Although I was alone there, it was an unforgettable event for me and at the same time the perfect start to my new life for the next year in Australia!
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