Qld border reopening: Tears of joy, missed milestones forgotten as families ‘meet’ at Brisbane Airport
The pain of months of separation has been put aside amid the unbridled joy being felt on the first day of Queensland’s border reopening. We were there to capture the raw emotion and spoke to some of the happiest families in the state. These are their stories.
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Elated families have enjoyed hugs that felt like they were never coming as travellers poured off planes and straight outside to enjoy the Queensland sunshine for the first time in months after the state’s border reopened overnight.
Queenslanders awaiting their incoming loved ones spoke of goosebumps on their arms as a choir compounded the anticipation for the arrival of the Sydney flight QF504 at Brisbane Airport on Monday.
I Still Call Australia Home was the soundtrack of heartfelt reunions as the travellers swept family into their arms, knowing they wouldn’t have to quarantine.
Dozens of Australians shared their stories of separation with tears in their eyes. These are six of the highlights from an emotionally charged morning at Brisbane Domestic Airport.
FIRST FLIGHT FROM SYDNEY
Lincoln Mathews was shaking as he walked off the first flight from Sydney and swept his wife Maxine into a hug after nine months apart.
Tears fell as they described how they would spend the next week catching up on milestones that their three children reached while Mr Mathews was working in defence in Sydney.
“It feels amazing,” Ms Mathews said.
“It’s so nice to have him home with the kids.
“We got so close once, he was even in quarantine, but then he got pulled back to work.”
‘HEART-WRENCHING’ FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH NEW GRANDDAUGHTER
Noor Kuch came off a later Sydney flight to meet her tiny granddaughter Mackenzie Curran.
Her son Ellis Curran and daughter-in-law Aimee Reid moved up to Brisbane in January before welcoming their baby girl into the world.
“It’s been heart wrenching, I can’t explain it,” Ms Kuch said of the restrictions keeping her family apart.
“We are Australia but I felt like we were separate countries for so long … we should stay open and be one together.”
CHRISTMAS PLANS SAVED JUST IN TIME
Nathan Downes, 24, has been a submariner in the navy for the last six years and is used to coming and going but said it was “heartbreaking when I thought I wasn’t going to be able get home for Christmas”.
Mr Downes, reunited with his mum Lyn and dad Adrian for the first time in eight months this morning after his landed from Sydney.
“It’s just a relief knowing the borders are back open – and hopefully for good this time.”
FIRST EMBRACE AFTER MILESTONE BIRTHDAY SPENT APART
Sisters Stephanie Truscott, from Wollongong, and Vanessa Rasmussen, from Brisbane, embraced for the first time in months after Ms Rasmussen spent her 40th birthday apart from her family.
Ms Rasmussen had moved to Brisbane during the pandemic and said the borders closing made for a tough few months.
“My sister means everything,” she said.
The sisters said they would spend the next few weeks catching up on lost time, and spoiling their children with trips to theme parks.
FLOODS OF TEARS AS GRANDPARENTS REUNITE WITH BABY HAZEL
This morning was only the second time Seven-month-old Hazel Harg has met her “Mimi and pop”.
Mother Alexandra Harg was in floods of tears as she hugged her own mother and father Rob and Maja Fyfe.
Ms Fyfe said it was the best Christmas present should could have hoped for to be “reunited” with her eighth grandchild.
“It’s going to be a pretty special Christmas this year – I’m just so grateful to be able to see my granddaughter again for the first time since March,” she said.
REUNION SPARKS PLANS FOR ‘WEDDING 2.0’
It was the first time Kath Underhill had seen her son Tom and daughter-in-law Rebecca since their September wedding.
Ms Underhill wasn’t able to attend the wedding in Greece but said “wedding 2.0” would be in January 2022.
“It’s just great to have them back on Australian soil after five years in England,” she said.
“This morning was so special – it’s definitely the most exciting day since my ‘baby’ Tom was born.”
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