Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Roundup
I don't care, I was there and I loved every minute of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games! Fortunately it coincided with Thailand's Songkran holiday so I flew to Australia to stay with my sister on the Gold Coast and Dad in Brisbane. We were able to purchase Rugby 7s and closing ceremony tickets online months before and my brother-in-law helped with logistics for the games so we were able to secure extra tickets for the beach volleyball and athletics. Of course I got a green and gold pedicure in Thailand before I left for the special occasion!
Overall:
- Weather was perfect for all events! A few light showers during our athletics evening and a short downpour at the beach volleyball but otherwise warm days and nights, seats facing away from the sun and just enough wind to keep us feeling refreshed.
- Transport was excellent! Whether we parked and rode from a train station or parked and caught a shuttle bus, transport was smooth, timely and frequent. It also helped that dad uses a walking stick as we were given preferential treatment everywhere we went!
- Volunteers were exceptional! Friendly, helpful and plentiful.
- Information online and at venues was informative and thorough.
- Public toilets were numerous, clean and not smelly!
Beach Volley Ball
- Saturday, 7th April, am.
- 1 nephew, 1 dad, 1 friend and me.
- Parked and rode the free shuttle bus from Betty Diamond Park - who knew it even existed? Easy and efficient.
- Free sunscreen and water filling stations.
- Volleyball skill activities for kids and adults.
- A full house by the time matches started - 4000 seat capacity I think. Vanuatu supporters were plentiful, enthusiastic and fun :)
- Announcers were excellent! Entertaining and informative.
- Location was, of course, exceptional being right on the beach at Coolangatta.
- As one of the first events of the games there was plenty of everything - including Borobi plush toys and headbands, which we should have bought then because they completely sold out very quickly after that!
Athletics
- Tuesday, 10th April, pm.
- 2 nephews, 1 sister, 1 dad, 1 friend and me.
- And we ran into friends on the shuttle bus from Nerang Station and different friends sitting in front of us at Carrara Stadium!
- Seats were VERY high up in the temporary stand but excellent views of everything, or so we thought until...
- People started suddenly leaving, thinking the night was over after a late night medal ceremony. Dad thought there was still one more race, but we started to wander down and out anyway. Then we heard the announcement for the Women's 1500m Final. So we walked confidently into spare premium seating right near the starting position on the track. It was amazing how it felt like we were now watching everything in High Definition! After a few technical difficulties with the gun we watched the final event of the evening.
Rugby Sevens
- Saturday, 14th April, am.
- 1 aunty, 1 dad and me.
- 2 nephews and 1 brother-in-law attended the pm session.
- Massive lines when we arrived at Robina station. However, due to Dad's walking stick we bypassed everyone via the priority lane!
- Seats were in the back row which was good as we didn't have to worry about people behind us, especially when we stood up to cheer or stretch - and there was plenty of both :)
- Some entertainment borrowed from the Big Bash like kiss cam, bongo cam and karaoke.
- Overcast and pleasant day. The sun came out just as we were leaving so we avoided the heat.
- Trains were frequent (like I wish they were all the time!) and not too crowded so we got a seat both ways from and to Beenleigh where we had parked the car.
Closing Ceremony
- Sunday, 15th April, pm.
- 1 dad and me. 1 friend had an emergency trip to New Zealand.
- As you know, lots of whinging about the coverage, but from inside Carrara Stadium we saw it all so it was fantastic!
- This time we took the shuttle bus from and to Yatala. Quick and painless. Unfortunately no time to stop for pies :)
- Again, seats VERY high up in the temporary stand - in fact 1 row higher than the athletics. But great views of everything.
- Anna's speech was embarrassing, Tom's was as you would expect, also embarrassing :)
- Great music, average announcing, excellent poem by a little kid, weird slam poetry/rap by Birmingham people. One odd and one entertaining videos from Birmingham.
- Of course Dad made us stay to the very end... with a moving finale song and above average fireworks.
In Conclusion
I can't believe it has only been just over a month since the Closing Ceremony. It feels like it was years ago now. However, the memories are still strong and evoke happy, excited and proud feelings due to loving watching sport, loving the Gold Coast and loving spending time with my family. Bid for an Olympics? Of course we should!
