I arrived yesterday 21st August 2011. The plane arrived early by 30 minutes after a transit stopover in Auckland from Tonga. The Immigration Officer at Melbourne airport - Tullamarine - asked me where I was staying and all I could remember and all I wrote on the Arrival card was "Close" - "Derrimut". She asked me if I knew the street and I said its name ended with Close. She asked me who was meeting me at the airport and I said I did not know but that there would be someone. She asked me what I would be doing in Australia and I said I was not sure yet. Then she called another Officer over to me and I was taken to one side and asked more questions and my passport was examined and I started to get nervous because all the other passengers were looking at me. Then the Senior Officer wrote my name in a notebook and asked me the same questions and I gave the same answers. Then both Officers said "Welcome to Australia and enjoy your stay." My passport was stamped and I said thank you and followed the other passengers to the baggage area where we waited for 20 minutes for the bags to come onto the conveyor.

I got my bags and went to another Officer who took my Arrival Card and I was expecting to get all my bags searched because thats what happens when you travel from Tonga. But he just said "Go on through". I was wondering where "through" was and I was trying to read the signs and could not make sense of them so I just followed other passengers and waiting for someone to stop me or call me back but no one did and as I turned a corner I was in the arrival area at a place called T2.

I looked around and there was no one to meet me and I was very anxious but not worried. But after 1 hour still waiting I was really worried. I walked outside with my bags many times looking for someone who might know me but there was so many people and so many taxis and so many announcements that I got a headache and the air was so cold and there were so many smokers outside the doors that I had to go back inside the terminal T2 and sit down and just wait for something or someone. I needed to go to the toilet and the nearest one to me was closed off with plywood boards and much writing on it but all i knew was that I had to go. I was trying to decide if I should find another toilet and miss my pickup or wait and miss my toilet stop so I decided toilet stop was important.

After finding a toilet far from T2 I walked back to the T2 arrival area searching every face in the crowd but still no one knew me. I sat down and looked at the public telephones. I studied them all - credit card phones - no credit card, coin phone - no coins (no money at all) and then I could feel panic in my stomach. Why did I come to this place for? What if no one comes to meet me? I was thinking I would get in a taxi and just tell the driver to take me to Close - Derrimut and see what happens. My stomach was feeling hungry and I could smell some great food from a cafe inside T2 area but there was no way I could get me anything.

I think I began to cry inside because of a lost and lonely and hungry feeling that was getting bigger. I felt like everyone was staring at me. I was also expecting the Immigration Officers to come marching out to take me back inside to lock me up. And then someone came through the big sliding doors and I knew him. My heart really cried inside with relief. He asked me if I had been waiting long and I said no even though it had been more than an hour. I was just happy to be getting away from the airport. 

Our drive to the home was not too long but the roads are so big and so many cars. The houses are very very nice. I ate big last night and went to sleep very thankful. The bed is so soft and clean.

Tomorrow I start work at 6-30am. Something about unloading containers.

I will continue my story tomorrow night. AND there is internet here.

Ofa'atu to you all.