Port Macquarie resident Friederike Crowe says she cried happy tears when she got to hug her German parents after 19 months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mrs Crowe's parents flew into Port Macquarie on November 16, 2021 to be reunited with their daughter, son-in-law Jimmy and their two grandchildren - Oliver (19 months) and Matilda (newborn).
"Our 19-month-old son was familiar with my parents straight away, which was surprising," Mrs Crowe said.
"My parents met him in 2020 but had to go back to Germany because of the coronavirus pandemic."
The family maintained contact by video calling and sending photos through phone apps.
"It's definitely not the same," Mrs Crowe said.
"We were dreaming about seeing each other."
Mrs Crowe's parents had to overcome many hurdles to enter Australia which included securing travel exemptions, visas and negative tests for COVID-19.
"When all the required documentation came through, my parents took the next available flight," she said.
"They were worried they would be locked out due to amount of Omicron cases in NSW."
Mrs Crowe said the stress she experienced was all worth it.
"It's great to see how much time they spend with their grandchildren and how well they are all bonding," she said.
"It'll be sad to see them leave in six weeks but we are grateful for all those memories."
Mrs Crowe said it's been a challenging time with raising a toddler and a newborn in the middle of a pandemic.
"All of us only want the very best for our children and we want them to be safe," she said.
Mrs Crowe said she expects everyone will contract COVID at some stage, especially given the way it's spreading in the state and locally in Port Macquarie-Hastings.
"I'm a bit worried about getting it, as I'm not sure how it will impact us and everyone seems to react in different ways," she said.
Mrs Crowe hopes to take her children to Germany when it's safe.
"So our kids can meet their aunties, uncles and great grandparents there," she said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
Bookmark our website
Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
You can support us with a subscription
Follow us on Twitter: @portmacnews
Follow us on Instagram: @portmacnews
Follow us on Google News
