INSPIRATION - OR LUCK ?
Two KAA officials, Simon (Assistant Secretary) and Karakoa (Committee), are due to fly to Brisbane on Tuesday morning. The flight leaves at 0730. They are going to participate in the first-ever TOECS Level 1 Lecturers' Course, organised by RDC Brisbane. Kaakoa has a Business visa which expires in October 2007. For Simon we had to pay $75 to get a Business visa which is multi-entry and valid until October 2008 !! So the visas were OK by Friday (Aug. 3rd.) BUT - NO TICKETS.
We tried to contact RDC but without any luck. So we contacted Flight Centre in Melbourne (who had produced the itinerary). Having explained the situation, the problem was left with them. (16.30 their time on Friday afternoon !) About twenty minutes later, they phoned back. "The tickets arrived in Tarawa this morning. Check at Betio Hardware !" Not knowing that "Betio Hadware" also acted as agents for courier TNT, I went to their office on Saturday morning - it now being 1900 local time on Friday in Tarawa ! No trace ! But then there wouldn't be, because the agent had NOT BEEN TO THE AIRPORT ON FRIDAY ! So the incoming package was still stuck in Customs at the airport, locked up until Tuesday !
Fortunately the intervention of the manager of the agency, collecting a friendly Customs agent on the way, contrived to get the necessary door opened and the package handed over !! It was delivered to the KAA Office at 21.00 on Saturday night !
INIQUITOUS CHARGES ?
Surely, the attitude of Australian authorities, e.g. the Australian Sports Commission, is to encourage the development of sport and sporting standards in the islands. With particular reference to Athletics, the IAAF has indicated more than once that the best way to do this is by regular, good-class competition. So, in view of the information about Business visas above, why are we being charged AU$ 185 each for visas for our two athletes who have been invited to attend the OAA Grand Prix in Cairns ? And these will only be valid for one month, single entry !
By contrast, the AU$ 500 levy which we have to pay OAA for each athlete is good value !
We applied for these visas on Short Stay Form 147, sub-class 421 Sport. About two years ago, in bulletins about the Arafura Games, these were quoted as being "free". At that time, using that form, that was also our experience. So what changed ? We have asked the High Commission to make an urgent enquiry to DFAT in Australia about their current policy in this kind of situation where the competition is IN AUSTRALIA AGAINST AUSTRALIANS. Soon we are going to have to choose, based on finance, which competitions we can afford to attend and which not !
AND THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST OF FOUR INTERNATIONAL TRIPS THIS MONTH ! What other problems loom ?
Last Modified on 05/08/2007 15:55