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Full streets, open cafes and bars, sporting events with thousands of spectators - while Germany and most other countries are still suffering severely from the corona pandemic, the people in Australia have practically got their old life back.
Bashi Basserabie, resident of Melbourne:
"
I can say that my life is largely back to normal now."
Thomas Gaudry, Melbourne resident
"
For example, last month I had an extremely happy time."
Claire Crowthie, spent the lockdown in Melbourne
"
Going to a bar for the first time - drinking a draft beer - that was heaven."
But the way there was an extreme challenge, especially for people in the state of Victoria and its capital Melbourne.
Thomas Gaudry, Melbourne resident:
“
I was almost at the point of hopelessness.
And as sad as it sounds, it really was that far. "
Claire Crowthie, Lockdown in Melbourne
"
My psyche has probably taken the biggest blow of my life."
Bashi Basserabie, resident of Melbourne:
"
I was pretty depressed for most of the year."
All three experienced the lockdown in Melbourne - from July to October, 112 days, almost four months.
It was in response to a second wave: Victoria saw 687 new cases in one day in August.
That was the peak.
The government relied on a no-Covid strategy: people throughout the state were not allowed to leave a radius of five kilometers from their own apartment, even when exercising in the fresh air, which was also only allowed a maximum of one hour a day.
They were not allowed to receive visitors at home, there was a night curfew.
That hit many people differently.
Depending on the life situation.
Bashi Basserabie, Melbourne resident:
»
I lived in a very large, spacious house with my boyfriend and three other friends.
So I wasn't totally starved when it came to human contact. "
Claire Crowthie, spent the lockdown in Melbourne:
"
I lived with some really great people, we became a little family of our own."
Both women could also work or study, albeit from home.
Thomas Gaudry, on the other hand, lived - actually temporarily - with his mother in a small apartment when the pandemic began, then lost two jobs and was without employment or prospects.
Thomas Gaudry, resident of Melbourne:
»
It was almost the same every day and for me it was true: I don't know when it will stop, so why should I get up every day because it's the same day anyway.
It's literally marmot day, every day. "
But even in better living situations, isolation had a direct impact on the psyche, says Claire Crowther, a Canadian who spent the complete lockdown in Melbourne.
Claire Crowthie, spent the lockdown in Melbourne:
“
You
've
had so much time to be self-absorbed, reflect on your own problems, and brood over things.
My normal coping strategies stopped working.
That would either be meeting friends or doing sports and I couldn't do either. "
It took little tricks to break through the same routine and somehow get through everyday life.
Thomas Gaudry, Melbourne resident:
»
Even if it was only a small thing: to walk a different way when I've gone outside for some exercise.
Or trying something that wasn't exactly the same every day.
That helped me through the time. "
Claire Crowthie, spent the lockdown in Melbourne:
"
My roommate started with" One hug a day for Claire "because we said," Claire has no physical contact for weeks. "
So I got a hug in the morning and one in the evening. "
The moment the lockdown ended was all the more emotional.
Thomas Gaudry, resident of Melbourne:
“
The day we left the 5-kilometer radius and went to the bay, to Port Phillip Bay, I looked at the sea and just started crying.
I was so happy to see something else. "
Bashi Basserabie, resident of Melbourne:
"
Above all, it was relief and enthusiasm to be out of there."
Claire Crowthie, spent the lockdown in Melbourne:
"
When the lockdown was over, there was this collective feeling of: Look what we've achieved."
In fact, the transition back to normal life was not that easy, the months of the lockdown had left such deep marks.
Thomas Gaudry, Melbourne resident:
“
It was really exhausting at the beginning to see other people.
I found that I wasn't used to talking anymore.
And not because I didn't want to see people.
But I think it took a lot more energy and effort than before. "
Claire Crowthie, spent the lockdown in Melbourne:
“
Before Covid, I went for brunch with friends on a weekend and then went for a walk or did some errands.
Then I went out late into the night.
Now I've only managed a fraction of a social activity a day.
It's true, it was emotionally exhausting. "
The Australian way of dealing with the pandemic has been special in many respects.
As an island, the country found it easy to close its borders early.
The incidence of infections thus always remained comparatively low.
In total, there were fewer than 30,000 cases of infection in Australia.
Less than 1000 people died as a result of a corona infection.
The approach was also very regional.
Sydney experienced significantly more freedom in the most populous state of New South Wales.
Not everyone there thought that was right - some would have wished to have tougher measures even with smaller outbreaks.
Christopher Brown, resident of Sydney:
“
New South Wales is taking things far too slowly.
We should have reacted hard and fast when we realized there was a problem and then dealt with it.
We are still struggling with problems because we took the middle ground.
And it seems pointless to stay on this middle ground for two months if you can deal with it in the first few days. "
That is the strategy Victoria is pursuing today, months after the long lockdown.
When an outbreak in a quarantine hotel in Melbourne grew to 13 cases in February, the government again imposed a top-level lockdown for five days - for the entire state of Victoria.
But what do people think who have gone through months of isolation?
Was it worth it?
Do you agree with the policies of your government?
Bashi Basserabie, Melbourne resident:
"
It was almost a blessing that it happened so badly in Melbourne because we then just did what was necessary to keep it from getting worse."
Claire Crowthie, spent the lockdown in Melbourne:
“
I think that 'parts of the lockdown were really great for
bringing
the numbers down.
However, I believe that the toll that we will pay for this in other areas of health - such as mental illness, for example - will not be measurable for a long time.
And I'll wonder if it was really worth it. "
Thomas Gaudry, Melbourne resident:
“
When I think about it now, as difficult and challenging as that time was, I think it was the right thing to do.
If we hadn't done that at the time, we couldn't do all the things I can do again now. "
