Opening showcases Aussie flair

GOLD COAST: A blast from a didgeridoo, a sprinkling of royal stardust and a strong message of unity lit up the opening ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast yesterday.
The three-hour showcase, with the motto ‘Share the Dream’, celebrates Gold Coast beach life and indigenous culture — with performances from Aussie sensations Delta Goodrem and Ricki-Lee Coulter.
A heavy downpour lashed the 35,000 crowd at Carrara Stadium as the ceremony began, ensuring a wet start to the proceedings for many in the half-covered arena.
Britain’s Prince Charles and wife Camilla were among the guests and the heir to the throne officially opened the Games.
The Prince of Wales read a message to the crowd written by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, which has been furled inside a baton for its 388-day journey to the Gold Coast. As the ceremony sprang to life in the rain, the camera panned in on an Aboriginal family planted in the crowd and a girl with a smartphone.
The message on the screen read: “Welcome to the oldest living culture on Earth.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and the mayor of the city of Gold Coast, Tom Tate, were joined on stage by Prince Charles and Camilla as the national anthem was played.
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Queensland Youth Orchestra played as the teams from the 71 Commonwealth nations to filed into the stadium.
After the parade, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games chairman Peter Beattie welcomed athletes, viewers and dignitaries to the country “with the friendliest people on Earth.”– AAP