The Top Ender Magazine December January 2021 Edition

Regular
Tales of a Top End Mum
Part 1
When I first found out we
were posting to Tindal, I
cried.
It wasn’t my greatest moment, but all I’d heard about was
the bad, the worst and the ugly, so naturally this posting
felt like a big pile of “nope” coming my way.
Of course, I dried my tears, put on my big girl pants, and
we left our lockdown life in frosty Victoria for a 2-week quarantine
in Darwin. Prepared for the
A call out
to fellow
defence
spouses
had us
treated
to a wine
delivery
feeling particularly guilty about it.
worst and expecting the worst, we
were delighted to find that quarantine
wasn’t actually too bad
.
We’d packed light on the clothes and
heavy on the activities so each day
we had something new to pull out
and entertain the kids with for a bit.
Admittedly there was loads more
screen time than normal, but we’re
not going for sainthood so I’m not
finds through our remote posting in Tindal, suitable for 3 kids
under 5, and doesn’t involve an online order from Kathmandu.
The fact that crocodiles are lurking scares the pants off me (jokes
- it’s boiling here, pants aren’t required), but there are meant
to be some beautiful swimming spots to visit; The Hot Springs,
Katherine Gorge, Mataranka Thermal Pool, Bitter Springs, Kakadu
– all plus more on my pounding hearts list of places to visit.
Surely, it’s not possible to scare myself into a heart attack?
I've even developed a
permanent sweat moustache...
"Perspiring Penny".
As I write this, we’re 2 weeks into our posting and I’m feeling
surprisingly content! I’ve even developed a permanent sweat
moustache, which I have named ‘Perspiring Penny’ and we’re
getting along just fine. Living in the patch, we’re within walking
distance to everything and our house is designed to combat
the constant battle with heat.
An online order set us up with food and snacks so the kids
would eat without complaining, and a call out to fellow defence
spouses had us treated to a wine delivery. With a little balcony
to escape our four walls (even though in the daytime it felt like
mini visits to the pits down under), us alternating a sleep-in for
each other, and not needing to cook any of our meals meant
we had a pretty good little set up. Not to mention - it probably
helped that we were already used to being in lockdown back
in Australia’s personal state of disaster.
I wouldn’t call myself an ‘outdoor’ person (and neither is
my husband), so the chances of searching for the best places
to go camping or four-wheel-driving were slim to none.
In fact, upon further consideration, the chances are none.
Instead, I’ll be writing about the adventures my city slicker family
The fact that crocodiles are
lurking scares the pants off
me!.
Family - Katie B
18 The Top Ender | Tri-Services Magazine Incorporated