The Top Ender Magazine February March 2021 Edition

Tales of a Top End Mum
Part 2
The stress of arriving in Tindal was worth it, even
though my forehead now resembles a highly
anxious Shar Pei. We resolved the hire car issue that was
originally booked in my 2 year old’s name and convinced our
case manager we wouldn’t fit our family of 5 (plus luggage)
into a sedan. We endured the (almost) 1-bedroom
quarantine from hell, which turned into a pretty delightful 2-
bedroom apartment quarantine and finally no longer needed
to spend our days trying to contact our rarely available case
manager. But, we all survived, despite what felt like anything
and everything that could go wrong during our move to the
Top End.
So... As I write this, I am settled but already ‘husbandless’ -
sigh. Only 3 weeks into our relocation, he was sent off as
part of the Covid Taskforce. I waved goodbye with a
grimace, completely unaware of my underarm rash caused
solely by an excess of sweat, then stepped into survival
mode like a Boss Lady... and I mean; ‘Serious Boss Lady
Status’ was achieved that day. No tears, just a camouflage
headband and red lipstick. I was determined not to lock
ourselves inside craving social interaction, so with a nervous
smile and a dirty sweat moustache that screamed ‘I live in
Tindal now’, I packed up my kids and started exploring what
the local Tindal community has to offer. I found sanctuary at
the park only 100m away from our house with its enormous
shade, the sparkling pool and the welcoming vibes of the
Community House. We all got involved at Playgroup and
Music Time, meeting so many new friends through our
adventures and started to feel ‘at home’.
whinging baby crickets. That’s how many it felt like there
were! Here in Topsy Turvy Town (otherwise known as
Tindal), the birds never sleep and the bats are still flying
around with an imagined sense of purpose at 8am. Weird,
but ok Tindal, I accept you for who you are. I’ll save my
complaining about the vampire flies and mosquitos for next
time.
Thanks to the epic storms, we have endured 2 blackouts in
our 10 weeks here, the second blackout lasting 4 sweaty
hours. Crowning myself as ‘Mother of the Year 2020’, I
alternated from one child to the next child, fanning them
with a giant piece of cardboard (embellished with stickers
and texta, of course) to try and help cool them to sleep. No
joy. The solution? Lots of cool showers, sips of iced water,
icepacks to cuddle and a fairly relaxed text message to my
husband that we should definitely invest in a 2100 kVA
generator or battery-operated ice room for situations like
these.
Christmas shopping in Tindal can be a bit of
a nightmare for busy mum’s like me because
there’s barely anywhere to buy gifts. But, if you run
out of time to plan ahead and order gifts online, you can
still make it work. I’m happy to report that Katherine has
a Mini Target, a discount store, Newsagency, Post
Office and even a Pharmacy that has a few little
surprises to pull you through. In saying that, my kids are
little enough that they would be happy with a jar of
olives, pack of stickers, and an endless supply of pickles. I
don’t know how their taste buds developed like that,
they just did - ok?
As for my 2021 goals – Visit Katherine Gorge in the dry
season, publish my children’s book, write an actual novel
and FINALLY get to visit interstate family.
I’m still #teamtindal, but I have one main complaint -
I’ve still only seen one dingo!
Written by Katie B.
Community Contributor
I managed to visit the Mataranka thermal pool before the
frequent monsoonal rains raised the water level to
dangerous heights. Words can’t describe the serene beauty it
offers. The crystal water, the vibrant shrubs and the
precautionary check to make sure there are no crocodiles
lurking. There isn’t, it’s fine, but I’m still terrified of any water
that isn’t the pool on base.
It seems that we are now entering a different stage of the
wet season. Torrential rain brought out an abundance of
crickets at one point. I can’t really find the words to describe
just how many there were, but imagine if every cricket in the
world met in Tindal for the ‘Annual Cricket Chirping
Competition’ accompanied by every single one of their 683
Family - Katie B.
I’m becoming more ‘Tindalised’ as time goes on. My blow
dryer has taken a long holiday and I no longer care if I get
rained on because it washes away my sweat. I walk
everywhere, despite looking like I’ve just survived 5 rounds of
a WWE match and thankfully, we asked for a car fridge for
Christmas – Hallelujah, A CAR FRIDGE! I’m a city slicker,
remember? We don’t usually cruise around with car
fridges.....Eeeek!
Celebrating over 30 years of quality Christian Education in Palmerston
08 7922 5600
www.pcs.nt.edu.au
12 The Top Ender | Tri-Services Magazine Incorporated FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 13