tassie to tennant

It was the last week of November, 2007 - everything, it

seemed, was happening and even more was about to happen.

On the weekend (December 1), I would wed my long-time

partner and fellow teaching colleague, Josh Dean, in the

presence of our 3 children, family and friends at Bicheno on

Tasmania's East Coast.

Jordan and me

We had both been Grade 10 teachers

at Brooks High School in Launceston and, along with our

wedding preparations, were preoccupied with the various

Leaver's activities and end-of-year administrative tasks that any

school experiences at that time.

We were also waiting to hear from schools in the Northern

Territory regarding possible teaching positions for next year.

Josh and I decided to pursue employment in the Northern

Territory earlier in the year and had registered our details on

the Department's website.

We received a call from the Principal of Tennant Creek High

School, in the last week in November. Despite the faceless

phone conversation I could sense a warming and outgoing

nature - attributes which I have since found are common

amongst the residents of Tennant Creek.

Our family of five left Tasmania on Christmas Eve, flying to

Melbourne and then to Alice Springs. We spent Christmas and a

couple of days in Alice Springs before catching the Greyhound Bus to

Tennant Creek on December 27.

Our Alice Springs plane...goodbye Tassie.

There to meet us at the BP Service Station when we arrived at 2 a.m.

December 28, were Peter and Pauline Davenport. Peter transported

our luggage in his car while Pauline led us across the road to the

Eldorado Motel where we stayed the night. This totally unexpected,

but much appreciated gesture, was only the first in a series of

helping hands offered to us by the Davenport family and others.

The next day Pauline, along with Linda Dickson, had organised a unit

in which we could stay. Having arrived well ahead of our household

furniture and car, Pauline also helped us out with towels and

bedding and then showed us around the town and the high school.

Linda, the school's bursar, loaned us some DVD's to help entertain

the kids.

We made good use of the local pool daily as the weather was in the 40's. I

was struggling with the heat, was always tired and slept through the day.

This wasn't normal behaviour for me so I put it down to the stress of the

move and starting a new job in a town very different to where we had

moved from. It was really starting to annoy my husband though, he was

keen to get out and explore and I just didn't have any energy.



Jumping Jordan...

Being pregnant just didn't cross my mind. We had finished

having kids and I had just had cosmetic surgery on my tummy

and breasts- getting it all back in shape after having kids!! I was

ready for a new lease on life.

Just months before my surgery I had a miscarriage and my

period never returned. I hadn't worried about it till I noticed my

waist thickening and my tummy didn't seem as slim as it was

after surgery. (I know now why my wedding dress was a little

tight on the day!) I started thinking maybe I could be pregnant

or maybe I had early menopause. It wasn't until we went to Alice

for a weekend that I thought I should do a test to rule that out.

Well it didn't rule it out but instead confirmed it. We were in

shock for the whole weekend. Next came the question...how far

was I? What did this mean to my new job?

We didn't know who to turn to in Tennant, there wasn't a

doctor's surgery- well there was but they only flew in at certain

times of the month to see patients. So I made enquiries and

booked in to see the midwife at the hospital.

As we would find out later the main trait of the people of Tennant

Creek has to be their friendly, outgoing and supportive nature.

They truly are an amazing community...

Road to and from Tennant