Tropical outreach

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A smooth, rich morning latte is one of the simplest of life’s luxuries – and one easily accessible for most people. But not Claire Dauncey. Living on a remote tropical island in the Northern Territory – about 450km north-east of Darwin and the nearest professionally trained barista – the former Melbourne woman has come to appreciate every infrequent cup, especially since her cherished home espresso machine broke down.

“I miss Brunetti cafe in Melbourne so much. It makes the best coffee in the world. Nowadays those Nescafé frothy coffees are my lifeline,” Claire laughs.

But giving up her latte habit is just one of the smaller sacrifices that 23-year-old Claire and her husband Julian, 24, made when they moved from Melbourne to Elcho Island in April last year so Julian could begin work as a pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF – a non-profit Christian organisation that provides vital air transport for people living in remote communities of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Aceh, Cambodia and many other countries around the world). The couple also gave up regular contact with family and friends and many of the home comforts and community facilities we take for granted, to move to an unfamiliar place that’s very hot, very humid and home to snakes, saltwater crocodiles and other nasties. And they did it all with an eight-week-old baby boy called Ethan to consider as well.

“If you had asked me five years ago where I thought we’d be, it wouldn’t have been Elcho Island,” Claire smiles. “Day-to-day life can be hard, but we believe we are needed here at this time. Mission Aviation Fellowship does such great work with the local Yolngu people and if we can further that by living and working here for a while then we will.”

The couple, who met at church in Melbourne in 1999 and married three years later, got their first taste of what living in Arnhem Land might be like when Julian was accepted into the organisation’s 18-month pilot program in 2003. In late 2004 the couple spent three months relieving at the MAF base near the township of Nhulunbuy, about 150km south-east of Elcho Island on the Australian mainland. “I found it incredibly difficult,” Claire recalls with a grimace. “It was the end of my second trimester and I was sick the whole time. It is so hot up here, usually in the mid-thirties [degrees Celsius] and so sticky. I really struggled with the idea of moving here for good but the way I looked at it was, ‘If God wants us to be here, then we’ll find a way to cope’.”

In fact, when they arrived on the island in April last year, Claire says she knew they’d made the right decision. “We actually stepped off the plane and it felt like home. Our house is very simple, but it is our first home together as a family and it has everything we need. Plus there’s the promise of a new kitchen so I can cope with that for now!”

Even little Ethan seemed to approve of the move. “He slept right through the first night we were here. He’s been so good. He gets a bit sweaty sometimes and occasionally, when he’s grizzly it’s because of the heat, but he’s never really known cold weather.”

Most of Claire’s day is spent looking after the gorgeous, smiley little boy while Julian is at work, flying people and vital supplies between the Aboriginal communities of north-east Arnhem Land or helping out at Elcho Island’s small airport. “It’s funny how different life is when you actually live on a tropical island, as opposed to visiting one,” she says.

Luckily there have been no hostile wildlife sightings so far, although it is well known that the bay at the end of the island’s red dirt airstrip is home to a small crocodile. “We’ve got a pretty decent-sized lizard that hangs out in the back garden though. The first time I saw him he was climbing up the inside of a pole and sticking his head out. He looked like a snake but I realised snakes probably couldn’t do that,” laughs Claire.

The couple quickly became friends with the other families that work for the organisation. “We get along well and like having meals together and going on picnics at the weekends.” But inevitably, it is taking the family some time to integrate with the indigenous community. “I try to spend time with the Yolngu people we live among, but this is hard. I am reasonably shy, as are many of them. They won’t come up and say hello or make small talk unless they know you,” says Claire.

“I was ‘adopted’ by a Yolngu woman during the time we were in Nhulunbuy so I actually have ‘family’ on the island,” Julian explains. “We’ve been name-dropping her big time and it’s finally starting to pay off. And most people know we’re with MAF so that helps.”

As well as providing air services, MAF places a big emphasis on its staff and their families becoming involved with the communities it services. “We’re not trying to ‘convert the masses’ like missionaries in the old days,” Claire explains. “It’s more about providing a positive influence.” To that effect, Julian has been asked to take part in the local youth group and Claire wants to start up a playgroup this year. “It’s very ad-hoc though. One of the Yolngu men involved in the youth group missed three meetings with Julian but that’s the way it goes here. It’s assumed something more important came up.”

“You do have to take a more laid-back approach and not take things too seriously. But that’s what makes places like Elcho Island so special; it’s their place and things are done their way.”

“We’re really enjoying the slower pace of life. We get to spend more time together as a family rather than constantly competing with all the distractions of city life. It’s a really great place to have kids – they can roam around, get dirty and enjoy the thrills of the things that are free in life. Ethan will hopefully pick up the language and play with Yolngu kids and go to school here. Not many other kids will have that experience,” Claire reflects.

“Missing family is something I struggle with though. You can put a positive spin on most things we have to deal with here, but not on being apart from your family. Being a new mum myself, I really miss my own mum, although I got to see her on a holiday to Perth in January and we’re planning a trip home to Melbourne next year.

“And of course I miss little things like my morning latte, shopping, going to Pilates… but there’s nothing I could not live without. I just have to improvise a bit, like popping a Pilates video in and doing it in front of the TV instead,” says Claire.

“One thing that does drive me crazy is the heat and not being able to swim. The island has some beautiful beaches but there is always the danger of crocs so you can’t go into the ocean. There are days when it’s so hot that I don’t want to leave the house but I force myself, to keep Ethan amused. I put him in the stroller and visit one of the other MAF families on the island, pop into the local health or childcare centres or walk to the shops.”

The town has several takeaway outlets and a grocery store but due to the island’s geographical isolation, foodstuffs can be of limited variety and expensive – a one kilogram tin of instant coffee costs $65, for example. So Claire usually only buys fresh fruit and vegetables; the rest she faxes through to a supermarket in Darwin once a month to be delivered on the regular barge.

“When we go to the city on holidays a trip to Coles is like a magical place. But it’s good in some ways as you don’t have to waste an hour or so in the supermarket a week; you just open the pantry and have things there. And I have found that you can get most things online so I am on there quite often, searching for a present or some supplies that we might need!”

Words: Kieren Charteris. Photography: Andrew Lehmann