John and I met when we were just 16 and 17. It was pretty much love
at first sight. I was head over heels! Over the years our friendship grew into
something pretty special. Then after school, Carly and I decided to travel around
Australia and that was when I started missing John pretty badly. By the time we
got to Perth I knew I had to go back to Byron and see him. So I decided to fly
over and visit him for his birthday. I arrived on his parent’s doorstep with my
giant suitcase and it turned out I never went back to Perth! I knew I didn’t
want to be away from John ever again.
After that we moved into our very own ‘shack’, which was basically a
self-contained, very rustic (and at times leaky) garage. But it was our first
home and we adored it. We could see the ocean through our kitchen window. The
beach was just a stones throw away, and we spent hours there, surfing and being
crazy young things in love. Then Ben came into our lives. Our little fur ball
full of Blue-Heeler mischief! He taught us to think on our toes. Then a year
later we got Chester, our Antarctic fox look alike dog that oddly enough came
from the red dusts of central Queensland. Our dogs provide us with constant
love, affection and amusement. And somehow they have made us a family.
Just last year we made the pilgrimage from the balmy tropical north
coast of New South Wales all the way to the south coast of Victoria, to a
little town called Torquay- most famously known for its astonishing rugged
beauty and the allure of perfect waves. John landed himself a carpentry apprenticeship,
which he took to like a duck to water, and I have been studying Environmental
Science, which I absolutely love. We really landed on our feet here in Torquay
and have felt instantly at home here.
Then on our fifth anniversary, John took me out for an afternoon
picnic in a secret location despite the persistent rains that had kept our
plans at bay. I had absolutely no idea where he was taking me! But by the time
we arrived the rains had disappeared, and there was an incredible rainbow that
went right across the whole sunset-smeared sky! He led me through the bush
along a winding dirt track, picnic basket in hand, until he found the spot. He
lifted up the barbed wire fence for me to climb through. It was simply
breathtaking! We were on the headland overlooking Bells Beach and out across
the oceans. It was incredibly romantic. I was excited to set down the blanket
and get stuck into eating when he stopped me and told me he had a tiny little
present for me- and assured me it was nothing to get excited about! So, as
directed I turned around and closed my eyes and waited patiently for him to
give me my present. It felt like an eternity that I was waiting but eventually
he said “Ok, you can open your eyes now!”. I turned to see him, down on bended
knee, with a little box open and the most dazzling ring in it I’d ever seen! My
hands flew to my face and I nearly passed out, and then he said the magic words…
“Tess, will you marry me?”. Like all my
red-blooded sisters before me, I instantly burst into tears of happiness and
through my splutters and confused ramblings I managed to squeeze out a
“YES!!!”. It was easily the best moment of my life.
