Antarctic dream frozen along with family life

A DREAM opportunity to work on marine Antarctic science in the US has taken a coronavirus-related turn for a Tasmanian mother in recent months.

Nicole Hellessey, 31, of Cambridge, moved there in January for a job as a postdoctorate scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta on a working visa.

Her fiance, Rob MacDonald, told the Mercury that part of her role was to work in Antarctica at the end of the year, but the US had now decided not to send scientists to the continent due to COVID-19.

And like many Australians overseas, the coronavirus crisis has wreaked havoc on the family’s plans for the year, including several visits they had expected to make.

Dr Hellessey’s son Jacob and Mr MacDonald have not seen her for six months, and are preparing for the possibility they may not see her again in 2020.

“The poor kid just wants to see his mum,’’ Mr MacDonald said of the nineyear-old.

It has also potentially put the couple’s wedding plans on hold — Mr MacDonald, 40, and Dr Hellessey are meant to get married in midJanuary. Mr MacDonald said his fiancee’s visa conditions meant she could leave the US for a maximum of 30 days but under current restrictions, she would have to spend 28 of them in quarantine.

The cost of quarantine and the potential for expensive flights have also complicated matters.

If Dr Hellessey returned to Tasmania for a visit, then she could risk her employment given the uncertainty around travel restrictions, Mr MacDonald said.

Franklin Labor MP Julie Collins said many constituents had difficulty navigating changing travel restrictions and quarantine rules.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it had helped more than 26,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents to return on more than 300 flights during the pandemic.

The department encouraged Australians to subscribe to Smartraveller for the latest updates.