The women from last year’s season of The Block all get matching tattoos

Last year’s season of The Block was one of the most gruelling yet, but through all the hardships, some strong friendships were formed.

And proving just how close they became during the 2019 season of the hit Channel Nine renovation show, the female contestants have gotten matching tattoos.  

Tess Struber, Deb Saunders, Mel Manson and El’ise Bothe shared photos of their new ink on their respective Instagram accounts on Friday.

The girls settled on a small criss-cross symbol, the rune ‘Inguz,’ representing the saying, ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way.’

They also spoke about their close bonds, with winner Tess, 29, writing she will ‘forever be linked’ to her co-stars.   

‘Where there is a will, there is a way,’ she began in a lengthy post, explaining the significance of her new tattoo. 

Tess said that after being tested throughout her appearance on the show, it was her fellow contestants that helped her through the trying moments. 

‘Finding that will can be hard. Last year was huge for Luke and I in so many different ways. We had to keep finding the will to pump through the positives and the negatives,’ she explained. 

‘Our will was our inner strength, our will was sometimes our friends and family, our will was almost definitely always each other and last but not least, our will was our Block family.’ 

‘We supported each other physically, emotionally and mentally to find the way. We still support each other now while going through some strange ups and downs that no one else will really understand.’ 

She added: ‘We will forever be grateful and we will forever be linked to you.’

Mel, 32, also spoke about the meaning behind her tattoo, which she had etched on the inside of her wrist. 

‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way. These words have always echoed strongly in my mind and especially after the journey we went through on The Block last year!’ she began. 

‘It was insane to say the least and I wish I had this on my wrist while on our crazy/fun/scary/terrifying/amazing experience to remind me everyday of this saying and know we can accomplish anything if we put our mind to it! 

‘When you think you can’t, say you can and will!! This tattoo is a representation of the challenges that was faced and the many more to come!!

‘I’ve been luckily [sic] enough to have made life long friends with some of the 2019 Blockheads and we are now forever united with this symbol.’

According to Deb, 47, the intricate tattoo represents ‘the resilience of the human spirit’.  

‘How many times have you thought I just can’t do this and then something inside kicks in and you go way beyond where you thought your limits were? The resilience of the human spirit is incredibly strong,’ she wrote. 

‘Last year was a big one and we had a steady flow of highs and lows. Some played out on TV and some privately. 

‘The meaning of this tattoo is Where There’s A Will There’s A Way, it reminds me of the incredible strength within me and around me, and that together Andy and I found a way to push through some of the tough times. 

‘It also reminds me that our will and determination has led us to some amazing experiences and opportunities in life.’

She also paid tribute to her co-stars, saying she was ‘grateful’ to have them around her as she experienced the ‘highs and lows’ of the show.  

‘I’m proud to be permanently inked and linked with some of my fellow Block fam who have also recently got this tattoo,’ she continued. 

‘From the first meeting on The Block, our fellow contestants were a constant source of love, support and inspiration. 

‘The most genuine bunch of kind people we could have ever have wished to share the crazy ride with, and they continue to be there for us every day with no judgement, just encouragement, love and understanding.’  

El’ise, 34, also credited her ‘Block family’ with helping her get through what proved to be a mammoth renovation. 

‘We always knew that being passionate people would drive us to greatness but this meaning has been so much more relevant in our life when we were gifted the friendship of our 2019 Block family,’ she wrote. 

And she said the friendships created during the show only continued to strengthen as time went on. 

‘We’ve continued a strong relationship, one that’s built on trust, strength, guidance, support, kindness and love and one without any malice or jealousy,’ she continued. 

‘We’ve looked out for each other in times of need and pushed and encouraged each other to continue to do great things beyond our own beliefs but most of all we continued to love and laugh till our belly’s ache…

‘We’ve fought the odds against us and achieved what was deemed the impossible “the biggest Block ever” and came out stronger and closer than ever!!!!’

El’ise concluded her post by saying they’re now forever bonded by the tattoos.  

‘We are bonded in a way where we will wake up each day smiling and proudly telling anyone whom asks what the meaning of our tiny tattoo is,’ she wrote.