In their 12 years in Mount Isa Natalie and Simon Steele have seen more of North West Queensland than most people and a lot of it from a bird's eye perspective.
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The couple are officers in the Salvation Army and for many they are better known as the "flying padres" using their trusty helicopter to get around this vast region.
They fly south as far as Bedourie west to the border at Urandangie, north to the Gulf and east to Julia Creek. ministering to remote properties and country schools and also assisting in emergency relief and rescue efforts
The couple, who have two teenage children, love their life in Mount Isa.
"It might be remote here but people open their hearts and make the most of it, you make friends for life," Natalie said.
And as for the life on the road, or more properly over the road, the North West's magnificent landscapes never fail to impress.
"The view never gets old, It gets hot, but it never gets old," Natalie said.
"The wilderness is inspiring and amazing."
Simon has has pilots licences for fixed wing and rotary aircraft for all of their 12 years in Mount Isa and initially started their bush mission with a Cessna.
But he says, it was the flexibility that drew him to choppers two years in.
"You can land in a tight spot in the chopper. You can't land at all in the wet season on an airstrip," he said.
There was a surprising second reason - too much digital technology in the fixed wings.
He preferred the analogue dials of the Robinson R66 helicopter and its parts were easier to replace.
Simon's ability to respond quickly in a crisis resulted in an RFDS Queensland hero award in 2019 when he was first on the scene at Lake Julius, to rescue a family of four whose boat had collided with an underwater log, resulting in serious and life-threatening injuries.
It was Christmas Eve when Simon was doing paperwork at the hangar when he got a call from the National Search and Rescue Council in Canberra to say an emergency beacon had been activated at the lake.
Luckily he had a full tank and contacted Lifeflight's Jim Lillecrapp to join him in the rescue.
Simon and Jim managed to wade out to the boat and tow it back to shore with the family of four onboard.
He then flew back to Mount Isa and brought a doctor and paramedic out to the scene.
"I had started at 3pm, and we finished at 10pm," Simon said.
"All three patients were soon airlifted to Townsville and were in intensive care for over a week."
The family survived and joined the many who were grateful to the help of the Salvos.
Wife Natalie has her workload increased after they took over the Mount Isa chapel a couple of years ago, meaning she doesn't get out on the chopper as often as she would like.
But there is no doubt both have the support of the local community.
In August a Leichhardt Medical Centre golf day raised $904 for the Salvos because as Dr Jos Pouesi said "they do a lot of good for the homeless and disadvantaged in the Mount Isa community,"
Natalie the money would go towards local programs.
"We have a ladies craft group that meets on a Wednesday morning, so it will go towards buying paints and canvases and things we need for that," she said.
"As well as our Crossroads program, which is a free community meal that we have on Thursday nights and we host that in conjunction with Isa Community Church and Baptist Church at the Salvos."
They will also benefit from KMart's wishing tree with local families in need able to pick up presents in the lead-up to Christmas.
When asked why the Salvos had such a good reputation in the community, Simon put it down to their long activist history, and their century of service to Australia.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
