A casual conversation with a friend about under-resourced rural communities led pilots Natalie and Simon Steele to pack up their lives on the New South Wales coast and head for the red-dirt horizons of outback Queensland.
Over the past 16 years, their roles as flying chaplains with the Salvation Army have seen them service some of the country's most remote communities.
They have carried out weddings and funerals, supported remote education, helped with emergency rescues, community events, and hard labour — their chopper becoming a welcome sight in the skies of the North West.
As Natalie and Simon farewell their outback home in Mount Isa, the couple reflect on their years of adventures and encourage others to get out and experience the "rich and endless opportunities in the bush."
Fixing fences, overcoming isolation
Simon and Natalie say they have cherished the stark diversity of experiences their roles in the outback opened up to them.
"We go out into remote communities and properties and just journey alongside people, helping them out with whatever they need," Natalie says.
"Whether that be fixing fences on a property or just being there to have a chat over a cup of tea.
"Many people talk about the isolation out here … the fact that we could fly in and see how people were going had a big impact."
The couple also played a major role in supporting community events and isolated schools.
"I never tire of the looks on the kids' faces when we land the chopper on the school oval," Simon says.
Natalie will always remember the pamper nights she helped coordinate in the tiny town of Urandangi.
"We'd do mini pedicures and manicures," she says.
"We had a pop-up cafe, which Simon always ran, and at night we'd set up the outdoor movie equipment under the stars."
The couple says it was rewarding taking kids to Sydney for Red Shield Appeal summer camps.
"It was very special seeing the reactions from kids who had been up here their whole lives and had never been to the ocean, never been on a plane," Natalie says.
Saving lives
During the wet season, when resources were stretched thin, Natalie and Simon were often called on to help during emergencies alongside police and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The couple has rescued people from the roofs of houses and carried workers in and out of flood-ravaged areas.
They also assisted property owners when fires struck, helping them implement fire breaks and map out firefighting strategies from the air.
"You kind of realise that if we had not been there, some people would have lost their lives," Natalie says.
As the couple looks to their next stint in Griffith, New South Wales, they are quick to shoot down stigmas that living and working in the outback is "boring".
"At first you come out and all you see is this desert landscape and you think maybe it's boring, but it's actually the opposite," Simon says.
"Our lives out here have been so rich — we have been able to travel so far, connect with Indigenous communities and experience such a fantastic place."