In this glorious Flying Doctor Podcast #112 trip down Meekatharra memory lane, current RFDS pilot Bruce Carroll recalls a flight where the wildflowers of Yalgoo seemed to spread out below his aircraft like a technicolor carpet. His wife and former Meeaktharra RFDS base Manager, Alison Fox, fondly remembers the incredible community and RFDS comradery shared by her fellow 'desert locals' - as they tackled droughts, floods and even mini-cyclones from their remote location. But it was also often the quirky events, such as discovering a dead frog in a well-used kettle - or lizard eggs in her photo-copying machine - that Alison recalls most vividly. These are the remote outback moments only fully appreciated by those who live and work in some of Australia's most isolated and challenging locations - and those rural and remote communities where the RFDS plays an integral and 24/7 role in providing vital front-line care, emergency retrieval and patient transport services.
While Alison recently retired from her work as an RFDS Base Manager, Bruce continues to work out of the RFDS Meekatharra airbase on a one month on, one month off basis. Which means both Alison and Bruce both still enjoy plenty of time for travel and adventures, as they explore some of Australia's most remote outback destinations. Even so, these days, Alison is just a little more careful about checking her kettle for frogs BEFORE she takes that first sip of tea.
