Daintree Air pilot Greg Letondeur flies donations to remote flood impacted towns in Far North Qld

A Far North aviation operator is taking five tonnes of essentials, supplied by generous donations from the Cairns community, to remote communities in Wujal Wujal and surrounds.

Tanika Parker helps chief pilot of Daintree Air Services Greg Letondeur load supplies onto a light plane to fly essential items to flood victims in Cooktown. Ms Parker helped coordinate the collection of water, food, clothing and sanitary products to be flown north, after record flooding caused by ex Tropical Cyclone Jasper. Picture: Brendan Radke

A Far North aviation operator will transport five tonnes of essentials, generously donated by the Cairns community, to flood affected areas in Wujal Wujal and surrounds.

Nappies, clothes, canned foods and water pallets to milk cartons, sanitary items and toys for children were unloaded by volunteers from a truck full of donations collected from different pick up points in the city at the hangar in Aeroglen on Wednesday afternoon.

Daintree Air chief pilot Greg Letondeur said the plan was to move four to five tonnes to Cooktown before 5pm on Wednesday and transport another round of supplies on Thursday.

“Most of the supplies came in this morning,” he said.

“We were very lucky, we had our planes up in Cooktown in a maintenance facility up there where they were high and dry, and so once the rain finished we were able to fly to our base in Cairns.”

Jacob Matysek unloads supplies from a truck to be loaded onto a Daintree Air Services light plane flying essential items to flood victims in Cooktown. Ms Parker helped coordinate the collection of water, food, clothing and sanitary products to be flown north, after record flooding caused by ex Tropical Cyclone Jasper. Picture: Brendan Radke

Grassroots community member and registered trauma nurse Tanika Parker, who hails from the Hopevale-Cooktown region, said time was of essence in helping hard hit communities who were isolated because of the floods.

“Daintree Air is the only airlines flying into Cooktown hinterland and we were still waiting to get clearance from council,” she said.

She thanked community members for their enormous team effort, especially those who allowed them to step out of the red tape and get a move on things.

“It started as one plane but word-of-mouth worked so well that we now have four planes worth of stuff,” she said.

“This will last about three to four days to give us enough time to close the deficits.”

Wujal community members had started rolling into Cooktown yesterday, she said, and the first lot of hundred were mums and bubs which is why items like milk, nappies and formula were being prioritised.

“It is literally the bare essentials – staples, non perishable stuff, cleaning items, lot of sanitary items and importantly plastic bags as paper bags are not ideal in this wet weather,” she said.

“It is simply the power of the people that in less than 24 hours we have been able to do this.

“We have more stuff than we thought and it is going to benefit so many.”

Donations can be dropped off at Aeroglen Community Hall on 1 Quarry St, Aeroglen QLD 4870 latest by Friday.

Originally published as Daintree Air pilot Greg Letondeur flies donations to remote flood impacted towns in Far North Qld