Karanja Run by Gordon Smith
Karanja Run is a family-owned cattle station located in the Channel country of north Queensland; it is located about 200 km north of Birdsville and is approx. Four thousand five hundred square kilometers in size, Stephen Fitzsimmons inherited the station from his father ten years after marrying Eileen. He is a tough, no-nonsense man with a love of his country only exceeded by the love of his family. Eileen is the mother of 3 children, Gloria. Giles and Allison. He runs the household with a firm but loving hand. Our story starts with the expulsion of Allison after being discovered in a compromising position with another girl. Allison always claimed it was an innocent incident, but the shame of a same-sex relationship haunted her. She returned to “Karanja Run.” After a short while, her father sent her to be trained as a helicopter pilot working with the cattle movements on “Karanja Run.” After a short-lived romance with a station hand, she is recruited as a helicopter pilot by the Volunteer Emergency and Search Agency (known generally as VESA).” Her sister, Gloria, trains as a nurse and eventually becomes a Flying Doctor nurse. Their brother Giles prepares to take over and run the family station. After several rescue operations, Allison and her crew are kidnapped by a crime syndicate. Her subsequent rescue from an Asian jungle location is a gripping adventure. Returning from a normal; Flying Doctor mission, Gloria’s aircraft runs into a bad storm, drifts well, and then crashes into the thick bush. Her pilot eventually dies from his injuries, while Gloria uses all her survival skills to wait for a rescue. Enduring bushfires and floods all contribute to each other’s strength of character.