Pancake breakfasts in aid of the Flying Doctor

Doug Stewart and Angie Reed make pancake breakfasts every Wednesday morning at the Major Mitchell Caravan Park, with all profits going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Beginning at 8 a.m. and finishing at 9:30 a.m., Doug and Angie cook and serve pancakes in an attractive outdoor setting at the caravan park. Travellers pay five dollars and can have as many generous-sized pancakes as they can eat.

Toppings include ice cream, lemon and sugar, golden syrup, honey, three types of home-made jams and toppings (strawberry, chocolate and caramel). The most popular topping is vanilla ice cream, followed closely by freshly squeezed Mitchell lemons and Queensland sugar.

Donations are always welcomed and often come from people with personal experience of the Flying Doctor Service.

Doug makes up the mixture the night before, at home, using this recipe:

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup of milk

one egg.

Doug also sets up the cooking equipment the night before: a couple of flat-surface gas barbecues and several tables.

So far, Doug and Angie have organised 11 pancake breakfasts at the caravan park this winter, and will continue for as long as they can clear $200 per breakfast. Doug estimates that he cooks 200 pancakes per breakfast, which means that in total he's cooked around 2000 pancakes! Angie does everything else: collects the money, organises the toppings, and keeps everything clean and tidy. They make an excellent team.

All profits go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, with the grand total to date being $2240. I think this is a great effort, especially since many of the mornings had below zero temperatures.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service

Once again, Doug and Angi provided a pancake breakfast for the travellers at the Major Mitchell Caravan Park, with all the proceeds going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

It was a frosty morning, so hot pancakes made a welcome breakfast. In total, well over 150 generous- sized pancakes were cooked and eaten.

Hardly a day goes by that we don't hear the Flying Doctor plane over our house and then hear it come in to land at the airstrip on the western edge of the township of Mitchell. It's a vital service to people in the outback. Not only the locals benefit, but also anyone travelling in the outback.

In fact, at this very moment, I can hear the flying doctor plane overhead. Who, I wonder is critically ill, or has there been an accident?

The photo shows a mural depicting the Flying Doctor Service which is painted on the pylon of the road bridge crossing the Maranoa River, Mitchell.