A first-time mum cut off from hospitals has given birth to her first child during a six-day rain storm that has ravaged North Queensland.
The Central Queensland Coast and Whitsundays have borne the brunt of relentless rain since Thursday, which has left travellers stranded and properties damaged.
At Finch Hatton, a small town in the valley below Angel McKay's home on the outskirts of Eungella, more than 1 metre of rain has fallen in the past week.
The torrential rain has cut access to major roads and highways — including Ms McKay's mountain village.
Ms McKay was due to deliver her child on January 25 but on Tuesday the baby had other ideas.
After a four-hour labour, Hayley Anne Gajda was born about 11am with the help of some willing strangers.
Community spirit rallies
When the labour started Tuesday morning, Ms McKay was cut off from nearby hospitals but the community rallied quickly.
"I don't even know half these people and they were straight here," Ms McKay said.
"I could not thank these people enough, in all honesty, because of their willingness to just jump straight in."
Ms McKay said not only did the community rally to help her to deliver her baby girl, they also helped get her out of her flooded-in home and to safety.
"We were stuck — because I live at Cathay Creek ... I was actually also flooded in."
Friends and nearby residents Tam Smith and Ian "Stringy" Smith collected Ms McKay and partner Dean Gajda from their home and brought them to their home in the township, where she delivered Hayley.
Mr and Mrs Smith rallied the community to help the new mum.
"I was very grateful for Tammy and Stringy to come in and to pick us up," she said.
"I am extremely grateful for the wonderful ladies and nurses that have come to together to help, when I was in ... crisis," she said.
Mountain spirit
Registered nurse Sue Vetma said she received the SOS from her good friend and retired doctor Beryl Turner, who lives out of the township.
Ms Turner and her daughter Dr Emma Sedlacek live in the township, but knew Ms Vetma could get there first.
"[Ms McKay] was very frightened because she had planned to go to hospital and it's her first time," she said.
"They couldn't get a helicopter in because of the fog so there was no option but to deliver," Ms Turner said.
She said there was also fear that the baby would need medication, but there was no access in or out of the town.
Paramedics prepared to make the one-hour trek up the Eungella Ranges on foot.
A second medical kit was located at Dalrymple Heights but a landslip separated the medication from the Eungella township where the mum was giving birth
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services was able to navigate the area on foot to deliver the medicine — but Hayley did not end up needing it.
"This is a fabulous community," Ms Turner said.
"We have volunteers all over the place and they go to great lengths to help each other out."
Ms Vetma said she was not a midwife but has been a registered nurse for 38 years.
"In the two years I've been up here in the valley ... I've attended three homebirths so I'm fast becoming experienced."
And although the bub was early, Ms Vetma said it was a "dream birth."
"She's perfectly healthy … good size, good weight," she said.
"She's pink, which is always a healthy sign … awake and moving around.
"I think her spirit wanted to be born on the mountain."
