A Passionate Couple Gone Too Soon

Plane Crash Victims Lived Life To The Fullest

Living in the police house in Birdsville, overlooking the small town’s airstrip, a young Rhiley Kuhrt was often found perched atop his trike in the front yard, utterly entranced by the nimble machines taking off and landing in front of him.

He loved planes, buying his first in October last year and picking it up a week after marrying his “soulmate” Maree.

Rhiley was immensely proud of his Piper Cherokee aircraft and flew it regularly from their new home at Natal Downs, a cattle station near Charters Towers, to the Mackay region to visit family.

Rhiley and Maree were making this trip on the afternoon of Sunday, April 2.

They were on their way to pick up Rhiley’s daughter Bailey for the easter holidays, who lives in Mackay with her mother and was waiting at Bloomsbury’s Lakeside Airpark with Rhiley’s mother and nieces and nephews.

The pair never arrived, their bodies discovered in the aircraft wreckage amongst the forest-clad Clark Ranges, west of Proserpine, around 10:00am the next morning.

After living in Birdsville, Rhiley and his family, mum Marina, dad Lindsay, and siblings Brenton and Beccarah, relocated to Rosewood, west of Ipswich.

Rhiley left school to start a building apprenticeship, completing three quarters before sustaining a head injury in a freak accident.

“That led him down a dark path,” said his sister Beccarah Markham-Gaudion.

“He was spending a lot of time healing and trying to come back from his brain injury, but he never let that get in his way.

“No matter what he wanted to do, he always worked out a way to do it.”

Rhiley decided to work on cattle stations, getting his first job on a station near Augathella, where Maree was working as a Governess and Ringer.

“When Rhiley and Maree met, they were in a dark place, and they basically helped each other pull themselves out of that dark place,” Beccarah said.

“They’ve done everything together ever since.

“They were true soulmates.”

Together, the pair worked on other stations before Rhiley accepted the managerial position at Natal Downs and Maree a station hand.

They were happy and settled at Natal Downs, looking forward to raising their first child together there.

“They’d just got on their feet, and they were working everything out, trying to improve and clean up a bit,” said Beccarah.

“It was an unbelievable passion they had together,” added Beccarah’s husband, Steven.

“They reached their goals in a very short amount of time.”

Rhiley was a passionate man, with a wide array of interests keeping him busy, whether it was bull riding, camp drafting, pony club, paintball, shooting, wakeboarding, snorkelling or spearfishing.

“He fit so much into his short life,” said Beccarah.

“He was always so cheeky; he was the life of the party.

“Maree was a bit more reserved; they complemented each other.

“She was the best thing for him.”

Beccarah said the family have no words for the community support they’ve received except “thank you”.

She said the adversity Rhiley and Maree overcame to achieve their dreams in such a short time should be an inspiration to all.

“We just want people to know that anything’s possible and, with the help of the people you love, you can do whatever you want,” she said.

“Because that’s exactly what they did.”

‍

‍

Rhiley and Maree Kuhrt. Photo supplied

A young Beccarah, Rhiley and Brenton. Photo supplied

Steven and Beccarah Markham-Gaudion. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

‍