Mr Tracey and his Katherine-based team have raised just over $5000 for the aeromedical rescue organisation in the past six months and he said disaster had been the catalyst.

I had a bus that blew a tyre on the way to [Nitmiluk Gorge] in July and, while I was changing it on the side of the road, the jack collapsed,” he told the Katherine Times.

“The bus came down on me and crushed my back.

“CareFlight came and flew me to Darwin.”

The bus company ferries tourists between the Katherine train terminal and the iconic national park during the Ghan’s regular stopover, and  drivers have collection tins in their coaches.

Mr Tracey said his staff had been keen to get involved with the fundraising effort and thanked tourists for their support.

“Starting off, [staff] were telling my story and it went boom, boom, boom,” he said.

“It was personal and more of my way of giving back for saving my life.”

CareFlight relationship development manager Janine Birch praised the Wynyard Bus Lines staff and said their approach to showing support was “so refreshing”.

“They are really quite an inspiration,” she said.

“Kirk and the team have taken a very traditional and somewhat staid fundraising method, the money tin, and flipped it on its head.

“With a little thought and a lot of enthusiasm they, have come up with fun and innovative ways to engage their customers in line with their business model, and that really works.”