You might think that the wild upper reaches of Nepal and the quaint Southern Highlands village of Bundanoon have nothing in common.
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But they are in fact bonded by relationships that have this week resulted in life-saving COVID-19-related medical equipment arriving in the remote Nepalese region, thanks to the quick actions of a Highlands resident and a bunch of generous donors.
"We got the call on Saturday night and by Monday morning we had got the funds, found the equipment in Kathmandu, and sent it off to four villages," said Margie Thomas, a Bundanoon resident with a long association with Upper Mustang, which sits close to the Tibetan border and has only just had its first COVID-19 cases.
"It's been very warmly recieved by them, because covid is not just a physical illness, it's psychological as well - now people with it don't feel alone, the know they have support and equipment from people on the other side of the world."
The region now has 10 cases, but Ms Thomas feels more may emerge due to the crowded nature of thier homes and the difficulty of social isolation.
"Of the 10 cases, seven are in the village of Chosar, which has a population of 600, so that's a worrying proportion," she said.
"They're very suspicious of being tested so that's why we needed to jump on it immediately.
"Roads are shut to contain the virus, they're trying to isolate themselves.
"The oxygen concentrators are a game-changer."
Ms Thomas first encountered the remote part of the world nine years ago, while working in marketing in the sub-continent.
"I fell in love with the place - it was life-changing," she said.
"Even though it's in Nepal, it's more Tibetan than Tibet because there's been no Chinese involvement."
Her desire to get back to the region led to her leading treks there with World Expeditions, and then to fundraising to help improve the lives of locals.
Having deep bonds with friends over there, and a ready group of donors, meant she was swiftly able to answer the call to help this week.
"Mr Tsewang Bista, who's a member of the Mustang Royal family and his wife who is a doctor, identified that oxygen concentrators and oximeters would help in the villages of Chosar, Ghami, Tsarang and Lo Manthang," she told sponsors on Monday.
"There are no hospitals up there, and even no electricity in Chosar. The other three villages have recently been connected to electricity, thankfully.
"The beauty of these units is that they're mobile so can be taken to the sick, rather than have them travel in difficult terrain, and probably infect others.
"They can also run off a generator, which they have in Chosar.
"Tsewang has pulled several amazing rabbits out of a rather large hat to perform miracles in getting hold of four units and four oximeters (measures blood oxygen saturation).
"I pledged funds to cover the purchases, which he has made on our behalf. The equipment is being despatched by jeep today to Pokhara, then will travel to Upper Mustang tomorrow."
Ms Thomas said many of the local donors are trekkers who have seen the poverty and isolation of the Upper Mustang villages for themselves.
"Quite a few Southern Highlanders have trekked into Upper Mustang with me, and have become very big supporters of the region," she said.
"There are no hospitals there, and only very basic health care.
"Being able to help has been very life-affirming for me."
In the last 18 days, as the coronavirus has crept closer to Upper Mustang, over $20,000 has been raised through Ms Thomas's fundraising page.
Donations are passed on 100 per cent to Upper Mustang through World Expeditions and are tax deductible.