Heidi began spending her spare time caring for orphaned wildlife, while Ray worked in town and devoted his free hours to developing the property, installing solar bores, sprinkler systems, pouch rooms, and animal pens. As word spread, more sick, injured, and orphaned animals began arriving, and the need for additional infrastructure and power grew rapidly.

Heidi soon became a licensed wildlife carer through the Department of Parks and Wildlife, and Derby Native Wildlife was formally created. What began as a small off-grid residence transformed into a fully functioning wildlife sanctuary. Facilities expanded to include a medical examination room, dedicated joey rooms, and large outdoor enclosures tailored to different species.

Today, the sanctuary primarily cares for wallaby and kangaroo joeys, but it also regularly shelters possums, birds, bats and even the occasional crocodile. Enclosures are carefully designed to mimic natural habitats, with man-made billabong watering holes, rock mounds, sandy shaded areas, and native vegetation to prepare animals for eventual release back into the wild.