Flinders to Melbourne
February 17, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Flinders to Launie to Melbourne
Today I'm heading out to go on a nursing locum placement to Ampilatwatja (pronounced Um -bladder-watch ) for 4 weeks. I'm working with an agency called RAHC (RemoteRead more
Melbourne to Darwin
February 18, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Off to Darwin for 2 days orientation. I'm staying at Travelodge Mirambeena Resort. Very nice. Hot humid but not too bad. Air conditioning in the room so very comfortable, even cold.
I get in in theRead more
First orientation day
February 19, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Today is Cultural training. Also doing this are Trish, Alison and Laura-all dental assistants. Trish is going to Oenpelli, Alison to Katherine and Laura to Port Keats.
Olga is our indigenous culturalRead more
Clinical orientation today
February 20, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Clinical orientation by Dr Jim Thurley via videolink. He was in Adelaide. Just me and Dr Jim today. Big brain day.
Darwin to Ampilatwatja via Alice Springs
February 21, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 6 °C
Today is a big travel day. I have to be on the 7 am flight from Darwin to Alice Springs. I get into Alice about 9 am where a driver from RAHC meets me at the airport. We then go to Woolworths for meRead more
Sorry Business
February 22, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Today it is decided to close the clinic except for emergency cases for respectful cultural reasons. The pt who died was an Elder. In the morning I get time to do the i-stat training so I can use theRead more
First fly out
February 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
As I said yesterday, we had a long drawn out flyout. There is a RAHC rule that you must have a 9 hour break between a call out and starting work so we sleep and rest in the morning and go to work atRead more
Weekend
February 25, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
We are 1st on call on Saturday and 2nd on call Sunday. We get 2 consults Saturday that go home. On Sunday, Geraldine goes home at lunch time and I'm flying solo. As Geraldine leaves, Jeannie, the 1stRead more
My place
February 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
History
Freehold title leases were granted by the Federal Government around 1910 to establish cattle stations on Alyawarr land in an attempt to bring white settlers and development to the centre ofRead more
Learning lots
March 1, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
This week Soli and Jeannie, the 2 nurses here, decide not to put me on call this week so I can concentrate on how things are done NT style without the added stress of possible call-outs. I appreciateRead more
Half way there
March 4, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
Soli now has me doing on call but "buddying up". He's certainly looking after me, and protecting his patients too no doubt. Still learning lots.
They are building a new clinic next door to my houseRead more
Health issues
March 6, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Here the main issues are scabies. STI's, chest infections, ear infections and rheumatic heart disease. A lot of the work is also chronic disease management -diabetes, renal disease and cardiac.
MentalRead more
Impending storm
March 7, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C
There may be big rains coming so the mental health worker, physio and cardiac educator left earlier than planned in case they get rained in.
It's raining cats and dogs
March 8, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Apparently we received 103 mls
Cut off due to flooding
March 9, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
No-one is getting in or out. We were supposed to get another nurse today but she can't get in. The rain has eased up today though. Dr Tan left yesterday while the roads were open, she was supposed toRead more
My art and theirs
March 10, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌫 21 °C
Ampilatwatja artists are famous for their different and distinctive style of painting. They cost thousands. They have an art centre I went to to find a patient but didn't get a chance to take a look.Read more
Last work day today
March 13, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Last night I got to help out with a rare type of presentation. Even though Rheumatic Heart Disease is rife in the indigenous population, it is unusual to come across an exacerbation of Acute RheumaticRead more
Bombers at Windy Hill, with a difference
March 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
They play AFL at Ampilatwatja. They are the Ampilatwatja Bombers! When I packed, I packed one of Jimmy's Essendon bombers scarves and had it hanging in my consult room. I forgot and left it there,Read more
Up, up and away
March 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Time to leave. I finish cleaning house and wash the sheets and towels and leave them to hang. There's no proper cleaner so you have to do it before you go.
After that I go to the clinic and addRead more
Into Alice
March 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
It's greening up quite a bit from the recent rains. Long straight roads criss cross the immense desert. I see the odd station homestead, aboriginal communities and sometimes a well or mustering area.Read more
Touch down
March 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Samarah from RAHC picks me up from the airport. The charter plane stops right beside the RFDS hangar. That felt quite fitting as that's where our patients end up when we fly them out.
We then go findRead more
Luxury!!!!
March 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Wow! I'm feeling so spoilt! From windy dirt and dust to this! Double Tree Hilton Hotel (paid for by RAHC) feels like indulgence but I feel I deserve it. So, I have a nice lunch of lamb wrap- the freshRead more
Artists of Ampilatwatja
March 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 7 °C
"The Artists of Ampilatwatja community was established in 1999 near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The work produced by the artists is recognisably distinct from other Aboriginal artisticRead more
Pamper or essential treatment?
March 15, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
I got a sleep in! Didn't have to check out until midday so went back to Saltbush for breakfast. Then checked out and cloaked baggage to walk down the road to Lavish Spa at Lasseters Casino for a sugarRead more
Wild Flowers in Todd River
March 15, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
After the rains the flowers are starting to come out 🌼🌻🌸






















































































































