Locum Locations - Geraldton, WA

By Dr Michelle Bonnici

 
Locum Location:

Geraldton, WA.

Hospital Name:

Geraldton District Hospital, WA.

How did you settle in? Any hot tips for new arrivals?

It was easy to settle in and all well organised. The weather is warm already so winter is mild thankfully and I hope the wind keeps it breezy in summer!

How was the travel, logistics and accommodation?

We (my husband is also a locum doctor here) hired a car and got a discounted rate in Perth through the hospital. It is a good drive and about four and a half hours on the highway from Perth.

The accommodation is superb, a two-bedroom unit in a secure block with a shared pool, which will be handy for summer.

It is also close to the hospital but up the only hill in town so the walk or bike ride can be a little challenging!

What is the team like?

I have been working in the Medical Department which is a “League of Nations”, with many different nationalities and everyone is friendly and helpful.

In general, all staff in the hospital are friendly and medical administration made orientation a breeze.

And the hospital setup? Services, facilities, other Specialist support?

There is an Emergency Department and 66 beds.

The hospital has radiology with CT, MRI and Ultrasound and specialities including Surgical, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics and Gynaecologist on site (but no maternity).

Visiting specialists include Haematology, Oncology and sometimes Telehealth services with occasional fly in for face-to-face consults.

The workforce can be stretched at busy times and the Emergency Department is consistently busy so they are super happy to have locum doctors like us! There are some challenging presentations, like addiction and drug abuse, fairly often.

Best town amenities, shops, cafes? Share with us your favourites.

There is a lovely waterfront area with good cafes and enough shops and supermarkets but they are quite pricey. Without a doubt, the best cafe in town is Cafe Fleur on Marine Avenue.

Any local inside information we should know about? Best swimming spots, looks or trails?

I am not sure yet but I have heard the fishing spots are great and we will check them out soon.

We have bikes and there is a mainly flat cycle track along the waterfront and the traffic is light.

We will be soon driving inland to the wildflowers that are in bloom, Coal Seam and Mulliwa have been recommended to us.

Would you go back? If so, why? Would you recommend the location?

Yes, this is a great location to work and visit, I highly recommend.