Healthcare Traveler - November 2008 - (Page 38)

is so very Kiwi to wear a sculpted piece of pounamu around your neck. The entire country’s population is slightly more than 4 million. Auckland is home to nearly 2 million people, Wellington has around 500,000 citizens, and roughly 1.5 million other residents are spread around the rest of the country. I was told that the South Island—or, as some call it, the Main Island—recently broke the 1 million mark. Recreational pursuits During my assignment, I was never bored. When I was looking for fun, Wellington, New Zealand, was the place to find it. From a tour of the New Zealand Parliament building to exploring the country’s art, history, and heritage at the national Te Papa Museum, and from dining on Cuba Street and dancing the night away on Courtney Place, to hiking along the many nature trails, Wellington offers a wealth of recreational pursuits. If you’re a fan of Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy, I highly recommend taking one of the many tours available. Most are led by former employees of Weta Production Studios, which filmed the trilogy, so the guides are quite knowledgeable about the magnificent canyons and valleys. They frequently stop and point out items of interest that viewers will recognize: “See that tree in the clearing over there? Well, that is where the scene with Frodo and the Black Knight was shot.” Another must-try recreational activity is a free tour of the Parliament Building, also known as the “beehive” tour. Parliamentary guides proudly show you everything from the basement to the legislative chambers. As my Kiwi Parliament guide said, “Well, your tax dollars paid for the building, so make yourself at home.” On the weekends, I embarked on “wee hikes” (under 3 hours) that took me across swing-rope bridges and along cliffside trails that would have made Indiana Jones think twice. I asked a park warden if all of the swing-rope bridges and trails were safe. He nodded with a toothy grin and said, “Perfectly. Just try not to fall because, if you do, it could be bad.” Whether you stroll to the corner dairy mini-mart to buy New Zealand’s Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, or you drink a pint at your favorite local pub, every day in New Zealand is a mini adventure in itself. Another tremendous benefit of working in New Zealand occurred when my assignment came to an end, and I went on a 5-week “walkabout” around the North and South Islands. A multitude of legendary transportation options—such as The Naked Bus, The Magic Bus, or the Kiwi Experience—are available for www.healthcaretraveler.com A VIEW OF HUTT HOSPITAL (Hutt Valley District Health Board) where I worked (top). My home away from home at the PILMUIR LODGE in Lower Hutt. With the orientation behind me, I quickly settled into my new post. Assigned to the Speech-Language Therapy Division’s Outpatient and Community Team, I provided home-based treatment programs to recently discharged patients to ensure their speech therapy carryover plans were in place. I also floated and provided care to patients on the acute ward and the medical ward. Practicing speech-language therapy in New Zealand was quite similar to all of the other assignments I have held at hospitals in the past, except for significantly less paperwork. I fondly recall a home visit that I completed on the beautiful coastal bay of Eastbourne. On the telephone, my patient warned me that he lives on top of a very steep driveway that overlooks the bay. Well, I found out that Kiwis do not lie, nor do they exaggerate. That house sits elevated some 1,500 feet up the side of the “bloody” mountain. I also soon learned that the New Zealand culture is rich and colorful—from the indigenous Maoris, to the early settlers, to the world famous All Black rugby squad. The written words of the Maori language can be found throughout New Zealand; however, English translations can rarely be found. Pounamu, also known as jade or greenstone, is the national stone and is a must-have fashion accessory. It 38 Healthcare Traveler November 2008 http://www.healthcaretraveler.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - November 2008

Healthcare Traveler - November 2008 Editor’s Desk Contents In a Flash Paws for Thought Field Notes You Said It Perks and Preferences A Latitude Adjustment Drug Update Clinical Tips Advice of Counsel Cityscape Advertiser’s Index Name It When In. . . It’s in the Bag Contest Rules Big Deals Tax Facts Going the Distance Allied Corner Classifieds Tales from the Road

Healthcare Traveler - November 2008

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