In this Hutt Valley location guide, we highlight the unique benefits of the area and its facilities, outlining the opportunities available to our doctors. This location is part of a wider series that showcases what it is like to work in a specific region in either Australia or New Zealand.
Hutt Valley, New Zealand
Named after early colonist Sir William Hutt, the Hutt Valley is located in the north Wellington Region (around 15 minutes from the capital city) and spans both the industrial Upper Hutt and the more commercial Lower Hutt. It is sheltered by the Rimutaka Ranges, which protects residents from the more extreme weather conditions that Wellington is infamous for. The Hutt Valley is ideal for those who want to enjoy the outdoors while still having access to urban conveniences and is popular with Wellington commuters who prefer to live out of the city.
The region encompasses a variety of landscapes in a small area, with flood plains, forests, valleys, seaside towns, industrial/commercial centres and residential suburbs all just a short distance from one another. It is the ideal base for exploring walking and biking tracks, with some of the most popular locations being Kaitoke Regional Park, Belmont Regional Park, Rimutaka Hill, Tunnel Gully and the Rimutaka Incline walkways, not to mention the pleasant tracks that weave through the suburban areas.
Other must-dos include trout fishing in the Hutt River, viewing the picturesque waterfall at Korokoro Dam and learning about the founding of Wellington at Petone’s Settlers Museum, as well as swimming, hunting, quad-biking, an art gallery and horse riding. We also recommend a visit to Harcourt Park where you can try your hand at Disc Golf, and Lord of the Rings fans will be excited to know that it was a filming location for Isengard!
Hutt Hospital, Hutt Valley District Health Board
Hutt Hospital is a secondary level hospital that serves a population of about 140,000 in the Hutt Valley and provides specialist services for a regional population of about 900,000. The 322-bed facility employs around 1,500 staff and provides an emergency department, general medical, cardiology, orthopaedic, general surgical, paediatric, obstetric and gynaecological, rehabilitation and mental health services, as well as specialist regional services in rheumatology, plastic and maxillofacial surgery, public health, breast screening, cardiac MRI and oral health.
The hospital is upgraded regularly and has received several state-of-the-art additions, such as the MAPU (Medical Assessment and Planning Unit) and the purpose-built Perioperative Department, which has a Day Surgery Unit and eight operating theatres that are used by all specialities. There is also a modernised Emergency Department with a combined medical assessment/acute assessment unit that has triple the capacity of the original ED.
In addition to these facility updates, the Hutt Valley District Health Board also invests in IT and is consistently looking for ways to make initiatives and systems more streamlined and easier to access to better support the clinical services. This makes it a great base for doctors looking to work in a modern, future-focused facility without having to be located in a major city.
Summary
If you’re looking for an attractive locale that promotes an outdoorsy lifestyle with all the conveniences of the city within easy reach, then Hutt Valley might just be the place for you.
To learn more about the region and any potential locum and permanent opportunities, please contact the team today.
