In this Invercargill 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.
Invercargill, New Zealand
Invercargill is the regional capital and commercial hub of Southland. With a population of around 52,000, the laid-back agricultural town is rich with natural beauty, plenty of character and firm Scottish traditions. Recognised as New Zealand’s “Classic Motoring Capital,” Invercargill is home to impressive displays of vintage trucks and motorcycles, including the modified Indian Scout that holds the standing land speed record, Burt Monro’s “the World’s Fastest Indian.”
As New Zealand’s southernmost city (and one of the southernmost cities in the world), Invercargill is a great place to appreciate the night sky at its finest. While the Northern Lights may be the more famous of the auroras, the Aurora Australis, it’s southern counterpart, is no less breath-taking. The long nights that stretch across the winter months in this region offer perfect conditions to view the spectacle, and the Milky Way and Southern Cross are easily visible year-round.
Invercargill is great placing for families of all shapes and sizes, with free tertiary education for New Zealand citizens available at the Southern Institute of Technology. The city is well-equipped with a range of shops, cultural attraction, lively restaurants and bars, as well as numerous nature reserves and parks. Queens Park is a local favourite, with its sprawling 80 hectares of sports areas, wildlife habitats, playgrounds and neatly-manicured gardens.
Those looking for a way to get even closer to nature will enjoy the many great hikes available close by, including the soaring peaks of the Routeburn Track, and the vast high country and limestone formations of the Kepler Track. Invercargill is also the perfect gateway to the rest of Southland and beyond, with the stunning bays, dense forests and rare birdlife of Stewart Island just a leisurely ferry ride away.
Southland Hospital, Southern District Health Board
Southland Hospital, one of three hospitals that fall under the Southern District Health Board, is a secondary level, 160+ bed facility employing around 1,500 staff. Servicing a population base of around 108,000 people, Southland Hospital provides a range of services including 24-hour emergency, maternity, acute medical and surgical, paediatric, laboratory, medical diagnostics, outpatient and day procedures, as well as rehabilitation and therapy.
Despite its size, the hospital is modern and well-equipped, featuring state-of-the-art technology such as a 1.5T MRI Scanner, PACS digital radiology, 62-slice CT Scanner and an IPM electronic patient management system, as well as Ultrasound, X-Ray and Nuclear Medicine capabilities. It is also a teaching hospital, with ties to the University of Otago, the Southern Institute of Technology and Otago Polytechnic.
Each year, Southland Hospital sees around 5,000 theatre operations, 30,000 Emergency Department attendances, 1,100 births and 17,000 discharges, providing plenty of variety for staff. The team is friendly and close-knit, readily embracing newcomers and focusing on caring for patients in the most personalised way possible. Facilities for staff, include 24/7 access to the library, as well as a lounge with its sofas, TV and kitchen.
For a relaxed lifestyle and the opportunity to work in a relatively small, modern hospital – there’s no better place to develop your career than Invercargill. To learn more about the region and any potential locum and permanent opportunities, please contact the team today.
