Embarking on a new adventure can often lead us down the path to unforgettable experiences. This is precisely what travel nurse Ciara discovered during a recent placement in the NT with HCA. If you’d ever considered working in the Top End then read on:

How was Darwin, what would you recommend seeing while on a Travel Nurse placement here?

Although I went in the low season, there was still so much happening. For starters, Darwin has various markets each week where you could spend hours browsing through the stalls. At night, along Mitchell Street, there were too many bars to choose from, Shenanigans was hit once or twice!! If a chill time was in store, the deckchair outdoor cinema was a great place to spend the evening. Darwin city is full of quirky street art and murals, the city itself is small, which is what I loved, it’s so easy to navigate around.

Sunsets are so epic in Darwin. Nightcliff is always buzzing with people watching the nightfall, plus the food trucks are a great little touch to the area. Speaking of food, forget about dieting; Darwin has such a multicultural influence, the cuisines are outstanding!! Laksa became my new favourite food, Mary’s Laksa and the Laksa House were fab! Other spots I need to mention are Ella by Minoli, which is Sri Lankan, and a Mexican restaurant named Hot Tamale. When you visit the markets, especially the well-known Mindil market, there are so many food stalls you are spoiled for choice!

I’d recommend renting a car so you can fully experience the natural beauty of the surrounding areas. Once you leave the city, you reach the true Australian outback in no time. Wide open roads, massive road trains going by, huge termite mounds everywhere, bushland filled with an array of wildlife! Must-dos outside of Darwin are the swimming holes in Berry Springs, waterfalls at Litchfield, and an overnight visit to Kakadu’s huge national park. The scenic flight over Kakadu is pretty amazing. From high up, you could view Aboriginal settlements, inaccessible by road, where tribes inhabited and lived off the land. At sunset, cruising along the South Alligator River boasted extraordinary birdlife, wild buffalo, and horses along the banks, and not forgetting the endless amount of crocodiles swimming around. The ancient rock art at Ubirr was truly impressive. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do the tour, but I heard it was really worthwhile.

Tell us About Your Experience in at Work, with Accommodation, and getting around Darwin

In terms of work, my unit manager was very approachable and very flexible with shifts. I know this might not be the case for every ward, just speaking from my personal experience. There was also any amount of overtime and really decent rates of pay as a travel nurse.

The onsite studio accommodation, although basic, had essential cooking facilities and was super close to work. Having ventured up there alone, it was great to have other agency nurses living so close by, shout out to the girls – Mally, Michelle, and Robyn. There’s also a swimming pool in the complex, and the local shopping centre was a short bike ride away, but leaving early is a must to avoid the midday sun. I bought a bicycle from the bike orphanage outside the city.

Conclusion

Darwin After finally acclimatizing (somewhat) to the humidity of the NT, my time working in Darwin was just fantastic!

So that’s my Darwin experience in a nutshell. There’s still so much more exploring to do, so I’m looking forward to locking in another travel nurse contract!

— Ciara

HCA Travel Nurse RN

If you’re interested in being a travel nurse in the NT but aren’t sure where? Be sure to check out another blog about the NT we have published, An NT Aged Care Job! HCA RN Elisha’s Terrific Trip.