Biloela Queensland, Australia (580kms north west of Brisbane) (Sept/ October 2011)

I'm back working to earn some more "cruising funds". This contract is for 6 wks. I'll either extend or go somewhere else for another 6wks.
Eric is in Langkawi, Malaysia working on "Erica" to keep her in top notch condition for our transit of the Indian Ocean next year.

I flew in from Malaysia via the Gold Coast and spent 2 days with my twin sis and bro in law before flying to Thangool, which is 20mins drive from Biloela. It was interesting terrain as we came in to land over cropping land.
The Biloela area is supported by coal mining (open cut and underground) and agriculture

I've been here for 2 wks now and really enjoying the work. The staff at the hospital are very friendly. I'm employed as a midwife but as there are only around 100 births/yr I work as a general nurse as well.
The accomodation is 30m from the hospital, set in parklike grounds.

Accomodation is a 9 bedroom self contained "Queenslander type" building, shown in the picture below

This  view is from the enclosed verandah outside my bedroom looking across a school field

From my bedroom window at the back I look across to the hospital

When I'm not sightseeing I'm enjoying reading, surfing the internet, editing photos and skying family and friends

Without a car there's not alot to do on my days off and between shifts, but I'm getting fit by walking each day and swimming in the pool .

These are some photos around town.

Enjoying the pool and doing aerobics

Woolworths supermarket and shopping complex

Highway into town from Gladstone

Tennis courts

My Johannesburg colleague and walking  friend Veronica

View from the top of Valley view road to the Callide power station

The Lindsay Daniels walkway

With all the crops being harvested there's alot of grain around to attract the birds

These horses enjoyed the fresh green grass I gave them

Grain silos

These Parrot (?Ashoka) trees are flowering everywhere. The birds are magnificent and the birdsong is beautiful

 

2 big night outs while I was in Biloela was the 8oth Commemoration of the Hospital and Las Vegas night at the Bowls club

Friends in the Staff quarters dressed up for the Ball

 

 Director of Nursing on screen

This was quite a fun night out at the Bowling club with Las Vegas look alikes

The last couple of days in Biloela I enjoyed a visit to a lookout point above the Power station and Callide open cut mine where there was a steep walk to the top of the road

I flew to the Gold coast on the 23rd of October for a couple of days with my twin sister and brother in law before heading to Mt Isa for a 6 wk midwifery contract