Canberra - Location Report

When you visit Canberra, prepare to experience one good thing after another. Because whether it's world-class wining and dining, iconic national treasures or breathtaking adventures, everything you're after is just moments away.

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QUINTESSENTIAL CANBERRA

Canberra is often overlooked by visitors to Australia in favour or Sydney and Melbourne, but it is the best location to explore Australia's culture and heritage through its many galleries, museums and the old & new federal parliament buildings.

Known as the ‘Bush Capital’, it is surrounded by forest, farmland and nature reserves.  Canberra is a planned city with wide boulevards lined with large buildings and green open areas surrounding spacious suburbs.  The focal point is Lake Burley Griffin, with its impressive water jet fountain.

THINGS TO DO AND SEE

The Australian War Memorial – very moving with exhibits from dioramas of battlefields to modern interactive displays

New Parliament House – daily, free guided tours. See the House of Representatives and the Senate and stand on top, under the giant flagpole and admire the view.

Galleries – the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia are great to explore and show key moments and people which help tell the story about Australian identity.

The annual Floriade Festival – flowers (in their thousands), plants, music and market stalls. It gets incredibly busy, but worth going for the atmosphere.  This year it runs from Saturday 17 September until Sunday 16 October 2016.

Lake Burley Griffin – put on your trainers and cycle around its 35-kilometre perimeter, or if that is too ambitious you can walk/jog certain scenic sections.  From a certain look out point you can see Yarralumla which is the official residence of the Governor-General and where The Queen stays on her visits.

FOOD & DRINK

PLACES TO EXPLORE NEARBY

Canberra Wineries - Did you know that within a 40 minute drive there are 140 vineyards with more than 33 wineries? Take a tour and sample some distinctive, award-winning cool climate wines. Click here for a fun list to work your way through....

Jervis Bay is a two hour drive from Canberra on the New South Wales south coast.  Famous for its white, sandy beaches. 

Australian Alps - Bushwalk in Namadgi National Park or venture further afield and climb Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's tallest peak. 

 

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WANT TO WORK IN CANBERRA?

Prescript Recruitment helps great doctors find great places to work – if you want to experience life in Canberra contact us and we’d be pleased to help you with locum and permanent positions.  Click on the button below to request a call, subscribe for updates or register as a candidate.

North West Tasmania Location Report

QUINTESSENTIAL NORTH WEST TASMANIA

North West Tasmania is known for its rugged beauty, stunning coastlines and rich agricultural lands. There is a huge appeal now for people wanting to either visit or move permanently to this beautiful part of the world.

“ Anyone wishing for some natural beauty combined with culture, history and artisanal food and wine produced locally, will love it!”

— Nicola Speer

Within the North West region of Tasmania, there are distinct areas that all deserve their own allocation of time to go and explore and enjoy. There is a good overview of each on this link tasmaniasnorthwest.com.au  that will give you not only a sneak preview with its beautiful photographs, but also the right advice for getting there and what to see and do. From the township and close, friendly community of Burnie, to the harbours and beaches of Wynyard, to the thriving port-side city of Devonport, or the iconic walks and wildlife at Cradle Mountain, there is always something magical to do and see.

Discover North West Tasmania is another fantastic site to browse. They have stories and history as well as attractions and tips for planning to make sure you really maximise your time spent here. 

THINGS TO DO

With all the options, it’s great to have good, informative guides to the North West region’s attractions. Again, a great source is here at tasmaniasnorthwest.com.au

You can research and plan activities not only related the natural scenic adventure side that Tasmania is so famous for, but also ideas for arts and cultural activities, wellbeing and beauty, heritage and history, and not forgetting ideas on where to eat and drink.

Museums showcasing the layers of history that have built the North West region, as well as the rest of Tasmania provide relaxing places to wander and learn. Art galleries display the talent works of a great variety of local artists and markets pop up across the region with the food products and fresh produce from the local farmland and seas.

Wings Wildlife Park is an incredible place to see Australia’s wildlife up close. Conservation and rescue is a great part of the park and it’s absolutely a must for families visiting the region. 

“Go where the world’s still wild, in a region that’s home to breathtaking scenery, unbelievable history, gourmet produce and the world’s cleanest air. There’s no end to the experiences on offer, and all of them are just a short trip away. No matter what you’re looking for in Tasmania’s North West, West Coast and on King Island, you’re sure to find something that astounds, surprises and delights.”

— tasmaniasnorthwest.com.au

EATING & DRINKING

How does it sound to pick cherries fresh from the tree, when in season, then eat a meal of cherry related pies, ice creams and other treats? You can do so here at the Cherry Shed. 

For award winning fine dining, how about Pier 01 Restaurant?  You will get the chance to taste some of Tasmania’s best produce in this stylish environment. 

If you’re keen to sample the products from artisan producers of cheese, beer, wine and sprits, you can do so all in a day’s pleasant drive around the towns, villages and countryside. Why not try the Seven Sheds Brewery, Meadery and Hop Garden?

How about a visit the Tasmanian Food and Wine Conservatory, a cafe and providore stocking 100% Tasmanian produce from the best growers and producers across the state?

The Hellyers Road Distillery is in Burnie, just a 30 minute drive from the Devonport Ferry Terminal and offers tastings, tours and sales of their famous whisky, distilled on site using Tasmania’s crystal clear water.

Lastly, the Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail is a must for any food lovers:

GETTING THERE

The North West Region is a key gateway for the Spirit of Tasmania, which docks in the port of Devonport on arrival from Melbourne. A lovely way to arrive!

There are numerous flights into Launceston from Australian cities and a regional flight into Burnie too. Check some of the options and ideas here. 

Once you’re there, it’s recommended to have a car. It is easy to arrange car hire if on holiday with airport pickups or city.

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About Prescript Recruitment

For more information, a great place to start is www.prescript.com.au

You'll find information about our locum and permanent recruitment services for doctors, hospitals and practices.  You'll also find links to our blogs, location reports and other resources.

1300 755 498 // contact@prescript.com.au

Bundaberg Location Report

Located a short 300 kilometres north of Brisbane, the Bundaberg region is the first point of entry to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. This area encompasses a diversity of coastal, island and hinterland areas.

QUINTESSENTIAL BUNDABERG

“Bundaberg is the largest town in the Fraser Coast region and is known across the land more for its eponymous dark rum and fruit-farming backpackers than its coral-fringed beach hamlets. The town proper is an agricultural centre with some friendly pubs and a decent regional art gallery.”

— Lonely Planet

HOW TO GET THERE

• Bundaberg is served daily by Virgin and Qantas.
• Tilt Train stops at Bundaberg train station en route to Brisbane.
• Drive from 1.5 hours from Hervey Bay. 

 

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THINGS TO DO AND SEE

Copyright - http://blog.queensland.com

“Visitors can witness nesting and hatching turtles over the summer months on Mon Repos beach, on a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ranger guided turtle encounter.”

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This summer discover the world of Bundaberg Rum like never before. Book a tour today.

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Jasmin Geisel explores the coastal town of Bargara, near Bundaberg.

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Welcome to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, where the slightly cooler water temperatures, make way for some of the most visible snorkelling and diving on Queensland's 2300km World Heritage-listed icon. From colourful corals, tropical fish and mega-fauna like turtles, manta rays and reef sharks - watch this episode to see why it's worth donning your fins and snorkel mask to dive into the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

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For lots more great ideas on things to do and see, click below.

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About Prescript Recruitment

For more information, a great place to start is www.prescript.com.au

You'll find information about our locum and permanent recruitment services for doctors, hospitals and practices.  You'll also find links to our blogs, location reports and other resources.

1300 755 498 // contact@prescript.com.au

Coffs Harbour - Location Report

QUINTESSENTIAL COFFS HARBOUR

Coffs, as it’s known to the locals, is a modern, vibrant city, situated approximately half way between Sydney and Brisbane, right on the water on the Northern Coast of New South Wales. If you like a combination of natural beauty of country and coast, within a welcoming community, Coffs ticks the boxes. It can be a peaceful getaway, or a fun action-packed adventure, the choice is yours. The Things To Do In Coffs Harbour website offers a great overview and a positive, fun vibe along with beautiful photos.

If you have stuck to the capital cities within Australia, or just encountered Coffs while passing through, we encourage you to come, stop, stay a while and enjoy. It has a great deal to offer.

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NATURE’S PLAYGROUND

The best of land and sea come together in Coffs Harbour where you can walk the stunning national parks, whilst overlooking the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Nature reigns supreme here on the Central Coast of New South Wales. And there are activities to match every opportunity the natural environment offers.

Whale watching, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, surf rafting – the coastline is stunning here in Coffs Harbour. Whether you want a fully guided activity, or just a dip in the ocean at sunrise or during the long, warm days, you’ll not be disappointed.

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FOOD – THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE

Coffs offers a great selection of restaurants, cafes and bars to enjoy. From the fine dining modern Australian, to casual family diners through to the new healthy eating options that have popped up and are taking the coast by storm. The list on the below Trip Advisor link, gives some excellent choices and makes it easy to browse and select places that appeal to your specific wishes. Of course, being a seaside town, good old fish and chips, eaten on the beach, from the paper, salty and hot with only the seagulls to keep you company is perfection in this lovely environment.

LOCAL MARKETS

Fresh, local, seasonal. If you like to eat the best of food from the fertile surrounds of the Central Coast, you’re in luck in Coffs.  

The big one is Bellingen Markets, on the third Saturday of every month. Over 250 stall holders pop up to offer the best of fresh produce, artisan products, crafts, live music and lots of other family entertainment. Just half and hours drive south of Coffs, it’s a great day out.

Harbourside Markets, held every Sunday, beside the jetty right in Coffs is another great place to wander, eat, browse the wares made by talented locals.

This site gives you a comprehensive overview of all the markets in the region.

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GETTING TO COFFS HARBOUR

Being ideally located between Sydney and Brisbane, with many points of interest along the way, a road trip, stopping and settling in to Coffs Harbour is a great thing to do.

There are direct flights in to Coffs from Sydney and Melbourne too. In fact, Coffs Harbour Regional Airport is one of the largest and busiest regional airports in New South Wales. An easy hop - touch down and you’re there, no big-airport hassles, just a relaxed and welcoming new pace of life.

Coffs Harbour - NSW

USEFUL LINKS FOR PLANNING YOUR COFFS HARBOUR TRIP

Coffs Coast - Tourist Tips

Things To Do in Coffs Harbour

Bellingen Markets

Harbour-side Markets

Trip Advisor - Coffs Harbour Restaurants

 

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Interested to see Coffs Harbour for yourself?  Prescript has great locum & permanent opportunities in Coffs. Contact me at nicola@prescript.com.au or click on the 'Connect with Prescript' button below to request a call.

Adelaide - Location Report

QUINTESSENTIAL ADELAIDE

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Pike & Joyce Winery

The vastness of Australia offers a unique opportunity to become a tourist within the country when venturing to other states, cities and towns.  Incredible diversity of landscape, climate, culture and food can be found. Scale means we perhaps don’t know where to start when we’re looking at a few days somewhere and want to make the most of it.

Locals or those of you who have also explored Adelaide and South Australia, we would love to hear your recommendations. These can then be added in to help others next time they travel here.

BEST BREAKFASTS

We sampled a few – in the interests of sound research – and drew the conclusion that another few weekends at least, would be needed to thoroughly explore the wonderful, cafes, artisan coffee making, local food proponents and the general great vibe of the many places we whizzed by and added to the ‘next time’ list.

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Peel Street Kitchen

Seriously good coffee from a local roaster – Great start. Peel Street has a short, well-balanced breakfast menu written up on a small blackboard each day. Friendly, relaxed staff and a lovely, sunny situation with an industrial yet warm feel.

We sampled the ‘The Fry Up’ – which in fact, was delicately presented with the fried items – eggs, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes; expertly balanced by a generous salad of herbs and leaves in a zesty, preserved lemon dressing.

Of course, it’s always all about the ingredients and The Leg Ham Toastie was pretty perfect. The slabs of good sourdough, thickly sliced ham and quality mustard - then compressed and toasted to just the right crispness was savoury and satisfying.

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Perfect spot for a morning coffee meeting - Peel Street Kitchen

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Breakfast at Peel Street - Industrial feel with some Middle Eastern touches

Art Gallery Food + Wine

A very civilised place to go for breakfast, or lunch for that matter, is Art Gallery Food + Wine. Sitting in the lovely Adelaide University campus, as well as attached to the Art Gallery, it offers a tranquil place to sit and dine. Popular dishes for breakfast include the Persian Style Eggs and their list of "Morning Bevvies" are ideal when you need a good quality Bloody Mary with local Kangaroo Island vodka; or a Marmalade Martini which showcases locally made Settlers Gin from McLaren Vale in South Australia.

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BEST LUNCHES

Peel St Kitchen

Back to Peel Street we go – This place really is sensational. Consistent quality, generous, tasty, clean flavours and perfect service – relaxed yet efficient.

The menu is chalked up on the blackboard. The wine selection is carefully thought out and compliments the food. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Peel Street itself is a laneway that shares its namesake restaurant with a number of small bars, cafes and restaurants.

The flavours at the lovely Peel Street kitchen lean towards Asian and Middle Eastern and are perfectly balanced and put together with an artistic eye and a keen palate.

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Browsing the menu at Peel Street Kitchen

Good vibe at Peel St.

Fresh flavours and local wine at Peel Street Kitchen

Pike & Joyce Winery

In under an hour from the CBD, after a really scenic drive that winds up into the Adelaide Hills, we arrived at Pike & Joyce, one of the well established and beautifully situated wineries in the region.

The vista, out over the vines and the beautifully set tables set us up for what was certainly a wonderful lunch, accompanied of course with Pike & Joyce wine that we first selected in a tasting that is hosted within the restaurant by the friendly staff.  The emphasis is on good quality, local, seasonal produce, simply prepared and beautifully presented.

Scallops from Pike & Joyce - Perfect winery lunch

BEST SUNSET DRINK

Float up in the lift and emerge onto the rooftop of 2KW for an incredible view out over Adelaide and surrounds and a sunset drink and snack.

BEST DINNERS

Gin Long Canteen

Fun vibe, great Asian food delivered with flair by the efficient, friendly staff. Gin Long Canteen is packed but seems to just keep on delivering at high speed and top quality. We chose a selection of small and large plates to share and they were all delicious, generous and well presented.

Cocktails with a very fresh Asian twist; well-planned wine list, many of which are local.

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Gin Long Canteen

Sean’s Kitchen

Sean O’Connell has opened a restaurant/gourmet bistro, Sean's Kitchen, linked to the casino and right by the Conference Centre, river, CBD. The style is cool, stylish, yet casual enough to feel comfortable and relaxed. Something from the freshly shucked oyster bar is a great way to start an evening- paired with a fresh local white wine perhaps?

Sitting under the beautiful vaulted ceiling and taking in the general style is worth a visit in itself.

BEST LOCAL FOOD SHOPPING

Central Market

Bustling, full of produce and local products, this market is a must-visit during an Adelaide trip. It’s a practical, functional market that is large, utilized by locals for their daily shopping and very popular with tourists who can get a great taste and look at a whole lot of local food in one, under-cover venue.

The Market Shed on Holland Street

Sunday morning?  The Market Shed on Holland Street is the place to go if you like local food and produce. Small scale producers, artisan products; food to eat there and supplies to gather up and take home. Bliss for a food lover. Most of the food is organic and there are lots of healthy options as well as a few indulgences.

We tried a breakfast pizza, made fresh in the wood fired pizza oven. The coffee was great and a green juice seemed fitting to balance it all out.

Market Shed on Holland Street - Sunday morning essential visit

Breakfast Pizza at Market Shed on Holland Street

BEST PLACE TO STAY

We loved staying at The Mayfair Hotel, Adelaide’s newest 5 star, boutique hotel, perfectly situated in the CDB and appointed beautifully.  We felt very well looked after by the friendly, genuine staff.

We'd love to hear from you with any locations on your 'wishlist' for either working in as a locum or moving there permanently; or for a location guide that we can send out to give you a good feel for the local experiences on offer.

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If you are a doctor and would like to know more about living and and working in Adelaide then Prescript would be very happy to help.  Call 1300 755 498 or click the button below.

Shepparton, VIC - Location Report

QUINTESSENTIAL SHEPPARTON

“Laid-back ‘Shepp’ is the capital of the Goulburn Valley, where the Goulburn and Broken Rivers meet. ”

— Lonely Planet

GETTING THERE

By car from Melbourne - 2 hours 

By plane from Melbourne Airport - there is regional bus service connecting Shepparton to the airport.

 

THINGS TO DO AND SEE

Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton. Photo credit to @visitshepparton instagram

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If you are a doctor and would like to know more about living and and working in Shepparton then Prescript would be very happy to help.  Call 1300 755 498 or click the button below.

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Shepparton

Bunbury WA - Location Report

QUINTESSENTIAL BUNBURY

“The cosmopolitan city of Bunbury is renowned for its wild but friendly bottlenose dolphins which you can meet at the shoreline or out in the bay aboard a dolphin watching and swimming tour. It’s also the setting of many maritime legends and the northern gateway to Australia’s South West - one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, where world-class wine, pristine beaches and forests of timber giants can all be enjoyed in a single day.”

— Tourism - Western Australia

GETTING THERE

Bunbury is located on the stunning South West Coastline of Western Australia.

By flight – Perth airport receives regular flights from all over Australia. There is no connecting flight down to Bunbury, however Perth has plenty of options to get to Bunbury via hire car, rail or coach.

By rail - Bunbury is accessible by rail, with the Australind train departing from the Perth Railway station twice daily. The train takes around two hours and thirty minutes, stopping along the way at several towns located along the South-Western Highway.  Visit the Trans WA website www.transwa.wa.gov.au

By road – Bunbury is located just under a two-hire drive south of Perth CBD, the quickest route is to take the Kwinana Freeway, and this will become Forrest Highway. Follow the signs to Bunbury.

Take the scenic inland route from Perth, take the South-Western Highway which guides you inland from the suburb of Armadale, Pinjarra, Waroona, Harvey, Brunswick Junction then Bunbury.

 

Things to do and see

You’ll certainly be spoilt for choice, travel one hour in any direction and you will be captivated by the incredible biodiversity South West Australia has to offer. Stay local to explore the Tuart forest one of the rarest remaining forests in the world, or discover the unique ecosystem and marine life of Leschenault Estuary.

Margaret River Region

“Travel an hour south and immerse yourself in everything the world-famous Margaret River region has to offer”

— Tourism Australia

The Margaret River region is known around the world for its top-quality wines and food. While the region produces less than 3 per cent of Australia's wine, it accounts for more than a fifth of its premium wine. There are more than 120 world-class wineries to explore, including Flinders Bay Wines, Flying Fish Cove, and Evans & Tate, and opportunities to not only try fine wines, but get beyond the cellar doors. Among the many vineyard tours there are also tours that get you behind the scenes to meet winemakers, have a barrel room testing, and potentially even blend your own bottle of wine, coupled with a long lunch.

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If you are a doctor and would like to know more about living and working in Bunbury then Prescript would be very happy to help.  Call 1300 755 498 or click the button below.

CONTACT PRESCRIPT

Bunbury WA