Dargaville Medical Centre Partnership, a well-supported rural general practice based at Dargaville Hospital, is looking for 2 General Practitioners/Family Practitioners to join as an associate or on a long-term basis.
As the main service centre and 'heart' of the Kauri Coast, Dargaville is an ideal base to explore the region's magnificent and unspoiled surroundings. Here you'll find the world's largest specimens of kauri tree, protected kiwi in a natural ecosystem, and numerous lakes and beaches a short distance away by car. One of these, Ripiro Beach, is New Zealand's longest drivable beach at 100 kilometres long. With Dargaville itself geographically defined by the Northern Wairoa River, the longest navigable river in New Zealand, it's hardly surprising water sports are popular with both locals and tourists to the region.
An abundance of seafood, including shellfish, makes fishing a popular activity. Jetboating, four-wheel driving and horse trekking are among the many adventurous activities on offer. The climate is sub-tropical, and warm summers and mild winters mean many of these activities can be enjoyed year-round.
Dargaville's history is fascinating, and there are reminders of this in the numerous preserved heritage buildings and museums. Originally a timber town, processing kauri gum as well as timber, farming and in particular dairying is now the primary source of income for the district. Also known as the "Kumara Capital of New Zealand", two-thirds of the country's kumara, or sweet potato, are produced here.
The town's population is approximately 5,000, with a further 8,000 in the surrounding district. About 25 percent of the population is Maori and much community consultation is carried out on marae, or meeting houses, with several trusts and community groups established to look after the specific needs of the local population.
The town is well-catered for with services, banks and shops, and Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist churches all represented. There is a local kindergarten, choice of primary schools, intermediate and high school (Dargaville High School). Rugby, tennis, bowls, badminton and golf can all be played locally and the town has a public swimming pool.
Whangarei is the closest city, (56 kilometres away) and Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is only two and a half hours drive away. Northland Polytechnic offers a wide-range of tertiary level courses from its Whangarei campus.
For further information about this location, please refer to:
www.ero.govt.nz for an official performance evaluation of each New Zealand school
www.igrin.co.nz for information about Dargaville High School
www.kauricoast.co.nz for information on local attractions as well as Dargaville itself
www.northland.ac.nz provides detail on the courses available through Northland Polytechnic
www.stats.govt.nz (statistics by area/community profiles/alphabetical list/d/Dargaville) for statistical information about the population of Dargaville
The information on these pages was accurate at the time of listing. As some detail may have since changed, NZLocums recommends the information be used as a guideline only.
