Bush Trust Medical Centre requires a General Practitioner to work 6 – 10 sessions per week. There is no on call with this position.
Pahiatua, population 2,500, is located on State Highway 2, almost midway between Wellington City and Hawke’s Bay. Its central inland location means lower North Island attractions are easily accessible. Palmerston North International Airport is 40 minutes drive away, the capital city of Wellington is two hours and the vineyards and wineries of the Wairarapa are just over an hour’s drive. Ski enthusiasts can be at Mt Ruapehu within approximately three hours.
Located on a fertile river valley boarded by the Tararua and Puketoi Ranges, Pahiatua is a trade and servicing centre for the surrounding rural district. Principal local industries include dairying and sheep farming.
The town is also popular for it's Tui brewery (pictured left). Henry Wagstaff opened the Tui brewery at Mangatainoka in 1889, attracted by the water of the Mangatainoka River. In 1903 he sold it to Henry Cowan, who developed the prize-winning East India Pale Ale. As the factory expanded, a seven-storey brew tower was built in 1931, so brewers could use gravity to turn malt into beer. Oddly, the builders forgot to put in a lift and stairs, a problem later rectified.
In 1969 the brewery was sold to Dominion Breweries, which expanded the business outside its traditional Wairarapa–Hawke’s Bay base. Tui’s humorous ‘Yeah right’ marketing campaign, started in the 1990s, has become a huge success. The tower is no longer used, but is a registered historic place.
The town offers excellent services, including three primary schools and a college all within walking distance of the town centre. Nearly all items can be purchased locally, with four cities for further options, each achievable in a day trip. There are many sporting venues and activities around Pahiatua, including a picturesque 18-hole golf course approximately five kilometres from town. Pahiatua boasts an active repertory company and has its own movie theatre.
Approximately two kilometres south of Pahiatua is the Polish Memorial marking the site of the Polish Children’s Camp established in 1944. This site was originally the home of 733 refugee children from Poland until the camp closed in 1952. Although these children were supposedly in New Zealand on a short visit, the New Zealand Government gave the children permanent residency and many became New Zealand citizens.
The rivers around Pahiatua, all 200 kilometres of them, are renowned for some of the best brown trout in New Zealand. Wild pigs and deer in the ranges around Pahiatua offer opportunities for hunters and there are many bush walks for tramping and hiking. Hot air ballooning can also be enjoyed locally. For the conservation-minded there is nearby Pukaha Mt Bruce. This is the National Wildlife Centre for the conservation of some of New Zealand’s most endangered wildlife. It is also an award-winning eco-tourism destination and centre for environmental education.
Pahiatua itself is a popular traveller’s stop, with numerous shops and cafes lining the town’s very wide main street – nearly 100 metres. Provision was made in the town’s original design for the railway to pass down the centre of the main street. However, the line was laid to the west and the area reserved for the railway was subsequently turned into lawns and gardens. Many private residences also have meticulously kept gardens, which are open to the public. The population is friendly and unified.
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Pahiatua, population 2,500, is located on State Highway 2, almost midway between Wellington City and Hawke’s Bay. Its central inland location means lower North Island attractions are easily accessible. Palmerston North International Airport is 40 minutes drive away, the capital city of Wellington is two hours and the vineyards and wineries of the Wairarapa are just over an hour’s drive. Ski enthusiasts can be at Mt Ruapehu within approximately three hours.