In this Auckland location guide, we highlight the unique benefits of the area and its facilities, outlining the opportunities available to our doctors. This location is part of a wider series that showcases what it is like to work in a specific region in either Australia or New Zealand.
Auckland, New Zealand
As New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland is home to approximately one–third of the country’s total population and is renowned for the diversity of its offerings – whether you’re a fan of urban delights or natural wonders, Auckland has plenty to keep you busy.
Shopping and dining enthusiasts will enjoy world-class retail precincts offering a variety of boutique and designer stores, along with an array of tantalising restaurants and bars scattered across the city. Auckland’s major landmark, the Sky Tower, provides everything from fine dining to bungy jumping and is famous as the tallest man-made structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Auckland is also a hub for entertainment, hosting numerous live music and performing arts events throughout the year. The Civic Theatre, a heritage venue built–in 1929, was the first purpose-built cinema for ‘talkies’ in the country and is beloved for its architectural style and unique ceiling design featuring a recreation of a starry night sky.
For history buffs, Auckland has a range of heritage sites, including the picturesque seaside suburb of Devonport, which is just a leisurely 12-minute ferry ride from the CBD. The Auckland War Memorial Museum is another key fixture, and serves as a memorial site for war casualties as well as holding some of New Zealand’s most important historic artifacts and treasures, along with an extensive Maori and Pacific Island collection. Additionally, the Auckland Art Gallery is the country’s largest art institution and features over 15,000 works from New Zealand, the Pacific and overseas.
If you love nature and wildlife, there are many picturesque landscapes, mountains, volcanoes beaches and reserves in and around Auckland. Local favourites include the tranquil vineyards and shores of Waiheke Island, the black sand and rugged scenery of Piha Beach and the unspoiled forests of Tiritiri Matangi Island, a wildlife sanctuary for endangered native birds and reptiles.
Waitemata DHB, Auckland DHB & Counties Manukau DHB
The Auckland Region is home to three large district health boards that have numerous public and private hospitals within them.
The Waitemata DHB in northern Auckland has a catchment population of 560,000 and includes both the North Shore Hospital and the Waitakere Hospital, with a total of 1,097 beds spanning ICU, Emergency, Diagnostics, Cardiac, Renal, Oncology, Surgical and Mental Health services. Waitemata DHB is connected with the Auckland University Medical School to promote innovation and research, and collaborates with the other two DHBs to enhance the integration of hospital–based systems and improve patient outcomes.
At the opposite end of the city sits the Counties Manukau DHB, which covers Middlemore Hospital and Manukau Super Clinic & Surgery Centre. A wide selection of general and subspecialty services are provided across these two facilities, including General, Orthopaedic, Vascular, Plastic, ORL, Paediatric, Obstetric and Mental Health inpatient and outpatient services, with around 900 beds available. Middlemore Hospital’s plastic surgery service is the home of the National Burns Unit, which serves the whole of New Zealand as well as some Pacific Islands.
Lastly, Auckland DHB is the country’s fourth–largest DHB in terms of budget and covers roughly 10% of the total population. Auckland City Hospital is New Zealand’s largest public hospital and clinical research facility which, in conjunction with Starship Children’s Hospital, accommodates approximately 1,000 beds and employs around 10,000 staff, 20% of which are medical.
Auckland City Hospital offers a huge variety of specialties, including Emergency, General Medicine, Neonatal Intensive Care, High–Risk Obstetrics, Surgical Services, Cardiothoracic Surgery and Intensive Care Unit, Trauma Service, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Radiology, Children’s Intensive Care Unit, Lung, Liver and Renal Transplants, and Psychiatry.
Summary
Whether your preference is for dining and entertainment, history and culture or beaches and wildlife, you’ll find it all in Auckland, complemented by an extensive range of opportunities for every medical specialty.
To learn more about the region and any potential locum and permanent opportunities, please contact the team today.
