Anne Marie Black
Pharmacist, Cairns Hospital
"There are too many positive life changes since moving from the UK. We can pick up the kids and head straight to the beach every day".
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Location: 1,629km north of Brisbane, 83km south of Cairns, 262km north of Townsville
Innisfail is a large country town situated on the junction of the North and South Johnstone Rivers in Far North Queensland. Industries include sugar, tea, bananas, pawpaws, exotic tropical fruits and aquaculture. The townspeople of Innisfail are as colourful as the local endangered cassowary with Italian, Aboriginal, Greek, Indian and East Asian ethnicities represented in the community. Surrounded by the natural beauty of world heritage listed rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, Innisfail offers a tranquil and relaxed lifestyle.
The Innisfail Hospital’s $42.3 million redevelopment was complete in 2008. Old, outdated buildings were demolished and replaced by a new two level facility with 49 beds and support services.
The hospital provides 24 hour accident and emergency care, high dependency care, aged care, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs services, chemotherapy, community health, general medical/surgical services including paediatrics, chronic disease management, obstetrics and gynaecology, oral health, outpatients services, palliative care, rehabilitation and renal dialysis services. Innisfail Hospital also has 2 operating theatres which run 3 days per week performing day surgery cases and endoscopy procedures.
Mental health services provided by the hospital include adult, child & youth and Indigenous services.
The hospital also provides allied health services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, radiography, pharmacy, speech pathology and dietician services.
Clinics available include anaesthetics, antenatal, diabetes foot clinic, dressings, internal medicine and wound management clinics.
Visiting specialist services include a chest clinic, endoscopy, general medicine, general surgery, haematology, medical oncology, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedic, paediatrics and renal services.
Innisfail is a friendly and thriving township renowned for its sugar and banana industries, and is fast becoming the service centre for the region between Townsville and Cairns. It has access to all major services including banks, retail outlets and chain stores, modern telecommunications, sporting and community organisations, and education facilities.
Innisfail experiences a tropical rainforest climate and is one of Australia’s wettest towns. Humid and warm weather is common during the summer months or
‘wet season’, and unlike most of tropical Australia, the ‘dry season’ or winter months are not completely dry as easterly winds bring frequent showers.
Innisfail is a multicultural town. There are a number of events that take place annually to celebrate the cultural diversity within the community, such as the Festival Innisfail, Feast of the Senses, Kulture Karnival and Feast of the Three Saints. These events are popular amongst the locals and attract crowds from across the region.
Any of the national parks in the area will become your recreational stomping ground. From Ella Bay National Park ‘where the rainforest meets the sea’ to the Wooroonooran National Park with its flocks of endangered cassowaries, these parks are excellent locations for fishing, swimming, hiking, bird-watching and photography. If you are looking for a laid-back lifestyle in the tropics, with access
to city conveniences, Innisfail is the place for you!
Explore the local eco-friendly tourist attraction Paronella Park, this multi award winning heritage listed site is a short drive south west of Innisfail. Paronella Park was built by Jose Paronella, a Spanish immigrant, in the 1930s as a tribute to his wife. Paronella Park is a collection of stunning buildings, castle like in appearance surrounded by incredible lush tropical gardens, overlooking the Mena Creek waterfalls. Most of the buildings are in a state of semi ruin after decades of ravaging floods and fires, but there is a truly magical feeling to Paronella Park. The current owners have made it a welcoming place with well maintained picnic areas and guided walks through the gardens.
Services
Sporting & Recreation
Queensland Health facility address
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