TOP END TOES

 gertie goes out bush

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“We’re on domestic violence lockdown”

The first words spoken to us when we arrived at the clinic this morning. You bet we hustled through the doors quick sticks before they were locked.

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“Have you got any rose bushes? It’s supposed to be good to put on roses”

Apparently haemoglobin works wonders on a rose bush. According to the green thumbs in the staff meeting this morning

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FYI, the 3cm nail growth was a gross understatement 🤦🏼‍♀️

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Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder ❤️

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Today’s office 🤙🏼

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How to frog-proof your donga. A hot tip I learnt the hard way when a pesky little frog climbed up the drain once, in the time it took me to turn away from the shower.

Now, I flood the place by blocking the drain at all times, including mid shower, to make sure I’m safe from all creatures jumping and slimy.

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“It’s that tree behind the meat freezer”

A patient explaining to me where he gets his bush medicine from for his wound care. The meat freezer is the clinic’s morgue.

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“Oh I forgot to tell the nurse I’m constipated!”

Old mate giving me too much information mid-consult

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“But you can’t refreeze meat!”

Bush humour to lighten a dark day in community. The morgue temperature gauge has been playing up (thankfully with no one currently in it) but a body is due back to community today. Cue dark humour in the morning meeting, as the clinic worked out how to make sure the morgue stays cold enough.

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Tiny community time 🦶🏼

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Storms brewing over the ocean, off the coast of a rural community in the top end.

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View from the top 🌳

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Feels like Vanuatu!

Said by an overexcited RN as the doors opened to the plane after landing out bush. Clearly she has yet to have the excitement of bush trips beaten out of her

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Spotto rainbow 🌈

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This is what an isolated shower truly looks like. Nothing better than when you’re driving in the top end and you see a grey storm cloud ahead. You can drive straight through a rain cloud to sunshine on the other side- sometimes it’s blink and you’ll miss it rain. In flying lawnmowers, however, they’re the devil and make for a bumpy flight home

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Yeah she is! I’m back guys. Again. My job up north is similar to John Farnham’s final tour- like the great man himself I just keep on popping back up for one more show. This time I think I’ll stick around though, frogs permitting.

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That’s a Wrap! (again)

For the second time, that’s all folks! Three short weeks back out bush have come to an end, meaning Top End Toes will be dormant again, while I continue gallivanting around UK and Europe. Hope you enjoyed the resurrection of my little blog- I started posting my stories as a way to remember all the crazy stuff that has happened to me during work hours- I’m just lucky people find my work life entertaining. Until next time, much love (and zero frogs) 💋