+61 2 4924 8000
“Rolling hills, canola fields and wild brumbies”: Third and final Go Rural trip for 2025 a “picture perfect” experience!
02nd October 2025
The third and final Go Rural road trip for 2025 took 20 enthusiastic health care students from Sydney to the NSW south coast and then over the ranges to the inland Murrumbidgee region. Hosted by RDN and funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the four-day immersive journey showcased the beauty and professional potential of a rural healthcare career and lifestyle.
The intrepid travellers were taken through Nowra, Batemans Bay, Moruya and Bega on the south coast, before journeying up to Cooma and over to Tumut, Cootamundra, Junee, and Wagga Wagga, enjoying behind the scenes access to local health services, community life and the unique opportunities available outside metropolitan areas.
An immersive rural health experience
The Go Rural program is designed to inspire students, particularly those from metropolitan backgrounds, towards a rewarding career in rural health. Open to all disciplines, the trip gives medical, nursing and allied health students firsthand insight into rural practice, community and lifestyle.
"This Go Rural trip offered students the chance to explore health services across Southern NSW Local Health District and see the variety of roles available in rural communities,” said Kerryn Maher, Director Allied Health, Workforce & Strategy at Southern NSW Local Health District. “By meeting local staff and experiencing life in these regions, students gain a real sense of the impact they can have as part of a rural health team."
"Initiatives like this are essential for growing our allied health workforce, ensuring Southern communities continue to have access to skilled, dedicated health professionals," Kerryn said.
Warm welcomes on the south coast
Katungal Aboriginal Medical Corporation in Batemans Bay kicked off the tour, welcoming students to their facilities for a tour and Q&A session. In Moruya, students enjoyed a riverside picnic with Member for Bega and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Dr Michael Holland MP, before touring Moruya Hospital and Health Service. Brighter Beginnings Eurobodalla also facilitated a Q&A session and introduced students to some local clinicians and Local Connectors from The Welcome Experience, before continuing on to South East Regional Hospital in Bega.
“I was delighted to welcome the next generation of healthcare professionals to the South Coast,” Dr Holland said.
“With the new Eurobodalla Regional Hospital under construction and investment in health across our region, this is a pivotal moment to showcase the opportunities rural medicine can offer. I hope the students will see not only the challenges but also the immense rewards of practicing in regional communities and be inspired to consider a future with us in rural and regional healthcare.”
Into the high country
Leaving behind the dairy farms and pristine beaches of the south coast, the tour then headed up the escarpment and inland to Cooma, the “Gateway to the Snowy Mountains”, passing carloads of spring skiers heading for the nearby resorts.
After a visit to Cooma Hospital, it was “upward ever upward” along one of Australia’s highest scenic roads – the Snowy Mountains Highway – passing Adaminaby’s “Big Trout”, advertising the delights of local fishing, and encountering a mob of wild brumbies near Kiandra and the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee River.
The spectacular highway then steeply descended to Talbingo and the mighty Blowering Reservoir, where the tourists could marvel out the window at the work of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, before arriving at Tumut, on the western side of the ranges, for a visit to Tumut Health Service, and dinner at Tumut River Brewing Co.
Inspiring the future rural workforce
“Before the trip, I subconsciously thought that I would be limited in some shape or form,” said Doctor of Medicine student at the University of Wollongong, William Woolfe. “But the Go Rural trip exposed me to a wide range of challenging jobs, beautiful towns, food, restaurants and interesting people and opportunities for my future family. I found places I would definitely live and have a family.”
He added, “My absolute favourite moments of the trip were spending time at local restaurants and going on small runs around the towns we stayed at… my biggest goal was to experience what life beyond work would feel like in these places. I feel like I was able to achieve that with the program.”
Beyond the clinic: life in the country
Rural life was the theme of day three as students went off road, heading to the farm of the one and only Pocket Psychologist (aka Millie Hardie) in Cootamundra!
With a symphony of bleating sheep, working dogs and a backdrop of rolling hills, Millie shared her journey into rural psychology and how she delivers mental health services through her remote business.
Students then travelled to Junee Multi-Purpose Service for a tour, topped off with lunch and sweet treats from the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory!
Culture and connection in Wagga Wagga
Mark Saddler, a warm friend of RDN and proud Wiradjuri man, welcomed students to Wagga Wagga for a cultural tour at Wagga Wagga beach on the Murrumbidgee River, well downstream from its snowy headwaters. Mark has been a welcoming support for students as they travel the region, keen to share the rich culture of his ancient country through his deep connection with the land.
For Melanie Day, Bachelor of Speech Pathology student, the experience was a standout.
“The cultural experience with Mark Saddler provided insight into how to better connect with Indigenous peoples as a healthcare worker.”
A fresh perspective
“The Go Rural program allows students who may have limited exposure to rural or remote communities to experience them firsthand, and speak with those who live and work in these communities,” said RDN’s Future Workforce Program Lead Sam Zelinski.
“I think a lot of students are aware that there are challenges to working in a rural setting, but most are often surprised by the numerous benefits which come from a career in these smaller communities. It’s always a privilege to watch as students have their perceptions challenged and minds changed, and see the enthusiasm they walk away with.”
Some of the best highlights?
The views out of the bus window!
For Melanie it was the “dusky sunset over majestic mountains encircling Tumut” and “the sweeping coastline travelling south to Batemans Bay and Moruya; picture perfect, offering an enticing blend of work and leisure.”
For William, it was the “rolling hills, canola fields and wild brumbies.”
And for Doctor of Medicine student Amy Whelan?
“The canola fields! I have never seen anything so bright. It is a golden yellow that I cannot describe, you just have to see for yourself!".
Read more: