Living through a global pandemic in Central London didn’t rattle social worker Audra Plant — but spotting a dead snake on the road in Mackay certainly did.
“I had to pull over and calm myself down,” she said. “I was shaking. It completely threw me!”
Audra joined Mackay Base Hospital’s social work team in January 2025, swapping chilly London for the tropical heat of regional Queensland.
It was a big change in more ways than one. From navigating the fast-paced corridors of some of London’s biggest and busiest hospitals, such as St Thomas’, St Mary’s, Royal Free and University College Hospital, to now enjoying a two-minute commute to work and weekend walks along the beautiful Mackay Harbour breakwater.
“It’s been a massive change of pace,” she said. “London was incredible, but life here feels more balanced,” she said
“I love the sunshine, the beaches and being ‘next door’ to my family in New Zealand. But I don’t love the (dangerous) Australian animals!”
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in New Zealand, Audra has been a hospital social worker for many years, her career having taken her across continents. She worked in hospitals in Palmerston North in New Zealand before heading to the UK to work with patients from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds.
“That diversity teaches you so much about empathy and human resilience.”
During her five years with the NHS, Audra also faced the enormous challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I moved to London in October and then by February, we were in full lockdown – it was intense and quite scary,” she said.
“Working 12-hour days, the constant pressure to discharge patients quickly and so much uncertainty.
“But it was an experience that helped me grow professionally and personally. I learned to adapt, to be confident in my decisions and how to relate to and support people through the toughest times.”
At Mackay Base Hospital, Audra works with inpatients and their families, helping them navigate the healthcare system, plan for discharge and connect with community resources.
“As a social worker, my role is about supporting people emotionally and practically — I advocate for them and help them make sense of what’s happening and ensure they leave hospital safely,” she said.
“In the UK, my work was really focused on discharge planning. Here, the work is a lot broader so it’s a chance to extend my skills and experience.
“Social work skills are very transferable. I think the work and the resources are always very, very challenging and the policies and processes can make it quite complex, but the impact you can have on your patients is what really makes it worthwhile,” she said.
While many aspects of hospital social work are universal, she’s has noticed differences in community supports between the UK and Australia.
“In London there were more services available to help people live independently at home,” she said.
“Here, resources can be limited, which sometimes means longer hospital stays. But we work closely with our allied health colleagues, including OTs, physios and psychologists, to make sure every patient gets the best possible care.”
Outside of work, Audra is embracing life in regional Queensland. She’s looking forward to her first Christmas with her family in six years - her brother and father will visit from New Zealand and her older sister is now living in Mackay.
She admits the hardest part of moving to Australia had been “all the dangerous animals”.
A second move to another new country had really pushed her out of her comfort zone.
“Everyone that I've met here is really friendly and another reason I love working here in the HHS here is because you get to meet and work closely with so many different disciplines and professionals,” she said.
“Every day, I meet patients from all walks of life and hear their stories. That’s what makes this job special - being there for people on their hardest days and helping make things just a little easier.”
Just don’t ask her to get too close to any snakes.