Caring for Cobar on a 457 visa

Palliative care nursing has taken Caroline Manyathi on an emotional rollercoaster all the way from South Africa to rural NSW.

Her challenging job has nonetheless delivered some rich rewards along the way, according to the committed and passionate nurse.

‘There's a lot of loss but it is also rewarding because you do so much for a person,’ Caroline said. ‘When I go home, I know I've made a difference in their life.

‘The families also really appreciate the work we do as well. Often a family will come up to me and say "thank you for doing so much", and that means the world to me – but it does make it hard to distance yourself sometimes.’

In 2006, Caroline applied for a subclass 457 temporary skilled visa and moved to the rural NSW town of Cobar, bringing her husband, Noel, and their twin girls, Chenne'h and Tenneh, who are now aged 10.

Over the past four years, Caroline has become an invaluable member of the Cobar community, relishing the opportunity to help address the shortage of palliative care nurses in the small town.

‘My colleagues are amazing and I've made a lot of local friends,’ Caroline said. ‘I've never felt like an outsider in Australia. Even when I first got here there were all these friendly people – strangers – who welcomed us by always chatting and laughing. They made my family and I feel at home.

‘I am also lucky because two of the doctors here, as well as one of my patients, are from South Africa. I get to speak my home language, Afrikaans, in the outback. It can't get any better than that.’

Growing up in a strictly religious family, Caroline said she, her brother and two sisters, were ‘not well off, but we were well cared for’.

‘Both my father and my brother were pastors, my mother was a housewife, and my sisters and I all went into nursing.’

Caroline then forged her own path into palliative care, saying the demands of her job soon influenced her life in a number of ways.

‘It influenced my practising of religion because as a nurse you can't say ‘I'm not going to work on a Saturday’. Then my work took me away from South Africa to Cobar.’

But Caroline doesn't regret the move at all, saying the town has been wonderful for her and her family.

‘I have had a great time here,’ Caroline said. ‘It's been an amazing experience. That's the best way to describe it – a life experience.’

Caroline said that living in Cobar brought with it some challenges, however, especially when in need of specialised medical care.

‘We experienced this recently when we had to take the girls to an ear, nose and throat specialist 300 kilometres away,’ she said. ‘Fortunately our employers are very supportive and gave us time off to be able to accompany the girls.’

As for the girls, Caroline said they've enjoyed moving to Cobar even more than she has.

‘They love it in Cobar,’ Caroline said. ‘I once joked to them about going back to South Africa and they said "you can go, but we're staying here!".’

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