Rural move opens world of adventure
Nikkilyn Craig, Mount Isa CSSC team leader.
Camel races, sleeping in swags and driving one and a half hours to the nearest town are all just part of every day life for Mount Isa Team Leader Nikkilyn Craig.
In this article, Nikkilyn talks about her adventure of moving from Brisbane to Mount Isa, the challenges of working in a remote area and her passion for her new home town.
"I arrived in Mount Isa on 1 July 2001 to be greeted with open space and spinifex - tall, spindly, spiky grass.
On my first Sunday in Mount Isa I walked into town and my first thought was that I had travelled back in time, as nothing was open and the town was quiet and there was little traffic.
But before long, what I had really found in Mount Isa was the adventure of my life.
The adventure started straight away in July. July is the start of the social calendar in Mount Isa.
My first social outing was with work colleagues to the famous Boulia Camel races.
At the races, I watched camels racing, slept in a swag by a fire, froze in the desert winter and met many interesting people from all walks of life. After that, every weekend there were rodeos and events to attend and new people to meet.
Mount Isa has changed a great deal in the five years that I have resided here. It is no longer a time warp back to the 1970s - businesses are booming and there are so many opportunities and jobs just waiting for people to take them up.
Mount Isa has everything that is in the city, just on a lesser scale without the congestion and stress.
My educational background is in counselling, early childhood teaching and family therapy.
When I started at the Mount Isa Child Safety Service Centre (CSSC), I was assigned to the Remote Team as a Family Service Officer (FSO).
As a FSO, I travelled extensively from Mornington Island to Richmond, Julia Creek, Bedourie, Boulia, Dajarra, Normanton, Karumba and Cloncurry. The position involved undertaking general work including intake, investigations, casework, juvenile justice matters, attending court and placing children with supporting carers.
The travel around Queensland's large geographical area, as serviced by the Mount Isa CSSC, brings excitement and challenges. To get to Mornington Island it is a two hour flight in a small plane, to get to Normanton it is a seven hour drive and the closest area to Mount Isa, Cloncurry, is an hour and a half of driving away.
One challenge faced every year is the wet season. Starting in November and sometimes continuing into March, the areas north of Mount Isa experience heavy rain. Small towns in this area are then isolated and food is brought in by plane as vehicles cannot access them.
The areas surrounding Mount Isa, while remote, are filled with beauty and cultural significance. Mount Isa also has a tremendous feeling of community spirit.
I am currently employed as a Team Leader and have many wonderful memories of the families that I worked with during my time as a FSO in the many communities that the Mount Isa CSSC services.
While working at the Mount Isa CSSC I have had the opportunity to experience all aspects of child protection work. As well as being a FSO, my work has ranged from being part of the Region Relief program for the Northern Zone, a Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Coordinator, and a Project Officer for investigation and assessment. I am also currently a Peer Support Officer.
As a Team Leader I enjoy the achievement of facilitating the learning of new staff as well as my own continuous learning.
This is an exciting time for the Mount Isa CSSC as it has split into two offices and there is a new CSSC that will focus entirely on the Gulf communities.
Anyone wanting to work closely with small communities, Indigenous people and reside in a safe relaxed town with lots of water and no traffic jams could not come to a better place.
I am married to a wonderful man who I met in an area outside of Mount Isa on a weekend event and now have two children. I plan to stay in Mount Isa for some time and continue working for the Department of Child Safety.
I am passionate about child protection work and I am passionate about my new home town - the town for me that has been a town of adventure and a fulfilling life and lifestyle.
For me, the rewards of residing and working in an outback town far outweigh the challenges."
- Last updated
- 5 February 2007