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Participants to Australia 2005
Lauri, Mona & Pepple |
Mona Trumstedt is a social worker and psychotherapist from Stockholm, Sweden. She came to Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand in 2005, on a specially arranged exchange.
CIF-Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia, 29 August - 15 October 2005
I started with Australia. I travelled to Brisbane, in Queensland, on the east coast. Brisbane is a modern town with go-ahead-spirit and a developed economic life. The population is growing with a prosperous future.
I was met by Lauri, a CIF member, who had been to a CIF exchange program in Vienna during the spring. I was really tired after my journey, so I immediately fell asleep. After some hours I was awakened by someone who knocked on the door. It was Pepple, who arrived from Adelaide. She arrived by airplane to meet me. We became friends and we spent three days touring the area and having discussions.
Ferry pier at The University of Queensland |
Next it was time to start my study practice. Pepple went home, and I moved to Sue and Ian's. Sue is a chief of social workers at a big hospital in Brisbane. She organized a week's practice at the health centre of Brisbane. I went to see both centre and community based health services guided by social workers at the field. I was specially impressed by the geriatric ward, which I found functioned at a high level.
The second week I spent at the country. Denise, a CIF member, drove me to Murwillumbah in the province of New South Wales. The travel took 5-6 hours. The landscape was beautiful, with green hills and fantastic fauna. I arrived at the farm of Sue and Les, outside the town. It was fabulous to stay with them. I enjoyed the landscape and its fauna. Sue works as a social worker at a childcare centre. She had organized a program for me at the hospital of Murwillumbah.
 Mona visiting the The University of Queensland |
Then it was on to Auckland, New Zealand. The journey took three hours by plane. I was met at the airport by Megan, chief social worker at the department of social work, in the hospital of Auckland. I was stationed there for all my three weeks, which I felt as a relief after all that travelling! Sarah, the president of CIFAoteoroa/New Zealand and Australia, and Megan had planned my program, which also included visits to a childcare centre, open ward communities for mentally retarded and physically disabled children, and adult psychiatry open ward services.
I was very impressed by the culture; how the Maori people were fit in the society also by legislation. I was also very impressed by its beautiful nature with all its varieties of mountains, fjords, and rainforest all very close to each other.
It was a great experience for me to meet social workers of Australia and New Zealand. The hospitality was enormous, and I will always remember my fantastic stay in these two very interesting and diversified countries. I really can recommend the trip!
22 August 2006
Mona Trumstedt