Boston Bay Family Health Practice

11/03/2026

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS…

It never ceases to amaze me how two (or more) people can go to the same place.. listen to the same music.. sit in the same seats… and have a completely different experience!!

Let's fill in the details. Thursday night we had the pleasure of going to the Ed Sheeran Concert. Some people maybe a little cranky with me when I say I really was only there because I had a Conference the following day..

Sally and JR made a special trip just for the conference. Die-hard fans, they've done 3 of his 4 Adelaide concerts over the years. Massive efforts as each of those - 2018, 2023, 2026 - required the cap-in-hand request of Nan and Pop to look after the kids, hence why I hadn't been before.

Special mention to Pop, who managed 4 kids single handedly for the night - much to the kids delight!! Wendy's, lollies, iPads!! Pop is not stingy with the treats!!

Anyway, great concert!! We're walking back over the bridge - How much do you love the Bridge!! Consider me strange but you walk that bridge with 50,000 other concert goers or footy fans. The greatest sense of community ever experienced.

I digress.. but it's all in the spirit of the evening. Wandering back over the bridge and we start chatting about the concert. I really enjoyed the technical aspects of it. The way he uses the loop recorder to layer a dozen tracks. In our day, a one man band had a guitar, a harmonica and a foot drum. Nowadays Ed uses the loop and a single guitar to run a dozen backing tracks before he starts singing.

Then the computer imagery and technics. A really amazing job backing some really amazing music.

I get this stunned look. “Are you kidding me” says Sal “you go to an Ed Sheeran concert and all you can talk about is the technical aspects!?!”

Well now, don't get me wrong. It's great music and he's a nice bloke. How unassuming is he!?! This musical genius wandering around the stage in jeans and a t-shirt!! And humble!! Thank you all for coming, I know how hard it is to organise the flights, the travel, the hotel, the transport - all to get 60,000 people in one spot at one time. So freaking normal! And that would have to be the greatest compliment you can ever pay a superstar.

But, you know, concerts are about memories. Not the memories of that specific night, but memories of youth, parties, enjoyment, attraction. It's why so many bands still pull massive crowds decades after their heyday.

Don't get me wrong, many of them are also musical geniuses. But I go to see Rod Stewart (still the best Concert of all time) and Bjorn Again (a friggin close second), Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, 10CC (if you ask me who they are I'll throw something at you!) for a reminder of what was.

Angels and Jimmy Barnes even more so. I am reminded of my youth. The good and the bad, the emotion, the highs, the lows. The Angels were the first band I ever saw live - electric!! And the experience only heightened by the illicitness of being under age.

Ed and I don't have that history. I have massive respect for his music, his ethos, his persona.. but he's a bit young for me to have created memories with. Sal and JR have that connection, that emotion. The concert for them is far different than for me.

And as I'm lying in bed that night I get to thinking Ed doesn't do a much different job to what I and my colleagues do, the consumate Rural GP (They call us Rural Generalists these days), multiple skills layering over and over on each other - Obstetrics, Anaesthetics, Emergency, General Practice. A strange parallel but very accurate - we are one man bands in our own right, but as we said last chat, all with a cast of thousands working with us. My team is Nurses, Admin, Allied Health. Ed’s team are the occasional collaborative band, the technical and sound people… and the thousands of clean up staff after the concert.

We sat around for a while to allow the rush to head off, but we still got caught like sardines on the Bridge - all part of the fun.

But sitting there watching the crew take down the stage, the oval team clean up the bottles - almost a straight line as they just swept a skip load of bottles back into a pile. Resetting the Oval to its pristine state and famous turf condition. All for sake of our enjoyment. Not just the concert but cricket last month; next week’s footy.

Like I mentioned last post, the unsung heroes in health care are the garbage collection experts. And the Unsung heroes at an Ed Sheeran concert are the Oval staff - no doubt about it. I, and I hope, 60,000 other South Australians say thank you for making it possible, thank you for helping us make memories that will last for decades.

Anyway.. back to work. Back to the Conference. Have a great week people
Dr Kris ###

Photo Credit: Mark Surridge
Ed Sheeran Tour Gallery ✨

01/03/2026

DREAM..

Last night I had a dream. I was riding a motor cycle.. Actually, to me that's more of a nightmare than a dream. I would have only been on a MC a couple times in my life.. a few times on the farm maybe. It's not something I seek out! I don't know why. The idea of sitting on top of a bike going 100km an hour with no car walls to protect me doesn't really appeal. In fact, it ranks up there with bungy jumping and skydiving as my three most non-desired activities. And I don't know about you, but my body goes tense and my heart rate increases just thinking of them - did you know your brain doesn't know the difference between an imagined event and the real thing - that's why your body responds the same either way!

But anyway.. back to my dream. There I am astride a massive great Harley Davidson. Not just a little bike. One of those huge great open road bikes that rumbles - you know that deep, throaty, powerful sound they make?

So clear in my mind, like the rest of this dream. Some dreams flit in and are gone within seconds - “I know I had a dream but what was it”.. some leave floating wisps of images or ideas.. but some, like last night, are stamped indelibly in your memory forever. I have a 30 year old dream of gardening and a spider that's never left me, still as vivid today as the night I dreamt it.

(Hmm.. spiders! They have to go in my top three fears - but what am I going to kick out?)

So, there I am.. back of a Harley, coming along a coast road. The sea on my right. A calm day, waves not too big. It's a nice day. Not hot, a little overcast but not grey.

And on the left side - a mountain. I am just coming round the base of this large mountain that stretches almost to the edge of the road but not quite.. just enough room to place a road between the mountain and the sea without cutting into the mountain.

Interestingly, I'm not riding the Harley. I am watching myself ride the Harley - as you can only do in a dream! I'm out in front somewhere looking back, watching myself just come into view riding this Harley round this mountain. And I think to myself “that's really strange”. Why am I riding a Harley, all alone, on an open road?

And then, behind me, come 200 other people on Motorcycles. All different sizes and shapes of bikes, spread out across both lanes (because interestingly there is no traffic travelling the opposite direction), spread back across 100’s of metres of road, maybe kilometres even, by the time time this procession drives past me.

And clear as a bell the dream's meaning hits me.

We aren't here to do it alone.

Life is a team game. And you may think you're doing it alone - but you're not!! There is always someone helping you, even if you don't realise it. In my world these people are called family - my home family and my work family.

Could you imagine trying to run a Medical Practice with just doctors - no nurses, no admin? Well heck, it just wouldn't work!! Could you imagine us coming out to find you in a room full of patients - no one's been checked in, you're not in my appointment book, I don't know if you're the the next patient or not! Then I need to do the paperwork afterwards, need to book you for your next appt. Yep, I could do it, but I'd probably get through 5 patients a day.

Could you imagine if I had to set up to do a skin cancer excision myself.. had to find and give injections myself (not something we do - our injections are always double checked).. had to restock the rooms so everything is ready when someone needs it.

Even writing for these posts is a team game.. I write them, Sally critiques them.. Aislinn edits and posts them.

Everything is a team game. Even our cleaners at home and at work, my Dog’s PA.

Take it out another level - the equipment suppliers for work.

Another level - the shops who sell us the things we need to live - food, clothing, household equipment.. or even things to help enjoy life like chocolate from Boston Bay Collective. We wouldn't have that without the team who make the chocolate and the team who sell the products - but I wish they'd stop selling the coffee caramels, there's never any left for me!!

And yet another level - the people who grow or harvest the food - farmers, fishermen, primary producers of all kinds.

We are not alone in this world. And while a few have tried and managed, we are not meant to do it all by ourselves - and in fact it's detrimental to try. Latest research suggests that the STRONGEST factor for a long and healthy life is social interaction.

“No one can do it for you.. but you can't do it alone”

Or perhaps it's better said by Helen Keller..

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”

As a team we can achieve so much more.. and I, for one, am very grateful for the teams I work with every day.. at home.. at the shop.. at the Clinic and Hospital.

I may feel like I'm riding that Harley all alone coming around whatever mountain-of-a-problem life has chucked at me this week.. but I'm not.. I never was.. we’re not.. we never were.. there is always a tribe..

It takes a tribe!

Have a great week people
Dr Kris xx

09/02/2026

THE STORY OF LIFE..

Two stories in two weeks!!! It's been a while people.. it's been a while. But I guess that's life… it passes.. one day to the next.. and many times I've thought “that would make a good story”. the 12 babies of Christmas.. yes 12 babies in 12 days!. the antics of the Grandies.. Nate, 4, guess what I've got in my pocket for you Poppa? And then pulls out the rude finger 🫣. more tales from the Coffee pot.. which always seems to be spilling at the moment, and if you remember, a spilt coffee means too much haste and life is too busy.. she who teaches is she who most needs to learn..Sally's google search which culminated in “Ask your Mother”.. definitely a high point in my life, which you'll understand if you know how capable and independant Ms Sally is!!

And then today's story, which also nearly didn't get written.. so I guess there are two parts to this story..
1 why am I not writing?
And
2 how does this photo tell the story of life?

Why am I not writing? As usual, I didn't come on to write this.. it's just appearing as I write.. I guess it means someone needs to hear it, whoever and wherever you are. Why am I not writing? Because I love to write! It's fun.. I enjoy it.. I learn from it everytime (even if you don't)..

But lately, I've had some other things I'm supposed to write.. some recruitment adverts and stories.. and, for some reason, I don't want to write those.. can't bring myself to write them! I don't know why.. I can't figure out why I don't want to write a post about how stunning Port Lincoln is.. how great our people are.. what an amazing team of Doctors and Nurses we work with.. and how it's the best of all worlds when it comes to work-life integration.

Yep, you read that right - I don't talk about work-life balance, I talk about work life integration.. if you need to keep your life and work seperate, there's something wrong with the work you're doing! And maybe we can take that further, there is something wrong with your perception of the work you're doing.. Think your work is not important? I call bu****it!!! Give me any job you like and I will give you a reason why you matter and what you do matters!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again.. those Guys and Dolls who drive around before daylight picking up our rubbish do one of the most important jobs on this planet!! In fact the advent of systematic sewerage and rubbish collection has done more for health and longevity than any other measure in history.. including all the advice and medication my colleagues and I provide!

Anyway.. back to the writing.. I'm not writing because I think that I shouldn't be writing because I need to write the advertorials and I don't want to do that, so I haven't let myself write the good stuff.

But now I've decided, stuff it!! (In my brain it's a different word but I'd better not write that 😉) I can write whatever the heck I want to write.. and I want to write stories.. so, I will. And maybe, every now and then I'll divert across and write my advertorial to attract more Docs our way.. but I'll do it when I feel like it.

The irony, of course, is that even without the Advertorials we've attracted 3 new Docs who are joining us in the next couple months.. maybe the videos work better than my writing anyway (man I hate making videos though!!!) it all comes out in the wash!!!

Back to the story of life..
You see.. when I have a shower I wash my hair first.. then condition.. then body wash.. then rinse out the conditioner.. But David does it body wash then shampoo. I don't get why he does it that way.. he doesn't understand why I do it my way.

But, ya know.. we both get out of the shower clean.. with hair washed.. no stress!
And it just goes to show there is more than one way to get the deed done - whatever that deed maybe..

6+3=9.. and so does 5+4.. 2+7.. 1+8..

There is more than one way to skin a cat!! More than one way to get the job done. And it doesn't need to be done “your” way! As long as the quality and safety is there, just let it get done.. in fact, many times, your way is not the best way.. let’s hark back to the recruitment strategy of video over writing.. definitely not my choice.. definietly more successful than i could have made it! And I guess that means we also have to hark back to Ms Independence.. she had to Ask her Mother.. but her Mother also had to leave it (the recruitment) in her hands! Not gonna live that one down for a while!

Everyone does it differently.. there is not one “right” way to live in this world.. and if there is, it may not be your way..

Have a great week people.. and as you meander through the days have a thought.. Do you want to be right.. or Happy?
Dr Kris xx

Photo: Conditioner before shampoo?! Who does that!

01/02/2026

HUSBANDS DONT MAKE THE BEST TOUR GUIDES…

Just finishing up a week’s holiday in New Zealand. It's been a lovely week but a couple things I need to remember for next time..

1 don’t trust the husband with event planning, and

2 never, EVER, “wing it”.

You think I would have learnt from Sal’s stories, wouldn't you - tales of winging it and ending up in some cheap dive motel?

But no! Let's do a week in New Zealand we decided. “You book flights and accomodation” said David, “and leave the activities to me”.. was that a crack of ominous thunder I heard?

We get here and there's nothing sorted! In fact, he's led me on a bit of a bum steer in wanting to head across to Taurunga. “I've heard it's amazing scenery” he says. Well, that should have been the first warning because all of New Zealand is amazing scenery! And where did you actually hear this from, oh husband of mine?

The first four days were fine.. Auckland.. can't go wrong there, always something to do. And I will give him brownie points for finding me a perfume workshop which was a fun relaxing afternoon like playing with a chemistry set (and yes I'm serious it was fun.. I am a bit of a nerd though).

But then we head off across to Tauranga. “What's on the plans for the next few days?” I ask.

“Oh, I don't know” he says, “I thought we could check out some stuff when we got here”. And off went the alarm bells in my OCD brain!!

He quickly realised he may have made a mistake and started sending me links to activities.. but unfortunately just kept digging the hole deeper!

Now if your geography isn't perfect, you may not realise that Taurunga is about 7km from Mount Maunganui. And in the week before we arrived the area had record rainfall - and some pretty horrific landslides. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those lost in the land slides. It was a pretty awful time for us to come visiting.

So I can't really blame the Husband when we found out the premier hot springs facility in the area was closed. (Nor can I blame anyone else.. please don’t think I'm being facetious.. we fully understand why the springs were closed 💔)

Okay, well what about a harbour cruise? Only happen on Sunday evening and we're leaving Sunday morning..

Are you getting the picture. It appeared that we couldn't win! Well, at this point I'm starting to get a little cranky - you know the stuff.. whole holidays ruined, nothings going right.. and suddenly I thought

“It's actually all about your perception.”

I realised I could continue to spiral down and get more and more cranky, give up and let the negatives win.. or I could stop and look for the positives..

No matter what happened or didn't happen, it's a break and a relaxing one.
And
Why did I even agree to the Husband being the tour guide?.. what planet was I on? That's my job!

So, onto Google I go.. across to trip advisor and Viator.. an hour later I've got a pretty good list of activities for us to consider.

And so as our holiday comes to a close we've done a drive through the hills to Rotarua which felt like being on Bathurst.. numerous other hot spring soaks.. a rail cruise in a little self drive rail car on an old railway track.. found ideas for our dream weekend retreat.. more ideas for expansion of Boston Bay Collective (even outshining Sal and JRs myriad of ideas they brought back from WA - watch this space!!).. fish and chips that (nearly) rivals Fresh fish place.. dinner at a Harbourside restaurant under a train bridge.. an historic house.. a bird garden.. an old quarry that's been turned into a park/garden.. and a Cider factory..

Whew!! I'm gonna need to come home for a holiday now!! And all because I changed my perception. Didn't wallow in the negative. Stopped spiralling down and started spiralling up.

What have you got you can change the way you're looking at?
Have a great week people
Dr Kris xx

Photo: Mt Maunganui, in tribute to the mudslide tragedy.

13/01/2026

✨ New Year Specials at The Laser Room ✨

We’re treating our skin lovers with some limited offers!

💎 Pico Packages
First 10 customers to purchase a 3-session Pico package
($1,350 — normally $1,650)
will also receive $200 worth of skincare products on us ✨

🌸 Pico Facial Bonus
Add a Pico Facial to your routine and enjoy 30% off La Clinica skincare at checkout

🧴 Skincare Lovers
Purchase any 3 La Clinica products and receive 25% off

These offers are limited — once they’re gone, they’re gone.

📍 Available at The Laser Room – inside Boston Bay Family Health Practice

📅 Bookings essential

10/12/2025

A time slot of 3.30-5pm has become available today at The Laser Room | Call the Clinic on 08 8683 1800 to book your appointment with our lovely nurse Rhee.

01/12/2025

The Laser Room, located within Boston Bay Family Health Practice, offers a range of treatments using medical-grade technology — including laser hair removal, tattoo removal, rejuvenating facials and more.

01/12/2025

Glow more, spend less ✨

20% off La Clinica skincare kits until Christmas.
Perfect for gifting, or… gifting to yourself. 😉
Your summer skin, sorted — minus the splurge.

21/11/2025

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An independent candidate has announced she will run for the seat of Flinders at the 2026 state election. FULL STORY IN COMMENTS

30/10/2025

BULK BILLING BUT…

The Checklist..

So just to summarize everything we’ve been chatting about over the last couple weeks.. You need to..

1. Be registered as a Primary Patient under Boston Bay Family Health Practice with My Medicare ✅

2. Have all previous account paid and up to date ✅

3. Keep your appointments to 12 minutes or you may incur a fee ✅

4. Engage with us fully with Chronic Care management and rebook at each appointment to maintain this continuity of care ✅

5. Remember we can be your first point of contact for the semi urgent stuff.. let’s keep the hospital for emergencies!

6. Oh.. and be nice to us.. this is going to be an uphill climb for us too.. ✅

It's a 3 to 6 month trial.. if its going to work we need to pull together to make it a success. See you on the other side of 1 November!

Dr Kris and “The Family”
Boston Bay Family Health Practice

29/10/2025

Santa called — he’s officially adding good skin to the nice list 🎅🏼

Enjoy 20% off all skincare kits until Christmas.

Shop at The Laser Room | Boston Bay Family Health

23/10/2025

BULK BILLING BUT…

Mental Health.. the Biggest loser!

Did you know that 60% of the work an RG/GP does is about Mental Health or Mental Wellbeing. It underpins everything else we know about health care and improvements. And yet, the Government in their “wisdom” are threatening our ability to provide services. And this stuff just can’t be done in 12 minutes!!

Yes they’ve established Medicare Mental Health - which is a great idea. It acts as an initial contact service to allow people to identify and access a range of services - and work out which ones are best for them. But we dont have an exhaustive range of services to begin with.. this is Eyre Peninsula for heaven sake.. 7 hours away from suburbia!

And it should be IN ADDITION to mental health care accessible at your local GP Clinic.. not instead of! The first point of contact for mental health care is usually and traditionally the GP - and it takes a lot of care and support to work out if someone will benefit from counselling or medication, formal psychology or social support.

But we are still in limbo about what’s going to happen with the provision of GP Mental Health Services come 1 November.. we’ll provide you with more information as it comes to us.

Hopefully, whatever happens we can continue to provide some mental health care but two weeks out and we still haven't been given all the information we need to establish a plan - The cynic in me thinks we’re gonna have some bullsh*t dumped on us 1 November and we wont have time to react.

Poor Tom.. he’s really copping it this month!! Here’s his email again.. tell him to take it to Canberra.. we need more Mental health services in the Bush.. Add in that we need more Doctors.. Nurses.. Health Professionals.. Psychologists.. Physiotherapists.. Ask him to find solutions to recruitment.. anything else you can think of!! Tom.Venning.MP@aph.gov.au

Dr Kris and “The Family”
Boston Bay Family Health Practice

(Share far and wide people.. lets make sure everyone knows what’s happening come 1 November.. most of what we’re talking about applies to all of Australia not just BBFHP and Port Lincoln)