31 Jan 2016

I am a firm believer in the notion that, at least once, all city-dwelling Aussies should escape their concrete jungles and get their hands dirty in the outback. We ought to immerse ourselves in the lives and environments of the people who are feeding our fair nation in order to learn about their lifestyle and its associated struggles.

When I finished school I lived on a farm with 30 backpackers, who had to work in rural Australia for 88 days in order to obtain their second year visa. I was out in the field at 5 every morning, climbing trees and picking the ripest and juiciest peaches until the sun rose and lavished us with its 43-degree heat.  We worked the three-month summer season until the trees lay bare and then we left. It was the perfect intermission between high school and university, and it was a good way to earn money and save a significant amount to then move out and travel in my mid-semester break in the first year of my degree.

If you’re thinking of getting some work experience on a farm, or simply looking for a holiday with a difference, then here are some ways you can get into farming in Australia:

Harvest Guide

In tourist centres around Australia you can find the Harvest Guide, a book for travellers searching for farms that have little contacts in the agricultural industry. It details the fruits and vegetables grown in Australia and the corresponding months for picking, and it also mentions a few farms and their contact details should you be interested in working for them.

In most farms you are paid according to how much you pick. This is often determined by weight or bucket-load. For fragile fruits such as figs and peaches, you pick at a rate per hour. Accommodation differs from farm to farm. I was provided with a share shack of sorts, others pitch tents and some farms ask you to organise your own sleeping arrangements.

If you’re travelling around Australia you can simply drive up to a farm and ask if they need assistance. Otherwise, Googling farms that are in season and calling the farm manager is the most affective approach.

WWOOFing

WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms. It is organised similarly to the worldwide organisation Workaway; you work approximately four to six hours per day and you’re given food and accommodation for your time.

Despite a lack of income, you can gain invaluable skills and build relationships with families from around the continent. Plus, the free accommodation and feed is the perfect reward if you’re looking to spend some time in a place unlike anywhere you’ve been before.

Jackaroo/Jillaroo Gap Year

If you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in the farming lifestyle, there’s no better way to do than with a Jackaroo or Jillaroo gap year on a station in the Australian outback. On a trip like this, you’ll be involved in many of the daily tasks on the station, from feeding the livestock, to mustering cattle on horseback, to lending a helping hand in the kitchen, to doing yard work around the farm.

These gap years run from a few weeks up to a year, and you don’t need to have experience to start out. In return for your services, you’ll be getting food and board, a little spending money, and even the possibility of a job on completion, if that’s the kind of thing you’re after.

If you want to know more about the Jackaroo/Jillaroo gap year, you can check out Year13’s program right here.

Farming in places without Internet or phone reception and in towns of complete strangers doing physically demanding work is not for everyone. The challenge prepared me for University, made me appreciate the Australian landscape even more and, most importantly, helped me to fund my first overseas trip.