First of all, working on farms in Australia on a working holiday visa is not mandatory, but for those who want to extend their visa for another year, it is almost obligatory. In this case, it is required to work on a farm for 88 days. So if you decide to stay another year, find a farm where you can work for 3 months.
Also remember that it used to be much easier to find work on a farm, but now that working holiday visas have become very popular, you will have much more competition. Almost 150,000 young people come to Australia on this visa every year. So a good option is to check directly with the farms and especially go to the work area before the harvest season starts.
Agricultural jobs with working holiday visa in Australia
It must be said that it is a job that requires some physical effort. The working days are usually long and start very early in the morning. The working day usually lasts 8 hours, but in the main harvest season one can work up to 12 hours. Normally work is 5 days a week.
If physical labor scares you, you can also work in the sheds sorting and packing fruits/vegetables. The first few days will be the hardest. It takes time to get used to it, do not give up right away.
Types of farm work in Australia
Work is divided into several types and consists of:
- Fruit picking, picking fruit from trees with ladders (apples, pears, bananas), fruit picking in a squatting position (strawberries, melons, etc.)
- Picking vegetables, mostly in squatting position
- Fruit/vegetable packing, picking and packing fruits and vegetables. The work is done indoors (sheds)
- Thinning and pruning: thinning out branches in fruit trees or vineyards
- Planting, planting trees, seedlings, etc.
Farm accommodation in Australia
There are two different accommodation options:
- On the farm: many farms offer overnight accommodations. Rooms can be single or shared. They may be fee-based or free.
- At the working hostel, these hostels are located near the farm areas. They provide lodging and also provide vans to take you to and from work.
Work and holiday visa in Australia, how to get to the farms
Since farms are not located in the city, a means of transportation is needed to get there, which can sometimes be an airplane given the distance. In other cases, you need a car. Sometimes it is also possible to arrive by public transport.
Let us look at the different possibilities:
Hitchhiking is not very safe these days, but I have heard of several people who have done it without any problems.
- Plane, if you need to get to the other side of the island, you have to consider the plane
- Car transfer, in the absence of alternatives you can use the offers of car transfers, which are very common in Australia. The transfer offers are managed by the car rental companies, which require the vehicles to be returned to a specific location.
- RideShare, a website to find rideshares.
- Your car, many buy a used car or van and sell it when they leave. They are not expensive and buying practices are very fast. Insurance is not mandatory in Australia
- Buses offer a comprehensive service and stop at major Australian destinations
- The train connects many cities and towns where
Australia working holiday visa, finding job
1.Youth hostels are usually the meeting place for all the boys. Many also buy a van and ask directly at the different farms. In any case, you have several options to look for work:
2.Online application, find the company’s email and submit your application. And then I recommend you call and give the impression that you are really interested in this position.
3.Classifieds, not only can you search for jobs, but you can also post your job request. Many small businesses check Gumtree ads for job seekers. (https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-farming-veterinary/c21210?ad=offering)
4.Go directly, especially to the small businesses that are not even in the network.
5.Working hostel, you can always find hostels around the farm that will help you find work and tell you where you can find work. In some cases, they have the phone numbers of farms in their area. It’s probably still the easiest way to find work on a farm, but the cost isn’t cheap. Many hostels charge a lot of money for accommodation, and there is no guarantee of work anyway. It should be noted that recently, given the strong influx of young people, fraud is becoming more common. This is certainly not the rule, but it’s advisable to remain vigilant.
6.Facebook Groups, there are several groups where job requests and offers are posted
7. Websites, such as those listed below:
- Jobactive harvest, a section of the website dedicated to working in agriculture, with information on where best to be in different seasons of the year
- Rural Enterprise, recruitment agency for the agricultural sector
- Backpackerjobboard, offers for temporary work in agriculture, but not only
Australia is virtually a continent where the harvest at a given time of the year varies according to the different Australian regions.
Working holiday visa in Australia, best places
According to many, the best places are the following: Atherton, Tablelands, Stanthorpe, Bowen and Ayr in Queensland, Margaret River, Mildura, Griffith and Tamar Valley in Tasmania. These are the best sites according to some. But they are also the busiest, so you have to go where others do not in order to have more job opportunities.
Australia Working Holiday Visa, Harvest Times
All areas, fruit varieties and harvest times are described in detail in the links below:
- Harvest guide, a useful guide produced by the Australian government, contains all the necessary information for those choosing to work on a farm, time periods, areas, type of work, etc.
- Fruitpicking Jobs, with useful information such as the harvesting calendar, harvesting areas, hostels and the location of many farms. For job offers you need to register, (paid)
Australia working holiday visa, wages
Salary can be paid in two ways:
- Hourly wage: (on average $22-24 per hour). In this case you work more in a team and are more relaxed, but you are controlled at work and can be reprimanded for excessive relaxation
- Piecework: generally the profit is higher, but the work is more alienating and there is a race against time to earn more and more. On the other hand, you can relax, no one will yell at you if you do not work hard enough.
I would say that it depends a lot on the person, there are those who prefer hourly pay and those who prefer piecework.
For those interested in living in Australia, I recommend reading the article: Move to Australia
For those interested in working in Australia, I recommend reading the article: How to work in Australia
