Barnacles Backpackers: Great reviews.
- Share dorm = $130 per week
- 150$ bond
- Wifi
- transportation?
Bowen Backpackers: Great reviews.
- 4 person dorm (fan) = $145 per night
- $250 security bond
- no mention of internet
- transportation?
Grandview Backpackers
- dorm? $130 per week
- bond?
- internet stations
- transportation?
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Packing
I can't believe I'm packing for a tropical trip to Queensland?!
Things I will need:
- Passport
- Boarding Pass
- ID (health card)
- Working Visa details
- Banking details
- Journals + Notebooks
- Books: Non Fiction & Fiction + project related
- Ipod + USB + Charger
- SLR + Case + SD Card + Charger
- Video Camera + Charger
- Lap Top + Case + Charger
- Cell Phone + Charger
- Hat with Brim
- Jeans
- Light Dresses
- Light Pants
- Long Sleeve Shirts with collar
- Underwear + Socks
- PJs
- Gum Boots*
- Hait with brim + Cap
- Water Bottle*
- Sunscreen (30+)*
- Gardening gloves*
- Bathing suit*
- Raincoat*
- Makeup
- Toothbrush + Toothpaste
- Glasses + Contacts
- Hair and Body Products
- Towel
- Sleeping bag
- Reading light + battery charger
- 'Paris' bag
- Backpacking pack
- Backpack
Computer tune up:
- Back up hard drive
- Reformat
- Transfer movies and episodes onto computer
* Must procure!
Things I will need:
- Passport
- Boarding Pass
- ID (health card)
- Working Visa details
- Banking details
- Journals + Notebooks
- Books: Non Fiction & Fiction + project related
- Ipod + USB + Charger
- SLR + Case + SD Card + Charger
- Video Camera + Charger
- Lap Top + Case + Charger
- Cell Phone + Charger
- Hat with Brim
- Jeans
- Light Dresses
- Light Pants
- Long Sleeve Shirts with collar
- Underwear + Socks
- PJs
- Gum Boots*
- Hait with brim + Cap
- Water Bottle*
- Sunscreen (30+)*
- Gardening gloves*
- Bathing suit*
- Raincoat*
- Makeup
- Toothbrush + Toothpaste
- Glasses + Contacts
- Hair and Body Products
- Towel
- Sleeping bag
- Reading light + battery charger
- 'Paris' bag
- Backpacking pack
- Backpack
Computer tune up:
- Back up hard drive
- Reformat
- Transfer movies and episodes onto computer
* Must procure!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Getting to Queensland
This morning I called hostels in Bowen to get an idea of what the harvest work season was like. The three hostel owners I spoke to said the season was in full swing and that backpackers were abound everywhere in Bowen.
That said, it turns out all the accommodations are booked solid for the time being. The nature of the working hostel is that it's hard to determine when people come and go and therefore the only way to get an idea of availability is to be nearby and call in on a daily basis. I was told my best bet would be to fly into Prosperpine, Queensland and stay in Airlie Beach while waiting for accommodations. The bus from Airlie Beach to Bowen is 30$ and less than an hour away, as soon as I find a place with an opening I can make my way to Bowen, settle in and start working!
One of the owners told me that she may have 2 females leaving on the 3 or 4th and that if I was in the area around that time, she could have room for me with work starting right away.
With all this fresh new information, I looked into the flights to Proserpine and found out the cheapest flight of 200$ was leaving in A WEEK from today! If I waited any longer, it would cost me around 500$ to get there.
I've now booked my flight, leaving at 9am on Tuesday, August 31st! I will be landing in Proserpine, Queensland at 1:20pm and will have to make my way to Airlie Beach by bus (I am told this is easy to maneuver) and find myself accommodations for a few days, until work is available in Bowen.
Airlie Beach is in the Whitsundays region of Queensland. The Whitsundays are a group of 74 tropical islands on the cusp of the Great Barrier Reef.
Airlie Beach Hostels
Airlie Beach YHA*
Rate: 27$/night
Central location, courtyard, swimming pool, bbq. Great reviews.
Backpackers By the Bay*
Rate: 25$/night
Small, bar, salt water swimming pool, laundry, bbq, great reviews.
Beaches
Rate: 28$/night
Bar, bistro, breakfast, pool, kitchen. Good reviews about hostel, bad reviews about staff.
Bush Village Backpackers
Rate: 28$-32$/night
Cabins, hammocks, pool, spa, laundry, kitchen, breakfast, free pickup. Great reviews.
Magnums
Rate: 20$/night
Cabins, bar, laundry, cafe. Reviews describe it as a party hostel.
That said, it turns out all the accommodations are booked solid for the time being. The nature of the working hostel is that it's hard to determine when people come and go and therefore the only way to get an idea of availability is to be nearby and call in on a daily basis. I was told my best bet would be to fly into Prosperpine, Queensland and stay in Airlie Beach while waiting for accommodations. The bus from Airlie Beach to Bowen is 30$ and less than an hour away, as soon as I find a place with an opening I can make my way to Bowen, settle in and start working!
One of the owners told me that she may have 2 females leaving on the 3 or 4th and that if I was in the area around that time, she could have room for me with work starting right away.
With all this fresh new information, I looked into the flights to Proserpine and found out the cheapest flight of 200$ was leaving in A WEEK from today! If I waited any longer, it would cost me around 500$ to get there.
I've now booked my flight, leaving at 9am on Tuesday, August 31st! I will be landing in Proserpine, Queensland at 1:20pm and will have to make my way to Airlie Beach by bus (I am told this is easy to maneuver) and find myself accommodations for a few days, until work is available in Bowen.
Airlie Beach is in the Whitsundays region of Queensland. The Whitsundays are a group of 74 tropical islands on the cusp of the Great Barrier Reef.
Airlie Beach Hostels
Airlie Beach YHA*
Rate: 27$/night
Central location, courtyard, swimming pool, bbq. Great reviews.
Backpackers By the Bay*
Rate: 25$/night
Small, bar, salt water swimming pool, laundry, bbq, great reviews.
Beaches
Rate: 28$/night
Bar, bistro, breakfast, pool, kitchen. Good reviews about hostel, bad reviews about staff.
Bush Village Backpackers
Rate: 28$-32$/night
Cabins, hammocks, pool, spa, laundry, kitchen, breakfast, free pickup. Great reviews.
Magnums
Rate: 20$/night
Cabins, bar, laundry, cafe. Reviews describe it as a party hostel.
South Australia? Victoria? Queensland?
I crunched some numbers to get an idea of how much it's going to cost me to travel to my farming location.
The first two options of Berri and Mildura are closer to home (cost less):
Berri (SA) = Approx. 160$, 3 hour trip on Rex Airways.
Mildura (VIC) = Approx 120$, 1 hour trip on Rex Airways (1 transfer).
... but are less appealing than the idea of venturing off somewhere different! I'd really like to get away from Melbourne and experience the land and sea of a climate unbeknownst to me!
Bowen (QNS) = 350$, 10 hours on Jetstar (1 transfer).
Unfortunately, the choice won't be up for me to make... All will depend on the weather and work availability.
I have decided to leave on Sunday the 5th of September so that I can fit 2 more full weeks of work (and play) in before leaving. I'll need to save some funds before leaving on this sort of adventure.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Working Hostels in Harvest Towns
I called a few places today, hoping to get an idea of work and accommodation availability. Each place I called was in a different city and/or province so the response was different, but mainly I found out that they can only predict work and availability during the week of work itself!
So it seems, you're expected to call these working hostels the week that you're ready to re-locate and hope that you'll find a location with accommodation and work available.
Now that I've realized this is the process, I've decided to compile a list of all the cities in different provinces where there are working hostels. This way, when I'm ready to leave I can call around and get an idea of which city has the most work and availability!
I'm referring to the Harvest Trail website, searching harvesting crops for the months of September and October and finding the cities with the most work. Then I refer to the Backpacker's Ultimate Guide (BUG) page and searching the working hostels in such cities (it even has reviews so you can get an idea of whether it caters to your standards):
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Berri
Berri Backpackers: This place sounds fabulous: There are extensive gardens areas with lots of sculptures plus hammocks, a massage table, meditation room and yoga room an outdoor kitchen and a couple of tree houses (if you’re feeling romantic). There is also a beach volleyball court, tennis court, swimming pool and sauna.
Renmark
Renmark International Backpackers: Reviews make the town and owners out to be worthwhile. Sounds like there is a good amount of work available.
VICTORIA
Mildura
Astra Backpackers
Mildura Oasis: Great Reviews
NEW SOUTH WALES
Griffith
Griffith International Hostel
QUEENSLAND
Ayr
Delta Backpackers: Great reviews.
Bowen: Host to a few working hostels, harvest work in abundance according to hostel owners, located on the waterfront.
Barnacles Backpackers: Great reviews.
- $130 per week
- internet stations
- transportation?
Bowen Backpackers: Great reviews.
- 4 person dorm
- $250 security bond
- no mention of internet
- transportation?
Grandview Backpackers
- $130 per week
Reefers by the Beach* Only offering accommodations, no work.
Bundaberg
* Most of the hostel reviews were abundantly negative for this city.
Childers
Secluded Springs
Palace Backpackers: Named one of the best working hostels in Oz.
Tully
Banana Barracks: Popular location.
Innisfail
Codge Lodge: Rated the best in Innisfail, lots of work.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Finding agricultural work in Australia
My online searches have been frustrating. The government website, Harvest Trail, has some opportunities, but most of them seem to cater to those working permanently in the agricultural industry and not to backpackers seeking to extend their visas.
Nonetheless, the Harvest Trail website is very useful in determining where what crops are being harvested at different times in the year. I've learned that most of the work in Sept, Oct, Nov is available in Queensland and that the best way to find work isn't to apply online ahead of time, but to get to Queensland and stay in a hostel where there are resources for finding farm work. I also learned that most jobs in Queensland don't require you to have a car or a license, whereas most jobs in NSW and SA do expect you to be able to drive.
The most reliable resource for finding and contacting farms in need of help is the National Harvest Labour Information Telephone Line at 1-800-062-332. Contact this phone number only when you are in the location where you are looking for work and when you are looking for work, then they can provide you with the names and contacts of farms looking for work in your desired area. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very helpful in explaining what to expect from certain jobs and was eager to help me better understand how to go about the experience.
I managed to find job listings on the following sites, by searching the farming/agricultural classification : (below, I have linked to the specific search query I found to be useful for each site)
www.seek.com.au
www.mycareer.com.au
www.workaboutaustralia.com.au
www.workstay.com.au
I also found a few listings of interest on the Traveller's At Work website, but they require you to pay 69$AUD/month in order to simply look at their listings. I spoke to a representative who claimed they weren't liable for not being able to find you work and said the membership generally gave you access to reading their listings and nothing more. I, personally, am very much against business schemes that function to make money and not to help others and would not recommend this option to anyone - there are other options!
Finally, I found a few intriguing opportunities at hostels that also provide farm work opportunities. At first, I was hoping not to have to pay for accommodations (since I have an apartment I'm paying for while away!), but my research led me to realize it can be difficult to find paid work that includes room and board.
I like the idea of living in a hostel with like-minded world travelers while committing to this challenge. The farm work itself is said to be arduous and tiring. If I had to work and live on a farm with little to no-one to connect with, it would make the experience all the more grueling!
Although the hostels can't guarantee work either (due to weather), they are usually located in regions where work is available all year-round. Here are the working hostels I was able to track down and contact, most of which I found on the Workstay website:
www.bananabarracks.com
www.barnaclesbackpackers.com
www.deltabackpackers.com
www.ayrbackpackers.com.au
www.griffithinternational.com.au
Nonetheless, the Harvest Trail website is very useful in determining where what crops are being harvested at different times in the year. I've learned that most of the work in Sept, Oct, Nov is available in Queensland and that the best way to find work isn't to apply online ahead of time, but to get to Queensland and stay in a hostel where there are resources for finding farm work. I also learned that most jobs in Queensland don't require you to have a car or a license, whereas most jobs in NSW and SA do expect you to be able to drive.
The most reliable resource for finding and contacting farms in need of help is the National Harvest Labour Information Telephone Line at 1-800-062-332. Contact this phone number only when you are in the location where you are looking for work and when you are looking for work, then they can provide you with the names and contacts of farms looking for work in your desired area. The woman I spoke to on the phone was very helpful in explaining what to expect from certain jobs and was eager to help me better understand how to go about the experience.
I managed to find job listings on the following sites, by searching the farming/agricultural classification : (below, I have linked to the specific search query I found to be useful for each site)
www.seek.com.au
www.mycareer.com.au
www.workaboutaustralia.com.au
www.workstay.com.au
I also found a few listings of interest on the Traveller's At Work website, but they require you to pay 69$AUD/month in order to simply look at their listings. I spoke to a representative who claimed they weren't liable for not being able to find you work and said the membership generally gave you access to reading their listings and nothing more. I, personally, am very much against business schemes that function to make money and not to help others and would not recommend this option to anyone - there are other options!
Finally, I found a few intriguing opportunities at hostels that also provide farm work opportunities. At first, I was hoping not to have to pay for accommodations (since I have an apartment I'm paying for while away!), but my research led me to realize it can be difficult to find paid work that includes room and board.
I like the idea of living in a hostel with like-minded world travelers while committing to this challenge. The farm work itself is said to be arduous and tiring. If I had to work and live on a farm with little to no-one to connect with, it would make the experience all the more grueling!
Although the hostels can't guarantee work either (due to weather), they are usually located in regions where work is available all year-round. Here are the working hostels I was able to track down and contact, most of which I found on the Workstay website:
www.bananabarracks.com
www.barnaclesbackpackers.com
www.deltabackpackers.com
www.ayrbackpackers.com.au
www.griffithinternational.com.au
A new challenge arises! JGB, the farmer?
I can hardly believe I've been living in Melbourne for 4 months now! I have the humble abode I dreamed of, in a great 'hood with all the right local perks and a job that I actually look forward to going to. The first few months of establishment felt as if they took forever but now I find myself sitting comfortably in my Richmond home office, writing a blog on the website I anticipated I would bring to life, and shortly I will be leaving for work at The Corner Hotel, one of the best jobs/work environments I have ever had the chance to be a part of!
How quickly all this came together! And now, just as soon as I've built a lifestyle and finally integrated myself into a good groove, I am suddenly faced with a new challenge.
At first, Sean and I had planned to get De-Facto status and apply for a Partner's Visa. But after doing the necessary research, it became clear that the Partner's Visa didn't quite suit our needs. Not only does it cost 2575$, but it also requires the applicant to stay in the country for an extended period of time and then it eventually turns into a Permanent Visa. It's not that I don't want residence, it's more that we just don't have plans to live in Australia permanently as of now and thus, the partner's visa doesn't suit our needs.
Seeing as we're planning on being in Australia for two years before running off to another country, our best option is to extend my holiday working visa by doing 3 months (88 days) of agricultural work. If I complete 88 days of farm/pearling/fruit-picking, I get to stay in this fine country for an extra year - just what we need!
Now that I've come to realize this must be done before the end of April '11, I'm also realizing that the timing could work to my advantage or to my detriment! Right now, it's cold and the work season is slow in Melbourne... in three months from now it will be Summer and The Corner Hotel bumping with lots of work and fun to be had! Why wait when I can go to where it's warm and get the work out of the way, so as to stay in Australia and work/play for the remainder of my stay!
And so here I am, realizing that I need to find myself agricultural work and relocate to another part of Australia within 2 weeks!
Project: Agricultural Work will follow my endeavours in finding and securing work, as well as living the life of an agricultural worker!
How quickly all this came together! And now, just as soon as I've built a lifestyle and finally integrated myself into a good groove, I am suddenly faced with a new challenge.
At first, Sean and I had planned to get De-Facto status and apply for a Partner's Visa. But after doing the necessary research, it became clear that the Partner's Visa didn't quite suit our needs. Not only does it cost 2575$, but it also requires the applicant to stay in the country for an extended period of time and then it eventually turns into a Permanent Visa. It's not that I don't want residence, it's more that we just don't have plans to live in Australia permanently as of now and thus, the partner's visa doesn't suit our needs.
Seeing as we're planning on being in Australia for two years before running off to another country, our best option is to extend my holiday working visa by doing 3 months (88 days) of agricultural work. If I complete 88 days of farm/pearling/fruit-picking, I get to stay in this fine country for an extra year - just what we need!
Now that I've come to realize this must be done before the end of April '11, I'm also realizing that the timing could work to my advantage or to my detriment! Right now, it's cold and the work season is slow in Melbourne... in three months from now it will be Summer and The Corner Hotel bumping with lots of work and fun to be had! Why wait when I can go to where it's warm and get the work out of the way, so as to stay in Australia and work/play for the remainder of my stay!
And so here I am, realizing that I need to find myself agricultural work and relocate to another part of Australia within 2 weeks!
Project: Agricultural Work will follow my endeavours in finding and securing work, as well as living the life of an agricultural worker!
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