Volunteer in Australia on an Organic Farm with WWOOF

Work Your Way Down Under

By Coran Lill

Willing Workers on Organic Farms International (WWOOF) is an organization that helps travelers connect with organic farmers all over the world. It was an ideal way to get around the many challenges I faced in Australia — a limited budget, meeting others as a solo traveler, and traveling long distances.

With WWOOF Australia, I could give four to six hours of labor each day in exchange for a night’s food and lodging. Organizing my WWOOF experiences around my travel itinerary helped me to break up long journeys between destinations.

The more than 2,000 hosts all over Australia give you plenty of options from which to choose. For example, work is available at a horseback riding business in Tasmania, a sheep station in outback Western Australia, a yoga center in Sydney, and an artists’ retreat in Queensland.

In addition to the WWOOF positions available in the book, being a member of WWOOF can provide travelers with other spontaneous work opportunities. While at a hostel in Adelaide, South Australia, I found an advertisement on the notice board seeking two “WWOOFers” to housesit for 10 days on nearby Kangaroo Island. And in the Australian outback, I helped an artist restore her art gallery.

Becoming a WWOOF Australia member is easy. The cost is AUD$70.00. You can become a member by visiting WWOOF Australia’s website, which has many resources, including videos, and much information, including an FAQ. WWOOFING is open to any nationality.

WWOOFING in Australia is limited to those at least 18 years old with a tourist visa. Many hosts are happy to have children stay, but they will not be covered by the insurance plan.

To find a suitable host, you can use the site for search for hosts via a Map Search, List Search, or WWOOF Noticeboard. Make a contact for offers that interest you, and call to ask any questions before making a decision. Choosing a host with whom you have something in common makes a critical difference.

CORAN LILL is a New Zealander studying journalism in Auckland.