As money is at crisis point, I decided to take the plunge into something I wanted to do before coming to Australia, and that is WWOOFing. Some may have heard of this, others will not have a clue what I am blabbering on about, so let me explain.

WWOOFing is the name given to the concept of working for food and accommodation. It actually stands for Willing Work On Organic Farms, although duties vary from farm work to general household maintenance, and isn’t always limited to just organic farms. I decided this may be a way to hold off on spending, and to give myself time to worry less about money, and to enjoy a different side of Australia.

The experience was a great one, and one that I could not have foreseen in any capacity. Work involved weeding, mowing, painting, sanding, drilling and cementing, and required the use of a quad bike, a hop-on mower, as well as some power tools that I seldom use back home. This enabled me to gain many new skills, and to see life outside the tourist trail.

I encountered wildlife that I wanted to encounter at some point in OZ, including huntsmens spiders, red bellied black snakes, as well as others I could not identify. I also saw wildlife I knew I didnt want to see, such as huge mosquitoes, smaller spiders and cane toads, so many cane toads. I knew cane toads were a problem here, but I didn’t realise just how much of a problem they really are. You cannot walk more than 2 paces in any direction without seeing one, and when they pop up in you lavatory, it can be a nasty shock!

All in all, the family were very kind and welcoming, and the host was a cool guy, offering me the chance to learn at every opportunity. I am very happy I chose the place I did for my first WWOOFing experience, but alas, now I must find paid work, otherwise my stay here in Australia will be far shorter than I intended it to be. I have definitely not ruled out the option of more WWOOFing either if I can find another good host.

As always, thank you for reading and check back soon.

Author Box Written by Daniel Stevens, Founder of Roundtheworldtrip.org. Find out more about the author in my About page. Follow me on Google Plus, Facebook, Twitter, or Subscribe to my RSS Feed

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