BEST
LOCATIONS FOR YOUR AUSTRALIA FARM WORK
If
you’re looking to stay in Australia for a second year on your working holiday
visa, then you’ll know all about getting those precious 88 days of regional
work under your belt. But where to start, you ask? One of the first steps is to
find out exactly where the main growing regions are; these spots have the
highest production numbers and therefore also have the most jobs available.
Employment is highly seasonal, so it also good to stay informed of which crop
is grown where and when the season starts. Below is a simple guide to introduce
you to the 8 best locations for your Australia farm work
Australia
Farm Work: Atherton Tablelands, QLD
People
ask ‘what is the best thing about the region?’ Well, there’s more than one!
Firstly, the gourmet food and wine trails that cris-cross our ‘food bowl of the
tropics’. Secondly, our wildlife with a particular emphasis on bird watching
and unique marsupials like the tree kangaroo. Thirdly, the waterfalls and
stunning rainforest backdrops. Finally, there’s the region’s natural wonders
such as Mount Mulligan, Chillagoe Caves, Curtain Fig Tree, Lake Tinaroo, Mt
Hypipamee Crater, Undara Lava Tubes, Broomfield Swamp, Paronella Park and the
twin crater lakes of Barrine and Eacham just to name a few!
Up near
Cairns in Far North Tropical Queensland, the gorgeous Atherton Tablelands are
home to a wide range of Australia farm work opportunities. With avocados making
up a large part of the harvest, as well as mangoes, citrus, bananas and
sugarcane, the season in one of the prettiest Australia farm work destinations
runs largely during the hot summer months between December and March.
Australia
Farm Work: Mildura, VIC
From
enjoying abundant fresh local produce and award-winning wines, to drifting
aboard a luxury houseboat, to a round of golf or exploring so many nearby
natural wonders, Mildura is a holiday region that caters for all ages and
interests. Well known for its warm and consistently sunny Mediterranean weather.
Long-recognised as an important Australian food bowl, Mildura’s adjacent and
prolific agricultural districts are bursting with grapes, citrus fruits,
almonds, olives, countless varieties of vegetables plus much more.
Down in
Victoria, the large harvesting area centred around the town of Mildura has tons
of citrus, grapes and vegetable production farms, which means at most times of
the year someone somewhere need something picked! Accommodation and transport
to work is usually provided by backpacker hostels who offer complete packages
for those looking to work the season.
Australia
Farm Work: Stanthorpe, QLD
At the
heart of the Granite Belt, Stanthorpe gives easy access to big sky panoramas,
spectacular countryside dotted with precariously balancing prehistoric granite
boulders and a generally cooler, temperate climate (there's even an occasional
winter snow-fall!)
Originally
established by tin miners in the 1870s, nowadays, thanks to its unique
microclimate and granitic soil, the region is nationally recognised for its
winemaking and diversity of produce. Look out for apples, pears, berries, stone
fruit, persimmons, figs, olives and a huge range of vegetables in season. Those
with a more adventurous palate should follow the Strange Bird alternative wine
trail, which covers some of the more unusual varieties including viognier,
mourvedre and tempranillo. If you’re more interested in the grain than the
grape, there are microbreweries in Stanthorpe, where you can sample locally
brewed beers on tap including Kolsch, Pilsner, Wheat Beer, India Pale Ale,
Irish Red Ale, a Porter and a specialty beer each season.
This
place is famous for its apple production, with the season running from February
to June. With over 30 different varieties grown in the region, apples here are
big business, so if you don’t mind climbing ladders, this is probably the spot
to head.
Australia
Farm River Work: Margaret, WA
Discover
the hidden sights and scenery of Australia's premium wine region. With over 130
vineyards, Margaret River in Western Australia is the grape picking
destination. A quiet little surfing town, the gorgeous setting of this place is
well worth a visit and has certainly wooed more than few people into staying
and looking for work! The season has two main highs – June to September is the pruning
period and February to April is the grape picking time.
Australia
Farm Work: Bowen, QLD
Situated
just above the Whitsundays, the large town of Bowen is a remarkably sleepy town
for its size that is until picking season starts in May! Then the town is
flooded with hoards of backpackers all looking to do their farm work and
suddenly the place is buzzing. With a huge diversity of crops from mango and
zucchini to tomato, corn and capsicum, there is a large variation of crops here
all of which need picking at slightly different times. In turn, this means that
the season stretches for a long period of time and you should be able to find
some work at some point during it. Bowen offers visitors a veritable paradise
with eight beautiful beaches to enjoy and explore. The inner reef is just
metres from many of Bowen's bays, within minutes of donning your snorkel you
can be swimming above a rich environment of corals and fish. At low tide you
can walk towards the North Head Lighthouse and be amazed by the bountiful sea
life, admiring giant red starfish, feather stars and green sea turtles. Coupled
with a rich diversity of local produce and seafood, Bowen is the perfect place
to unwind
Australia
Farm Work: Tamar Valley, TAS
Stretching
60 km north from Launceston to Bass Strait along either side of the Tamar
River, the Tamar Valley is one of Tasmania's prettiest regions. Both banks of
the river and the wider valley are packed with things to do and places to go.
Spectacular views abound and the roads are good, making it easy and enjoyable
to tour around. Down in Tasmania, it
really is all about the cherries and the berries. Picked right across the
island, but perhaps most popularly in the Tamar Valley, the small soft fruit
season runs during the summer months between December and February, when it’s
warm enough to be down there.
Australia
Farm Work: Ayr, QLD
Australia
Farm Work: Griffith, NSW
Crossing
over the border into New South Wales, Griffith is famous for its grape
production as well as its citrus and stone-fruit season. Griffith is a little
piece of Italy in the heart of the Riverina. It still has the extraordinary
statistic that 60% of the city's population has Italian ancestors and it still
celebrates Italian culture with extensive vineyards in the region, providers in
the town selling local produce, and excellent cafes and restaurants where the
pasta and coffee can be favourably compared to the best that Sydney (and Italy)
can offer. Today the city's dominant Italian culture has been enriched by
substantial populations of Tongans, Samoans, Afghanis, Indians and Aborigines. Grape
season starts around mid-February and lasts for six to eight weeks. The citrus
harvest runs from November until March. At either of these times, there is
bound to be loads of work for you to get your teeth stuck into.
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