Hi,

I'm now in Oz (Sydney) and looking to undertake some regional agricultural work in the new year -

the thing is I have no idea where to head to and what to do! I know about the harvest trail website, etc but I'm looking for some personal recommendations for good places (anywhere really, but pref near to Melbourne) that offer interesting positions, ie not just picking fruit for 16 hrs a day) if thats possible. I'm up for doing anything, especially if it's varied and pays an okay wage. Any pointers on places offering free accom and/or food also would help.

Basically any great recommendations from those who've done it for places to try are welcome!

Cheers,

Joe.

Think it is going to be fairly tight in Victoria. Been frosts and droughts and water quotas on the irrigated blocks. You may find something but it is going to be an employers market I would say.

As you say most fuitpicking is hot hard work, something you do more for the experience than anything else although some make a lifestyle out of it.

I am on a dryland farm in Victoria and really couldn't recommend a thing. Often you get into grain testing or bunker work or rousabout work on a farm during a good year. But that's not this year. Not sure but heading north maybe be a better option.

Here's a few websites if you haven't seen them before.

Backpack Victoria

best of luck

You ought to also be aware that farms do not usually include free accomodation and tucker unless you plan on dong some wwoofing and get the accomodation and tucker in lieu of wages.
You need to be aware that on farms where some rudimentarty accomodation is available it will possibly benot so great and there are stories sometimes of the unscrupulous users of WHVers taking them for a ride (and not to the local beach)
If you're looking to do three months seasonal work to qualify for applying for a second WHV, then you have to do that in certain areas - listed by postcode in theharvest guide.
That not being an issue, closest areas to Melbourne would be Yarra Valley (wines), and south to east of Dandenongs for berries and other fruits going further south, all way down to Mornington peninsula.
West of Melbourne, there's Baccus Marsh and over towards Gisborne and Mt Macedon for wines also.

The new WHV regs now allow you to work for one employer for up to six months, so employers where they are employing for that long would be more interested in someone prepared to stay for longer, maybe for instance you could pick grapes and with luck find a place that was going to have a vacancy for longer as the grapes go thru the wine making process.

But best to start searching in areas that might interest you and if wanting that qualification, there's a lot more areas now that you can work in.

Looking for something else, came across Emerald Backpackers, Emerald being a nice forested/farming area in Dandenong ranges foothills to east of Melbourne (suburbia extension you could say).

Their mention of having work could be on site all the time, but may be worth a check if that's close enough to Melbourne for you.

It is usually the case with a lot of hostels in more rural areas that they often cater to people doing seasonal work and have worklists, some or larger employers providing a minivan transport to/from workplace/hostel.

I'm in the Goulburn Valley (Shepparton)- 2hrs nth of Melbourne and a big fruit area. Yes there have been frosts/drought etc. Word gets out and come harvest growers often have a minor panic that there aren't enough pickers. There is a little bit going on now but until it really gets underway - who knows? The season starts pre-Christmas (cherries and apricots) and can extend to late April (pears, peaches, nectarines, apples...). Occassionally growers will let you camp on their properties (BYO tent, hitching is common so no probs getting in and out of town), pickers cottages etc are v limited, most pickers stay at caravan parks. Shepp has a Harvest Office (near the railway stn) not sure when it opens for the season but can find out if you are interested (they help coordinate jobs, provide info about the area etc). Other work...some vineyards, dairy farms (generally want experienced milkers), etc...

hey check out Australiablog.com I've provided a few links and phone numbers to help you contact the right gov't agencies. you can do anything on an animal farm now as well to count as "regional work" for visa purposes.

one last thing- if you want to take a 5 day class up near Tamworth- you can learn to be a Jackaroo which gives you options for working with Animals. They say they help with job placement. I'll be posting this info to Australiablog this week.

I also just went to a Eucalyptus oil farm on Kangaroo Island SA. They are totally a sustainable eco friendly type place- I'm sure they would like some help! Emu Ridge
[URL=http://www.emuridge.com.au ]http://www.emuridge.com.au [/URL]www.emuridge.com.au

the best way to get under the table work is to bartend or be a bouncer in australia. I did that in melbourne for almost 5 months.