Australian Vacations - Working Visas

Forget the vacation packages; have you ever considered a working Australian vacation? Travel to the land down under on a visa for up to 12 months and become employed to pay your way. Many backpackers between the ages of 18 and 30 enter the Australia and travel between seasonal jobs. Here is a look at what's available if you're looking for a unique Aussie adventure. The jobs listed below are in Northern Victoria from Swan Hill to Mildura. Travel from Melbourne is cheap by train or bus and takes 4 hours.

1.In early spring when trees begin to produce fruit, hired help is needed for thinning the crops. This is one of the best jobs to start with since the weather is not so hot in September. Plum trees, peaches, apricots and nectarines all produce tightly bound bunches of small fruit. There are generally 5 or 6 pieces of immature fruit in each bunch, and removing at least 3 of these is essential if the remaining fruit is to grow to a marketable size. Casual laborers can expect around $9-$10 per hour for this kind of work. While it is a little boring, most folks carry a radio with them to hang in the tree and chatting with new people while they work is always interesting. Morning and afternoon snacks are sometimes provided by the employer. Check before you commence work as you may wish to pack your own thermos of coffee and a sandwich if this is not the case.

No lifting is involved.

2. After the fruit trees have been thinned it's time for tomato picking. Some farmers have very large crops which they supply to local manufacturers for transport out of state or to canneries. Others have smaller crops which are sent directly to market overnight for table use. If you have a desire to make some money, picking tomatoes is a decent job. The wage is generally a per hour rate. Some of the larger companies also have later crops in other states further north. Often times after one job in the south is completed, a worker can head north and follow for more tomato picking work. Check whether morning and afternoon tea is provided. Carry a thermos, a lunchbox and a large flask of cool water.

Some moderate lifting is involved.

3. Beginning February, around the second week of the month, you will find many jobs picking grapes. Although some vineyards now use mechanical harvesting machinery, there are those which still require the human touch. Table grapes and some wine grapes are picked by hand, as well as those grapes which are picked for dried fruit. Wages are paid on a contract basis. Grapes are picked into black plastic buckets and the pickers are paid per bucket of fruit based on a per hundred count. Picking grapes is quite easy and is done with the aid of a sharp, short bladed picker's knife. It is unlikely you will escape a day without a nick or two, so be careful! Grapes can also be picked without the knife, just feel with your thumbnail for a knob of the main stem and the bunch with snap right at the join if pinched. The weather is February is very hot in grape growing areas. You may need to carry some cool water although most farmers supply this at the end of each row of vines. Don't drink too much at once! You will need to pack a lunch.( don't eat too many grapes while you're picking them as warm fruit will make you feel very full and sluggish)

Some moderate lifting is involved.

4. There are other crops to pick if you'd prefer not to pick grapes all day in the heat. Choose a job picking fruit from trees instead. These jobs start right before the grape harvest and some last for a few months. There is more shade from a tree than a grapevine and if you're picking apricots there will likely be no work in the afternoons anyway. Apricots have a delicate texture and even though you may not squeeze the fruit your thumbprint will become visible if the fruit is picked after the day has become hot. This makes the fruit less valuable. When picking fruit from a tree you will wear a large bag slung over your shoulders so there is a considerable weight for you to carry. Once full the bags have a hook at the bottom which can be snapped open to allow the fruit to drop gently into a 1 ton bin. Picking apricots may involve using a bucket as the tender fruit will be crushed if picked and carried in such large quantities. If you can't handle the weight, just fill the bag half way before emptying it. Some farmers see this as a time wasting exercise, but most do not mind. Expect a wage of around $8-$10 per hour. Pack a lunch and some cool water.

Some moderate to heavy lifting is involved having to wear the bag.

5. Find a job picking zucchinis or squash. Like apricots, the skin is very tender and becomes even easier to damage once the weather heats up after noon. Even the slightest fingernail nick on a zucchini can greatly reduce the price it fetches at the market. Start at daylight and pick until midday. You may also get a job indoors packing the vegetables after they have been chilled. Expect around $8-$10 per hour. Pack some cool water, a morning snack and a thermos of coffee or tea.

Some lifting is involved.

6. Get a job in a packing shed. This is where the tree fruits are taken and stacked neatly into waxed cartons for transport to market. Standing at a conveyor belt is easy and the sheds are mostly all air conditioned. Someone will show you how they want their fruit packed before you start, so no prior experience is necessary. Peaches are packed into lightweight single layer trays for display purposes. Nectarines, apricots and plums are packed 5 layers deep into boxes. There is very little lifting involved as the boxes are then loaded onto pallets and taken away by a forklift as soon as each box is filled. These are stored in the cool room until the transport arrives to take them to market overnight. This job also pays around $8-$10 per hour. Pack a lunch and some cool water. Most sheds provide coffe and tea for morning and afternoon.

Source:

Working Visas

Australian Department Of Immigration And Citizenship
http://www.immi.gov.au

Madec Jobs- for seasonal employment opportunities, visit:
swanhillonline.com