Fruit Picking!

Doop

Anyone got any good info on fruit picking? cant find work in Syney at the moment so thinking about heading off to pick some fruit! any info on what to avoid? I've read a couple of different things on blogs and stuff, some good, some bad. I'd be well up for some hard work that doesnt bother me, but if anyone has any experiences/ info.... it'd be great to hear them.

I hear cheeries are good to go for, in Tasmania, im not sure how long ill do it for, depends wheather i hate it or not, but at this stage im running out of options... ie money!
We've been in Sydey for 3 weeks now, and no sign of any work albeit bad timing arriving just before christmas. Is me or is Sydney full of irish people struggling to get work?!

Crumble Froo

*keeps keen eye on this thread*

whaddaya mean no work in syd?! :eek:

PhiliousPhogg

Yeah I think it's a bad state of affairs for backpacker jobs in Sydney at the moment from what I've heard. And I know of people in bars getting lousy hours and unreliable shift work. Plus January's gonna bring an unholy influx of recession refugees from Ireland!

I'm thinking of fruitpicking at some stage too for the sake of getting a 2nd visa. I think a lot of people are going to turn to it. Haven't looked into it yet though.

trailerparkboy

Thers plenty of jobs ive got one sorted alrady and im not even flown out yet, if you avoid the big cities theres lots of work.

Larianne

I wrote this on another thread about fruitpicking:

Don't do Bananas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trust me!

Cherry picking and apples are meant to be easier. If you get the job of driving the tractor, you're sorted. It's tough work and you can be treated like **** and you are working with convicts and people who should be convicts!

Working in a shop in the outback is considered farm/rural work so you should look out for those jobs. Would be sooo much handier than working on a farm.

Ring Harvestline and they'll tell you where's good to go at the time of year you want to pick. 1800 062 332.

If you're doing it to get a second WHV make sure the area you are working in is considered rural. Met a German girl who did 3 months on a farm which wasn't considered in a rural area so she had to do another 3 months work!

I worked on 2 Mango farms (Darwin and Katherine area) and a banana farm (Tully, south of Cairns). Got to see the real Australia and met some lovely people but it is hell.

NaiveMelodies

trailerparkboy wrote: »

Thers plenty of jobs ive got one sorted alrady and im not even flown out yet, if you avoid the big cities theres lots of work.

Where you get a job and what is it?

Also, is sydney really that bad for casual work?

One Cold Hand

Why are people trying to get a 2nd year visa when they can't get work in the first place? Seems pointless to me...

Larianne

Getting work in Sydney between Nov-Jan is always going to be difficult as there is a higher concentration of WHMakers in the city. Recession or no recession.

ipodrocker

how good is the rate of pay ?

20 Times 20 Times

ipodrocker wrote: »

how good is the rate of pay ?

about 17 / 20 dollars an hour. Some farmers pay by how much you pick also

Larianne

Sarge wrote: »

about 17 / 20 dollars an hour. Some farmers pay by how much you pick also

was never that much! :rolleyes: $16-18 p/h tops. Getting paid by the amount of fruit you pick is only good if you're fast or are working as a group that is quick at picking.

Doop

Ta for all the info, ill defo give that Harvestline a call and see what they have to say. I'm a bit all over the place tho, still holding out hope for a job here, might just give it to the end of the week.

I'd heard about the bananas alright, apparently coming across horrible spiders is all too common.... ewww, not afraid of a few bugs, but they got some crazy looking spiders here, (havent met any but seen ppls pics!).

As per trailerparkboy, might be easy to get work if you have a skill visa (which i dont only a lowley work/ holiday), but suppose you have a point staying away from the big cites, (and the rest of the irish W/H er's!).

I did more or less get offered a job today, ill probably get a load of abuse for this.... but i dont think ill take it, its one of those 'marketing jobs' trying to flog the equivilant of sky didital and other probucts in shopping centres and sporting events... but i think that just aint me.... i know, i know beggers cant be chosers, but id prob prefere to pack up and head off fruit picking....

oh i duno.... maybe ill just becomme a professional procrastinactor

edward543350

get yourself out of sydney way too many lrish there to help you spend your money:D:D:D fruit picking is like working in hell up at half 5 ever morning working till 4 (if the is not to hot by that 38d) six days a weekdid it for two mnths and was only getting 12dollars a hour still having nitemares:eek::eek:,try heading to brisbane or melb there lots of work around there or even perth ,what skills do you have ?

Dave!

Jeez my idealised image of fruit picking in the outback has been shattered by this thread! Up at 5.30, working with convicts in the boiling sun 6 days a week for f*ck all money??? Doesn't sound great lads!

What other jobs are available in the rural areas (that might qualify for the 2nd WHV)?

NaiveMelodies

Dave! wrote: »

Jeez my idealised image of fruit picking in the outback has been shattered by this thread! Up at 5.30, working with convicts in the boiling sun 6 days a week for f*ck all money??? Doesn't sound great lads!

What other jobs are available in the rural areas (that might qualify for the 2nd WHV)?

Ha me too, was planning on spending a month or 2 picking grapes, while getting a great tan and saving lots of money for the cities!

edward543350

look if you can drive tractors or have worked with animal you could maybe get jobs as jackaroos penty of jobs in nsw for these,as i said stay away from fruit picking :eek::eek:

Larianne

Dave! wrote: »

Jeez my idealised image of fruit picking in the outback has been shattered by this thread! Up at 5.30, working with convicts in the boiling sun 6 days a week for f*ck all money??? Doesn't sound great lads!

What other jobs are available in the rural areas (that might qualify for the 2nd WHV)?

Try get a job in a shop/pertrol station in the outback. Planting/pruning trees is a handy option I heard. Just make sure to check the job is considered in a rural area!!

Working anywhere along the backpacker route i.e. east coast - Bowen, Bundaberg etc. is the worst to work in as they know the travellers need the job so take advantage of this. You're lucky you speak english. The Korean/Japanese get a horrible time of farms it seemed.

You either get lucky or don't. People who say they loved 'working' on farms are the ones who had the easiest jobs - drove tractors or played with the sheep!

As regards to spiders and snakes- I worked out in the Banana paddocks for 2 months and didn't see any snakes or spiders just lots of cane toads and tree frogs. It's when you are de-bagging the banana bunches, that's where all the action is. Rats, snakes, spiders the lot.

I'd stay away from Mangoes as well. The job wasn't too hard but you can get Mango rash from touching the Mangoes and also the stem has sap that can burn and scar your skin so you have to watch for that when picking.

Pick a fruit where you have to reach up to instead of down so it saves your back. Cherries and apples seem to be the easiest to work on.