Fruit picking

coldpaw

I will be starting my 3 months of fruit picking/harvest work in mid june. Does anyone have any reccomendations from their time? I am based in melbourne but planning on heading up in QA and maybe Northern Territories to get some good weather. I have been looking on the web about the conditions etc. also staretd in the harvest trail website. Anyone know any other places on net i should be looking at or how i should go about geetting me a job

Have people found it hard to make sure that your boss signs off each week and the definition of full time. I am lucky enough to have a bit of a cash reserve and i dont wanna break meslelf, just doing it for visa.

Also what type of job would people reccommend?

Will be doing it on my own aswell, i presume that its failry easy to meet other people etc

thanks guys

greenprincess

Try to get a job with an hourly rate. Piece/Box rates can be dodgy!!

Try gumtree.com.au and just keep calling people!! Remember as well, working as a cook/cleaner/ in a road house does NOT count regardless of what they say to you. And if your not willing to risk not getting a 2nd visa dont go down that road

Father Damo

Put your own ad on gunmtree. In no circumstances should you go to a farming town and look for work- they will shaft you rotten. Never undertake a job before

a- Knowing where it is

b- Having a set agreement on wages

Farm work is, in general, robbery. Dont get into it and dont go to the town until you`re sure of the conditions.

The Sweeper

coldpaw wrote: »

I will be starting my 3 months of fruit picking/harvest work in mid june. Does anyone have any reccomendations from their time? I am based in melbourne but planning on heading up in QA and maybe Northern Territories to get some good weather. I have been looking on the web about the conditions etc. also staretd in the harvest trail website. Anyone know any other places on net i should be looking at or how i should go about geetting me a job

Have people found it hard to make sure that your boss signs off each week and the definition of full time. I am lucky enough to have a bit of a cash reserve and i dont wanna break meslelf, just doing it for visa.

Also what type of job would people reccommend?

Will be doing it on my own aswell, i presume that its failry easy to meet other people etc

thanks guys

I live an hour's drive north of Melbourne CBD and my postcode qualifies for the rural postcode requirements.

In fact, some fella with a broad Dublin accent arrived in here the other day with about 14 boxes of strawberries on a wheely trolley from the local strawberry farm. I didn't talk to him, but I should have asked whether he was doing a WHV 2nd-year qualifying stint.

Just something to consider - seeing as it's only three months, if you're settled where you're living and so on, and don't feel you particularly need the character-building and back-breaking labour of outback fruit picking, try making some calls and working smart as opposed to working hard...

coldpaw

"try making some calls and working smart as opposed to working hard..."

The Sweeper and everyone else thanks for the responses. I would love to work smart but one of my friends had to leave the country cause he tried this and it backfired on him so I would rather just do it right and be able to stay in the country for a second year.

I know they gonna try rob me blind have been told that by everyone but ive no choice if i want the visa unfortunately.

so anyone have any reccomendations on where is good to work then??

greenprincess

I'm cotton picking. Its grand when its not raining! You cant pick cotton in the rain.

But I doubt you'll get a cotton job cause the season has already started. I think your right to do it correctly. I've heard of a fair few ppl gettin kicked out of the country to! The best thing to do is to work for an hourly rate. Because at least your guarenteed money then. Just keep checking gumtree, just go through it state by state. The key is to be one of the first to reply! Because it isnt like normal jobs, they dont take applications for a few days, then consider who's best. If they chat to you and you seem to fit the part you usually have the job within a few hrs!
If you cant get an hourly rate at least try and get somewhere that supplys accomodation and food.

Just dont be choosy about where you go!

coldpaw

thanks for all the responses everyone. will just bull on gumtree for a while.

hussey

The Sweeper wrote: »

I live an hour's drive north of Melbourne CBD and my postcode qualifies for the rural postcode requirements.

In fact, some fella with a broad Dublin accent arrived in here the other day with about 14 boxes of strawberries on a wheely trolley from the local strawberry farm. I didn't talk to him, but I should have asked whether he was doing a WHV 2nd-year qualifying stint.

Just something to consider - seeing as it's only three months, if you're settled where you're living and so on, and don't feel you particularly need the character-building and back-breaking labour of outback fruit picking, try making some calls and working smart as opposed to working hard...

Mod I'm not sure about what this means exactly, if it is illegal visa scam or do you mean he's delivering strawberrys as part of the visa?

coldpaw

Has anyone ever worked on a Organic farm as part of their 3 months? I know ou onlyget bed and board but prob not as harsh as the general route and you'll make so little money anyway as there just gonna rip you off and work you to the bone.

medicineboy

I'm wandering the same thing at the moment... I'm travelling with a friend at the moment and a job opened up at an cotton farm. I told him to take it and I would look for something else. He's now working about 12 hours a day, making 18 dollars an hour and food and accommodation is paid for, bastard.
I'm not sure what to do now, I heard that Tasmania can be good money for fruit picking, I'm was considering just heading to a hostel there or some fruit picking town and try to get a job through the hostels there. Good idea? Bad idea?
I'm kind of at a loss now, it was easier travelling with someone. Any ideas?

Also why were people kicked out? Did they not do the 88 days or did they mess up somewhere? Don't want that to happen to me come next march!