Working around OZ share stories

[greg&donna]

Hi claws..we are in Parkes at the moment and will be hrer till end of May..to bad we weren’t here the same time as you guys .we will be heading back up to north QLD for a couple of months (Townsville home) then who knows after that..so hope you travel well..might meet on the road sometime…

[JayDee]

We met 4 young Frenchmen whilst Free Camping at Mt Walsh just out of Biggerden in Queensland. The boys are going Orange Manderin picking for a few weeks to offset the expenses.
Bloody hell, why can not some of our folks on the dole get out there and do the same thing.
I afraid that I am to old and would fall of the bloody ladder try to get to the best fruit at the top of the tree.
But the opportunity is there for anyone who want work fruit picking.
Plus also I am told that a number of the properties also allow one to camp on site.
Jay&Dee,

[denisedekker]

Hello happy travellers,

My husband and I are getting organised to become grey nomads and travel this wonderful country of ours.

We are close to retiring age but will have to work until that day comes and I think also beyond as the government are not making it very easy for us pensioners.

We are keen to pick up work along the way and I have been reading your posts and how you are working. How have you found work around Oz – is it through the harvest trail, net or simply just by talking to the locals. I have heard about registering on workaboutaustralia is anyone with them and if so is it a good site.

see you all on the road very soon.

stay safe

Denise and Bill

[zigzagps]

Hello everyone.
I am really interested in this topic too. Hubby and I are starting our trip next year. We will be funded partly by my long service leave but then we shall be looking for work along the way. To those of you who have found short term work whilst travelling, I would really love to hear how you actually found out about the jobs. C&M could this be a topic for a future magazine article? Denise and Bill did you end up finding work? Did you end up registering with Workabout? Was it money well spent or not? Are there other means of finding out? Please, I’d love some info as it will help with our planning. Cheers.

[Pleasure bound]

We are also intetested in this topic.My delema is, do we sell the house.Both retirement age and able to work, aged care and disability care etc, caretaking etc.What have other people done with the house.
Cheers
Barb

[Brian]

I have never found it hard to pick up casual work. Picked up mechanical work, ran a caravan park, and a motel, drove a truck, helped in a kitchen, waited tables, fencing.
I have found employers look for a can do attitude and willingness to give it a go, experience is not essential. Dont put yourself in a box and say I can only do that sort of work.
The lady who worked in HR and OHS would be met with a blank stare when she mentions that in most country businesses. Cooking or cleaning, shop work, courier work, anything is possible if you are willing to try.

[Outback Granny Flat]

Just lucky enough to score a full time job in Darwin. I have heard that they are looking for bus drivers to carry all workers for the gas line up here. $41 an hour split shifts, not bad money. I believe its 4 weeks on, 1 week off.

Cheers
Max
OGF

[isalot]

Hi there,
We have lived in Mount Isa for 17 years but have sold our house, bought a bus, we’re still working and now living in a park – our neighbors in the park have been on the road working for 8 years and have never had a problem finding work. We took 2011 off, did 1 1/2 laps and could of worked where ever we went, that gave us the confidence to take the step to sell up. We hope to get back on the road in the next year and really can’t wait!!
Cheers,

[Marg McAlister]

Doug and Glenda, it’s good to hear from you and find out what you’re doing these days! We really enjoyed meeting you in Mt Isa. Gosh, that seems so long ago now!

I’ve interviewed quite a few people who are working on the road, and they manage to find it in all kinds of different ways. Word of mouth, local CES or job finding agencies, SEEK online, following the harvest trail… Rob and I joined up to WorkAbout Australia (Rosehill Caravan Show special) and Justine sends out a newsletter every Friday with work opportunities. (They’re on the website too, but if you join up you hear about the jobs a week or so before they’re posted online.)
http://www.workaboutaustralia.com.au/

Then there are the kind of jobs you take with you. Examples: plumbing, sewing, hairdressing, handyman type services, selling crafts, and – in my case – writing. If you do a lot of writing in your current job (or you just enjoy it as a hobby) you can earn money writing. Caravan and Motorhome are always looking for readers’ stories or travel features. If you like this idea, make sure you have a good camera (10mpx or better – even the small pocket cameras will usually do that these days) because photos are important. You can also write books and sell them on Amazon.

Cheers
Marg

[grae and deb]

hi greg and donna been meaning to add to this post tooo, think its a great post to encourage all and share some stories , we hit the road for the big one and hah ! have only got too tassie so far but its a big trip tooo do and although small state lots too see even though we have been here over the years a lot in the past , our story of working so far around oz has been experience in tassie , me being in earth moving all my life has in one sense made it easier to find work , several jobs so far from subdivision work to relief backhoe work ,originally meant to be 2 weeks went for 13 weeks , truck driving in another spot , even thought of bunnings too , several workers at bunnings said just go and see the store manager which we havent done but may do one day , personally we have found loads of help from staff in these stores and yep a lot of them are our age , we have the years of expereince behind us , so someting for all those handy type of people to consider ,you never know
happy travelling all , looks like we may be going back to the back hoe job for a while longer again , so a positive story from us in tassie ,STILL !