[Afarang]

Hello, I am currently doing a WHV in Australia. Figure I would write a datasheet, at the time of writing I have another 8 months left.

Cost of visa: the visa cost is currently $420 Aus. For this you get to stay a whole year in Australia and you are allowed to work. You can work any job you wish, but the visa conditions state you can only work for 6 months with one employer maximum. So the chances of getting a good paid office job, is not impossible, but highly unlikely. You are only allowed on in your life time, you have to be between the ages of 18-30. Only applies to certain countries.

Getting a 2nd working holiday visa: The only way you can get a 2nd working holiday visa in Australia is if you complete work in a regional area, meeting specific conditions. You must work 3 months in a position. The job varies, you may get a nice easy job that pays well, or you may get a very hard job that pays nothing.

2nd year visa jobs are large in supply, but finding one that pays you well is getting harder each year. You can do volunteer work to get your 2nd year visa, but id rather get paid.

How much money can you earn?

This again varies greatly, I would say anywhere from $0- $70,000. So many factors that can affect this. Your skill set, how hard you look for jobs, how lucky you get with jobs, do you want to do manual labour jobs and how many months you would like to work.

If you can use farm machinery or drive a tractor, it’s not to hard to find a job that will pay $20-30hr, assuming you speak English. Can work as many 100hours per week if its harvest season.

However it’s not all good news, a lot of people struggle to find work, such as fruit picking work that pays well, a lot more people are coming on a WHV to Oz now. Depending on seasons their could be more supply of workers than demand of work, I know some people who haven’t found decent work for months.

Scams are not uncommon either, or very low paying jobs where you cant make any money. A typical backpacker scam is where a farmer will offer you a job if you pay him for a “finders fee”, then you also pay him for rent, he puts 5-6 people in a room and half the time the job never starts.

I did onion picking where I appox earned around $20 and hour and I also did pumpkin picking which is an hourly job paid between $17-$28/hr. Packing and shed work is the easiest, as you are in the shade and its usually full of girls.

The best jobs are the big harvests such as wheat and cotton, working weeks are usually around 40-100hrs, they are paid quite well and most of the time they paid for your board. Wages are usually $25/hr

The above is all about FARM jobs, jobs as a bartender/waiter/office work/labour/welder I cant comment on too much, but if you land any of these jobs, they usually pay okay. The min wage is $17/hr in Oz.

Monthly budget:

The budget can vary, I was living on $500 in Australia when I lived in a rural town, and all I did was work and eat. Living in a bigger city like Sydney, nice place and wanting to go out and eat out will cost around $2k+ a month.


Girls:

A ton of backpackers here, mostly from Europe/UK/Asia, they have these caravan parks in rural towns which is usually full of backpackers. They party all the time and from everyone tells me its one big shag fest. The hostels are pretty much the same too, wont have too much trouble with girls here.

I have briefly seen Sydney, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane. If you have any further questions feel free to post here ill do my best to answer.

[Afarang]

onion farm



Sydney, Bondi,



Pumpkins

[libertad1312]

No offence, but this is rather a datasheet how NOT to do it, unless you just want to make the experience of living in down under for a while.

The australian government is really smart. They sell all their jobs that nobody else wants to do to backpackers as an "amazing experience". Especially in the places around the eastcoast there are much more backpackers, who are desperate for work, than jobs.

If you are using your WHV visa to save money then you need to get into the mining towns. There are some exceptions. I have met a few guys who could make up to 30$ on farms, but this was in the south and maybe 1 out of 100 people while all the others usually worked for 16-20 bucks as slaves.

If you want to really save money, then you need to move to the mining towns in WA and work in the construction. A few years ago it was enough to show up unskilled in Karratha and start working on 30$ an hour. These places are usually hot as hell and the work is hard. You will be working 60-80 hours a week, so basically just working and sleeping. But if you do it right you can save 10.000$ per month. From what I have heard the "good times" are over there, as the word did spread too much and the town is slowly becoming a city.

Now Onslow or Newman should be good choices as most people in Karratha rather spend all their savings there while waiting for a job instead of jumping in unknown territory. I would just compare the advertisments for the jobs of different cites or ask locals on couchsurfing etc. This will help you getting an idea, but you need to show up to get a job.

Decide for one place and then show up there. Accomodations are rare and expensive, so better bring a car or van and make it your new home for a while or plan to sleep a few nights outside till you have found a sharehouse. Then get a faked resume with lots of labouring work and atleast one australian reference. The last part is very important. Just write down a number of an australian friend. Then drop your resume at all agencies and make a good impression. Show them that you are not just another backpacker who has never worked in his life before. But dont worry, if you are at the right time at the right place than you will get a job anyway. Get up early the next morning, dress your working clothes and then walk from construction site to site and ask them for jobs. Always tell them you have done what they are doing before. Even if you have no clue, it does not matter, as all these labouring jobs are very easy and you will pick them up before any of these easy-going dudes will kick you out.

Even with no skills and bad to average english skills you can land a job for 30-40$ like this, sometimes including free accomodation.

All this information above is for unqualified labour work! If you are actually good at welding, carpenting, fencing or similiar stuff, then you could just buy the tools and work on your own. Even if you are working for somebody else you can aim for much better salaries.

These construction jobs usually qualify for your 2nd-year visa. If you are planning to work 2 full years then you should just invest a few grand in tickets and it will pay of in a much better monthly salary and overall easier work. Rigger, Scaff folding, Cranes...

Get an ABN and work on this, instead of the TFN. Then the taxes wont be deducted and often enough they dont ask you. Some people forget to pay them or just decide to never come back again.

Also the statement "You must work 3 months in a position." is wrong as you can count all the days of various jobs together. There are even ways to get around this if you have not reached the number of days, but this gets harder though.

"The above is all about FARM jobs, jobs as a bartender/waiter/office work/labour/welder I cant comment on too much, but if you land any of these jobs, they usually pay okay. The min wage is $17/hr in Oz."
-This is wrong as well. The min wage is different in every state. Bartender and waiter jobs are easy to get, but they are more likely to have normal working hours as 8 hours per day. Considering the high living costs and the boring country that forces you to drink and take drugs you wont hardly make any savings.

[Afarang]

you wont be getting a mining job nowadays unless you have good connections. When was your in Oz last? Because its changed a lot from 5-6 years ago, hell from what I have heard its changed dramatically from a year ago. No way people are getting $30-40/ph for farm jobs with no skills for farm jobs unless they just got lucky.

Also the min wage is rather $16/hr for anyone over 20. (oops $1off).

(02-28-2014 05:43 AM)libertad1312 Wrote:  

Also the statement "You must work 3 months in a position." is wrong as you can count all the days of various jobs together. There are even ways to get around this if you have not reached the number of days, but this gets harder though.

"The above is all about FARM jobs, jobs as a bartender/waiter/office work/labour/welder I cant comment on too much, but if you land any of these jobs, they usually pay okay. The min wage is $17/hr in Oz."
-This is wrong as well. The min wage is different in every state. Bartender and waiter jobs are easy to get, but they are more likely to have normal working hours as 8 hours per day. Considering the high living costs and the boring country that forces you to drink and take drugs you wont hardly make any savings.

There is an award wage now which I believe means you get paid a certain amount, federal law or something, I could be mistaken, the rules here confuse me. and sorry I meant you have to do 3 months work, I just got in from work, I didn't write that too well. I also did state that all the above is about farm work, not sure why you had a cow over it though, but thanks for clearing up other types of jobs, which I haven't done yet to comment on.

[Logie]

In my 6 months in WA I met 2 backpackers who were able to get work in the mines. One got his through a friend the other by literally phoning up the same company every single day for 4 months.

Also I was told it wasn't all it was made out to be. There's a massive turn over rate for a reason and the money is only going to go so far when your on your time off. I'm considering farm work now. In all honesty though I'm sick of oz and want to get back to Asia an extra 5-6000 would come in very handy though.

[Afarang]

I just done my 3 months regional work and I kind of feel the same logie. I mean the money is okay, but meh I think Asia is better, but I have never been a fan of western countries. I am just staying for another 9 months to earn some capital to start a few business ideas, but I would leave to Asia in a heart beat. Not sure if you feel like that.

[libertad1312]

I am not talking about mining jobs, but about jobs IN mining town. It has always been hard to get into the mines and wont get easier. But when they are building or working on mines that means that they have to build a whole city around. This is where you can get good paid jobs compared to farm work.

I was there last year the last time and am still in touch with friends who are there and saving good money if they listen to the advices and take the risks. Of course it does change. But it is the city that changes, not the principle of remote towns that have to be build from scratch due to the rich resources under the earth.

And whenever there is a very remote town then there will be a lack of workers which results in good salaries. Otherwise nobody would move there.

[Afarang]

^The cotton harvest is on very soon, me and my friend are unsure if we should drive in (About 500km) to the town and just sit their for jobs to turn up. I rang the agency who is searching for staff, they told me they need people with machinery/tractor work not unskilled people. I mean here I can earn about $20~, but if i take the risk and go inland, wages will go up to $25-30 and the hours too. not totally sure on our move yet.

[Logie]

The remote town idea could be interesting sounds a bit risky without some decent bankroll to see you through till you find a job.

[Yeti]

(02-28-2014 06:08 AM)Logie Wrote:  

In my 6 months in WA I met 2 backpackers who were able to get work in the mines. One got his through a friend the other by literally phoning up the same company every single day for 4 months.

Also I was told it wasn't all it was made out to be. There's a massive turn over rate for a reason and the money is only going to go so far when your on your time off. I'm considering farm work now. In all honesty though I'm sick of oz and want to get back to Asia an extra 5-6000 would come in very handy though.

Australia may be becoming a land for the rich and connected. Good luck getting a mine job on a shitty working holiday visa.

[libertad1312]

I forgot to mention this one. But yeah, these jobs are even easier to find than construction work in the right place at the right time and still pay like 18-22$ plus overtime. Same or better money and much easier work than on the farm.
Still an option if you cannot get a better job after 1-2 weeks.

And one more time: My information is up-to-date.

[Logie]

I worked in a hotel cleaning and was getting 22 an hour, 26 on sat and 30 on sun. Regardless I didn't find it that easy. Your talking monumental levels of boredom and the need for speed and perfection is just a fucking pain in the ass.

[Kdog]

Australian women are just dreadful.

[Vroom]

(02-28-2014 12:43 PM)Kdog Wrote:  

Australian women are just dreadful.

This isn't the first time I've seen this said, and I just don't get it.

I can't go even 5 seconds in the perth CBD on any given day, with seeing a dozen WB's. Sure, they have been infected with a good dose of feminist bullshit, but that's no different to any other western country.

I'm sure Australians probably have a reputation for defending anything australian to the death, whether deserved or not, but I'm not even Australian. There really are a lot of seriously good looking girls here.

I suspect it's not a matter of them being dreadful, but a matter of bitterness at having struck out with them, most likely because the "raw masculinity" game that works in other western countries, is their bread and butter.

[T and A Man]

Perth does have a higher than normal number of good looking girls. There has been a strain of genes introduced here, and it's shown by having a very high number of catwalk models per capita.

The rest now are awful. When I moved here in 99, it was quite good but their bodies are much bigger now. You'd easily encounter snark, but if you overrode that, perth chicks are notorious for SNL's.

Most Australians here are quite the opposite of 'defending anything Australian', most here recognise the medicority of Australia in many areas. I think Vroom has picked it, it's hard for a caveman act to stand out in Australia, particularly that the bogan has been cashed up now for 10 years.

[Yeti]

(02-28-2014 09:11 PM)T and A Man Wrote:  

Perth does have a higher than normal number of good looking girls. There has been a strain of genes introduced here, and it's shown by having a very high number of catwalk models per capita.

The rest now are awful. When I moved here in 99, it was quite good but their bodies are much bigger now. You'd easily encounter snark, but if you overrode that, perth chicks are notorious for SNL's.

Most Australians here are quite the opposite of 'defending anything Australian', most here recognise the medicority of Australia in many areas. I think Vroom has picked it, it's hard for a caveman act to stand out in Australia, particularly that the bogan has been cashed up now for 10 years.

Cashed-up bogans in the bush =P

The truck driver making $100k along the mining route.

Flying back to his home in Bali and fucking his harem, doing blow.

Fly back to the bush and move more minerals.

[T and A Man]

Well those jobs will be the first to go.

Military UAV/drone technology has been co-opted, and a civilian applicatin is now vogue de jure at Rio Tinto. The trucks are now automated.

But those guys who have networked enough to FIFIO out of Bali/Thailand... yeah they live the dream. Good on 'em.

[evilhei]

I have also done this program in 2008-2009. I was also in WA and worked in the mine city of Karratha. The salary was good there but conditions were horrible, finding a house was mission impossible and cost like 1000 a week atleast. I only stayed there for couple of weeks, it was too hard to sleep in the car, shower in the airport, spend the day off in the 35 degree heat because no other place to go.

I spent my last 2-3 months in Victoria, working in a grape warehouse, lifting grape boxes 14-18 hours a day 7 days a week but in some strange way it was very enjoyable, something like Jack London describes in his books, the hard work and pushing yourself to the limits gets kinda addicting and enjoyable.

[GyopoPlayboy]

Before coming to Asia from the states, I had always fantasized about moving to OZ. To that end, I've compiled some info over the years that Id like to add to OP's datasheet.

So here are some points I want to share:

1. Timing is very key. WHV work is more often than not seasonal in nature. If you're on the Gold Coast from Nov-Feb bars, bars, resorts, and other tourist-centric businesses are always hiring. Pearl diving is a lucrative field that is looking to hire deckhands from Apr-Oct. Its important to know WHEN to look.

2. If you're the kind of personality that could sell binoculars to blind people, there are always always always jobs available for you in OZ (or perhaps anywhere in the world). The big thing there is selling cheaper alternative energy plans, for which you may/will have to knock on doors or call people all day. You earn a commission of course, and so your earning potential depends on you. This is hearsay, but decent salespeople will bring in $500 AUD/week. The gifted can do far far better. Good for those with skin as thick as a bank vault. Ive heard there are places that hire party promoters as well but i dont have enough information on this and expect it to be no different from party promoting in any other country.

3. Outback resorts are also a good option IF you're okay with being stranded in the middle of nowhere for awhile. You do all sorts of different jobs while you're there and can request more hours if they see youre a hard worker and not like the usual backpackin riffraff that ups and disappears every few weeks. You'll get rooming (heavily discounted...we're talking like 100/week) and maybe even meals thrown in as well. You wont have much reason to spend what you earn there so everything you collect can go straight into the piggy bank.

4. OZ is expensive as shit. Not all cities are the same. But still bloody expensive. Its not the easy life it used to be for backpackers to just show up and have a job within hours of landing.

5. Office work is also readily available in the big cities. Pay is usually better ($20+/hour) but if you were gonna work an office job you coulda just stayed home right?

Thats all Ive got for now. We had a dude named BahamasPapa on here I use to PM with before he got canned. Black dude who was working a tradie job on a WHV and banging loads of white chix. If anything, he'd probably vouch that the best paying jobs in OZ will be in the trades in the O&G or minerals industry.

Also this is just something Ive generally noticed about RVF, but anytime white western women get brought up, its automatically "feminist bullshit" this and "fat entitled bitches" that. Maybe in comparison to other parts of the world this is true, but its never really THAT bad. Plenty of gorgeous, in-shape, non-feminist women in OZ. Esp along Gold Coast/Byron Bay area. True, they'll respond better to you if you're tall, jacked-up, and hyper-masculine, but doesnt that apply anywhere you go?

[tooshort]

(02-28-2014 04:35 AM)Afarang Wrote:  

Hello, I am currently doing a WHV in Australia. Figure I would write a datasheet, at the time of writing I have another 8 months left.

Cost of visa: the visa cost is currently $420 Aus. For this you get to stay a whole year in Australia and you are allowed to work. You can work any job you wish, but the visa conditions state you can only work for 6 months with one employer maximum. So the chances of getting a good paid office job, is not impossible, but highly unlikely. You are only allowed on in your life time, you have to be between the ages of 18-30. Only applies to certain countries.

Getting a 2nd working holiday visa: The only way you can get a 2nd working holiday visa in Australia is if you complete work in a regional area, meeting specific conditions. You must work 3 months in a position. The job varies, you may get a nice easy job that pays well, or you may get a very hard job that pays nothing.

2nd year visa jobs are large in supply, but finding one that pays you well is getting harder each year. You can do volunteer work to get your 2nd year visa, but id rather get paid.

How much money can you earn?

This again varies greatly, I would say anywhere from $0- $70,000. So many factors that can affect this. Your skill set, how hard you look for jobs, how lucky you get with jobs, do you want to do manual labour jobs and how many months you would like to work.

If you can use farm machinery or drive a tractor, it’s not to hard to find a job that will pay $20-30hr, assuming you speak English. Can work as many 100hours per week if its harvest season.

However it’s not all good news, a lot of people struggle to find work, such as fruit picking work that pays well, a lot more people are coming on a WHV to Oz now. Depending on seasons their could be more supply of workers than demand of work, I know some people who haven’t found decent work for months.

Scams are not uncommon either, or very low paying jobs where you cant make any money. A typical backpacker scam is where a farmer will offer you a job if you pay him for a “finders fee”, then you also pay him for rent, he puts 5-6 people in a room and half the time the job never starts.

I did onion picking where I appox earned around $20 and hour and I also did pumpkin picking which is an hourly job paid between $17-$28/hr. Packing and shed work is the easiest, as you are in the shade and its usually full of girls.

The best jobs are the big harvests such as wheat and cotton, working weeks are usually around 40-100hrs, they are paid quite well and most of the time they paid for your board. Wages are usually $25/hr

The above is all about FARM jobs, jobs as a bartender/waiter/office work/labour/welder I cant comment on too much, but if you land any of these jobs, they usually pay okay. The min wage is $17/hr in Oz.

Monthly budget:

The budget can vary, I was living on $500 in Australia when I lived in a rural town, and all I did was work and eat. Living in a bigger city like Sydney, nice place and wanting to go out and eat out will cost around $2k+ a month.


Girls:

A ton of backpackers here, mostly from Europe/UK/Asia, they have these caravan parks in rural towns which is usually full of backpackers. They party all the time and from everyone tells me its one big shag fest. The hostels are pretty much the same too, wont have too much trouble with girls here.

I have briefly seen Sydney, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane. If you have any further questions feel free to post here ill do my best to answer.

[b]They party all the time and from everyone tells me its one big shag fest.

im not sure about the shag fest mate i know its a good country for drinkin buddys but the hostel cockblock reality is alive and well in 99 percent of Australian backpacker hostels.
.

[perspective]

Having spent a lot of time in Australia I can confirm everything libertad1312 has said about working in Australia. It's spot on. Opportunity still abounds but no one is going to hand you a 150k job either. The price of iron ore has fallen 20% since January so watch out for some changes in that sphere. Australia is lucky though ... gold has spiked and the oil and gas industry isn't going to disappear any time soon. Massive offshore projects are underway in WA.

As to the women, there are plenty of great looking Australian women (just don't let them speak), but in places like Perth there are a dispropotionate number of young males so as GyopoPlayboy indicated - you'll need to be at the top of your game to pull them, especially if you don't have a social proof. Foreign tourists are far easier exploits.

[Jack Of All Trades]

Bump, anyone know if there's transfer agreements between Oz and canada for skilled profession? like trades? I'm in a metal trade and all I know is that it seems transfer and recognition of previous experience is done on a case by case basis. You get all your paperwork together and send it in to the department of industry and science.

http://www.industry.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx

I'm sick of bastard cold winters in Alberta. I want to hit the WHV when I get my journeyman status.

[Apollo21]

(02-28-2014 04:35 AM)Afarang Wrote:  

Hello, I am currently doing a WHV in Australia. Figure I would write a datasheet, at the time of writing I have another 8 months left.

Cost of visa: the visa cost is currently $420 Aus. For this you get to stay a whole year in Australia and you are allowed to work. You can work any job you wish, but the visa conditions state you can only work for 6 months with one employer maximum. So the chances of getting a good paid office job, is not impossible, but highly unlikely. You are only allowed on in your life time, you have to be between the ages of 18-30. Only applies to certain countries.

Getting a 2nd working holiday visa: The only way you can get a 2nd working holiday visa in Australia is if you complete work in a regional area, meeting specific conditions. You must work 3 months in a position. The job varies, you may get a nice easy job that pays well, or you may get a very hard job that pays nothing.

2nd year visa jobs are large in supply, but finding one that pays you well is getting harder each year. You can do volunteer work to get your 2nd year visa, but id rather get paid.

How much money can you earn?

This again varies greatly, I would say anywhere from $0- $70,000. So many factors that can affect this. Your skill set, how hard you look for jobs, how lucky you get with jobs, do you want to do manual labour jobs and how many months you would like to work.

If you can use farm machinery or drive a tractor, it’s not to hard to find a job that will pay $20-30hr, assuming you speak English. Can work as many 100hours per week if its harvest season.

However it’s not all good news, a lot of people struggle to find work, such as fruit picking work that pays well, a lot more people are coming on a WHV to Oz now. Depending on seasons their could be more supply of workers than demand of work, I know some people who haven’t found decent work for months.

Scams are not uncommon either, or very low paying jobs where you cant make any money. A typical backpacker scam is where a farmer will offer you a job if you pay him for a “finders fee”, then you also pay him for rent, he puts 5-6 people in a room and half the time the job never starts.

I did onion picking where I appox earned around $20 and hour and I also did pumpkin picking which is an hourly job paid between $17-$28/hr. Packing and shed work is the easiest, as you are in the shade and its usually full of girls.

The best jobs are the big harvests such as wheat and cotton, working weeks are usually around 40-100hrs, they are paid quite well and most of the time they paid for your board. Wages are usually $25/hr

The above is all about FARM jobs, jobs as a bartender/waiter/office work/labour/welder I cant comment on too much, but if you land any of these jobs, they usually pay okay. The min wage is $17/hr in Oz.

Monthly budget:

The budget can vary, I was living on $500 in Australia when I lived in a rural town, and all I did was work and eat. Living in a bigger city like Sydney, nice place and wanting to go out and eat out will cost around $2k+ a month.


Girls:

A ton of backpackers here, mostly from Europe/UK/Asia, they have these caravan parks in rural towns which is usually full of backpackers. They party all the time and from everyone tells me its one big shag fest. The hostels are pretty much the same too, wont have too much trouble with girls here.

I have briefly seen Sydney, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane. If you have any further questions feel free to post here ill do my best to answer.

That's amazing. I did not know that. So you can essentially spend a whole year off in Australia living by the beach and going out with girls. That's so awesome. I'm adding Australia to my list.

[Kdog]

Is anyone doing this now? It has been something I've considered in the past. With Canada's economy slowing in oil/gas and the winter that is not too far away I have been pondering it recently. I am assuming with world oil prices down that the oil patch work there is also slowing, though I have no contacts there or any on the ground info on the economy and job market.

[Afarang]

(08-03-2015 06:46 PM)Kdog Wrote:  

Is anyone doing this now? It has been something I've considered in the past. With Canada's economy slowing in oil/gas and the winter that is not too far away I have been pondering it recently. I am assuming with world oil prices down that the oil patch work there is also slowing, though I have no contacts there or any on the ground info on the economy and job market.

The AUD is tanking at the moment, it has lost around 20-25% of its value. Not sure if it would be worth it currently, unless you play on working and having a holiday there, in which case it would not matter so much. But to work then move to say Asia or something, I may hold off until their currency gets stronger.

If you go in September, I know a little town near Brisbane that has work for most of September - December, it's not easy but you can make $20-$25 if you work hard (very hard) and are fast.