88 days is what you need to get through to get your second year working holiday visa in Australia. Three months on a farm can be a long time, but you have several options here. You could opt to split it up into several periods and spend them on different farms. A good option for a 3 month commitment is to do your farm work close to a city, so you’re not completely isolated.
The government has defined which areas of Australia are considered rural. Fortunately the whole states of South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are considered rural. This means that even if you work in Darwin, Hobart or Adelaide, with all the entertainment and convenience of a city, you can still qualify for a second year in Oz. All you need to do is make sure your work falls into the right category.
Among the approved industries are:
- plant and animal cultivation
- fishing and pearling
- tree farming and felling
- mining
- construction
If you have or get a white card, you can find work in construction in the CBD of the city. You wouldn’t even have to go into the country. If construction isn’t your thing, look for farm work in the outer suburbs and towns surrounding it. As you can read in my 88 days diaries, I did my farm work in a town called Gumeracha in the Adelaide Hills. Most places in the Adelaide Hills have a bus service to the city. This way you can escape small town life on the days you aren’t working.
Even if you don’t want to leave the city, there are options. Just be careful of jobs that advertise child minding or bar work. This does not count as regional work. Some farmers will sign your visa papers anyway, but if you are leaving the country, you could be questioned about the work on your way back. I met a girl who had to answer questions about tomatoes and didn’t quite know how to answer them. She got the benefit of the doubt, but this short trip to New Zealand could have changed her whole plan.
great post 🙂