Laura from the UK spend three months’ doing WWOOF in Australia, here she shares her experience with everything you need to know about the experience and why it offers a brilliant alternative to the tourist trail…
What is WWOOF?
World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an unpredictable, all-hands-to-the pump experience which puts you in touch with real people and local life. If you do your research before you sign up to a placement and are willing to muck in, it can be incredibly rewarding. With hosts round the world looking for people to volunteer, it’s a unique way to go off the beaten track without busting your budget.
How to Get Involved
I joined WWOOF Australia at a travel agency in Sydney and you can do it online too. For Australia, you don’t need a working visa to WWOOF, but that varies from country to country. The key thing I got for my AUS$60 was the WWOOF bible – a directory of hosts throughout the country, what they do, what they’re looking for and their contact details.
The Basics of WWOOFing
You’re expected to work four hours a day on a voluntary basis. Some hosts ask for more, some less, so it’s important to check you’re happy with their expectations before you turn up. In return, your host should provide you with free food and board. The minimum period is usually five days, but some hosts like you to commit to longer.
My Experience WWOOFing
During a three-month stay in Australia, I completed five placements and my jobs ranged hugely. I picked passion fruit and snowpeas, planted lettuces and herbs and fed orphaned calves and lambs. I also edited a smallholder’s website, looked after rare reptiles, manned a flower stall, fixed up a caravan and learned to shoot a rifle. That’s what I mean by unpredictable! In each place, I was welcomed as part of the family by people who wanted to share their way of life and were interested in hearing about mine. My placements ranged from five days to three weeks.
Malcolm and Kathy were two of my favourite hosts – they run Wonganoo, a million-acre cattle station, 200km from the nearest town, in Outback WA. Food and mail is delivered once a week if you’re lucky. They’re constantly battling the elements: drought and a dingo invasion threaten their livelihood daily. A world away from my urban existence in London.
It was a tough two weeks of fixing solar panels, checking watering holes and laying baits, all in intense heat. My days started at 4am and it took us hours to cover the distances around the station. But their kindness and hospitality, the incredible landcapes and the night skies brightened with swathes of stars made for very special memories.
The Horror Stories
I had a great time on my placements, but plenty of other volunteers I worked with had some dodgy WWOOFing tales to tell. One fresh-faced 20-something Belgian guy was invited to look at internet porn alongside his elderly host. A cattle station owner decided to toughen up my French friend – a stylish music venue promoter – by throwing a freshly castrated testicle at her. Then there was the young Czech new ager who was lured to a ‘yoga retreat’ only to find it was actually a rubbish dump ruled by a crazy man on a quad bike.
How to Get the Perfect WWOOF Placement…
There are no guarantees – some placements just might not work out. But if you put in some thought and legwork, you’re more likely to end up enjoying yourself.
Location, location, location: think about the areas of the country you’d like to visit and approach hosts there. That way, you can travel around before and after, and explore during your time off. Hosts usually love sharing local tips on where to go and what to do, and some will give you the full tour!
Do a good pitch: there’s often a lot of competition for WWOOF placements, so you need to persuade your host that you’re worth taking on. Why will your particular skills, experience and interests suit them? Many hosts have a website, which will help you tailor your approach. By doing your research you’ll work out whether they’re right for you too.
Ask questions before you get there: when I was in the Outback, the food choices were limited and my host asked me beforehand if I was happy to eat red meat most of the time. I arrived prepared and left a stone heavier. The important thing was I knew what was coming. By asking about food, accommodation, working hours and free time you’ll know better which placement suits you and avoid nasty surprises.
Speak on the phone: emails are fine but I never agreed to a placement without talking to the host first. It’s much easier to work out whether you click that way.
Go with your instinct: once you’ve asked your questions, spoken on the phone, swapped emails and checked out your host’s website, you should get a good sense of whether you’re a good fit. But sometime you just know… If you have any sense of unease, think again. WWOOF placements are often remote, so it’s worth being as sure as you can before you make that trip. On the other hand, if your host isn’t brilliant on the detail but you feel comfortable and get on well, it could be a match made in heaven.
Laura is a freelance journalist who recently returned from a gap year which took her to India, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.