Alon Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 (edited) Hi all, I'm 21 years old, from Israel (holding an american passport aswell) and looking to go on my first backpack trip. My destination is to do a working holiday at Australia, and while trying to figure out the best way to do it the first "promising" thing I ran into was go workabout service ( http://www.goworkabout.com ). After looking a bit in the net and reading posts here in the forum I still couldn't find neither any reviews from people who actually did it nor other better option to get settled quickly with a job. So my questions are Is this service is reliable ? Do you know anyone who did it ? And would you recommend it ? Any help will be appreciated, thx alot! Edited December 20, 2012 by Alon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 The website looks pretty good but don't have any first hand knowledge of it. Met a lot of backpackers around and they seem to be able to get a job when they want, usually just before they run out of money. There are heaps of jobs in coffee shops, pubs and probably shops. From your writing it looks like your English is good so that will be a big plus. Helps to keep your eye on local noticeboards in shops and high streets when you are on your travels, word of mouth from other travellers is also good. There are a couple of backpackers on here who write accounts of where they've been and what they've been up to, do a search for backpacking or something. It's a big country with diverse climates and lots to see. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Yes we've used it before to try to find work! We've also used www.taw.com.au you have to pay for membership but we saw a crap load of backpacker work on there advertised! Also you can use gumtree, and when in aus trawl the local newspapers. Go work about have a facebook page too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smivel Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Haven't seen that one before, look's similar to ozintro.com though. When you thinking of going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Thx for the replies.. End of February/March Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyWears Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Hey Alon! I am going to Aus on 3rd March! Currently doing a lot of research on where to start. I want to start by doing some farm work and/or WWOOF work, hopefully this will give me a good taste of outback Australia and the bonus of counting towards my 2nd Visa! I have heard from a few places that farm work may be easier to find and better quality in Western Australia as everyone and their dog is looking for farm work / fruit picking on the east coast. Have you made any plans yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Hi Billy! have you booked your flight before knowing exactly what you gonna do when you get there?? good for you! I ain't brave enough for that, wish I was tho. I have a friends who've been to Australia and did some wwofing/work so I heard about it from them and decided only like 3 days ago that I really wanna do it. I am looking for fruit picking job aswell, that's why this http://goworkabout.com/Travelling-to-Australia/Apple-Picking deal really got my attention, it sounds perfect for me. The package costs 500$ which is alot, but if its either pay 500$ and earn 2 weeks of wages or get to Australia unemployed the first option sounds better to me(let's say they pay 19$ p/h, 6 hours a day, 5 days a week2X = 1140$ -> WORTH IT). Other than that, I have no plans atm, 3/4 months of fruit picking and a bit of traveling in the wild is what sounds good to me for now, don't know about specific places and such yet.. Where are you from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyWears Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Hmmm... Im not sure about this Go Workabout, have you done any research on this? what is the quality of work like? and why do they need to be paid for finding you the work! I think you have to bite the bullet and book it, that way it puts you into preparation mode for it! I am from Worcestershire in England... Where are you from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bazinga Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Doing 88 days in Tasmania is a good way to get your second year. My nephew is doing that in January. He got the links from the sticky link on here. One is booked up for next year already but the Huon Valley one had space for him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 That is my research ^^, posted about it in couple more forums, no one seems to heard about it, but the agency have been alive for couple of years and looks serious so I dunno, trying to figure out.. Yea I guess you are right about the bite the bullet, but it's my first backpack trip so I feel I need a plan shorted for the start of it first.. Tel Aviv, Israel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyWears Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Just Bite it! Remember you get taxed on that pay! $1140 - tax. but I can see where you are coming from. Do they definitely pay by the hour? most of the fruit picking jobs pay by the bucket? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 All I know is what they said - "You can expect to earn between AUD $17 to $20 per hour." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyWears Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Bite the Bullet! Don't forget you pay tax on that! $1140 - tax. You will be fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyWears Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 hmm yeah that's what i read! sorry about the double post, for some reason wasn't showing so I thought it hadn't sent! Hmm it might be worth inquiring with them about the pay??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Taxes are overrated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Yea I have already sent them 1 mail, they responded pretty quickly but didn't exactly answer my questions lol, tho they did send me a list of what the pack includes : · Pre arrangement of your job before you leave your country, · Pre arrangement of the associated accommodation at your place of work, · Your Working Holiday Visa arranged, · Pre-arranged Australian bank account, · Your Tax File Number arranged, · Access to our mail holding and forwarding service, · Australian mobile phone sim card, · Helpline access for working holiday advice and assistance, · Pre-job orientation at the Go Workabout head office · Transport arrangement to your location of work, and · A Go Workabout Starter Book. This book tells you everything you need to know about your job, orientation meeting, accommodation, transport, arriving in Australia and traveling in Australia. We offer a variety of different job options with our Complete Working Holiday Pack, such as · Farm and Fruit Picking · Hospitality and Housekeeping · Bar work in Country Pubs I doubt that the price is negotiable, anyway I think I might look for other options.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickachu Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 You can arrange the Tax File number for free, when you get here, you HAVE to be here to get it. Just go to the Taxation office the day you land and you can send the paper in immediately, in Brisbane, if you don't have an address they send it to the local post office and you can pick it up from there. Bank account you can fix yourself, NAB can do it for free before you land. Mail, doesn't really matter to much, as I doubt you'll have anything delivered. Phone, you can fix youself really easy when you get here, just go to a phone shop and you can get one easy. The only difficult thing is finding a job, if you've got some experience in hospitality, you'll have no problem finding a job here, there are lots of jobs available. Look on seek.com.au, and careerone.com.au, gumtree also has jobs available. Depends on where you wanna go, what you wanna do etc... but it's very easy to find stuff on your own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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