dmjg Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 I'm really struggling tonight. I've got all anxious and emotional over something silly and I'm having one of those "I could just go home moments". I think the thought of the fruit picking is making me extra anxious because everyone here keep telling me bad stuff about it Whatever you end up doing on a fruit farm, I can guarentee its nowhere near as bad as getting out of a warm bed at three am, in the driving wind and rain, two degrees before the wind chill factor is taken into account, to put bailing twine around a stuck calfs legs, and haul on them for an hour in the mud, before the calf is finally dragged out, to then carry it to the shed, have to give yourself a quick wash to get rid of the batter of amniotic fluid and mud caked over you from head to toe, then back into a cold bed for a few hours before getting up to work another day. Repeat on a random twenty nights between July and October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Whatever you end up doing on a fruit farm, I can guarentee its nowhere near as bad as getting out of a warm bed at three am, in the driving wind and rain, two degrees before the wind chill factor is taken into account, to put bailing twine around a stuck calfs legs, and haul on them for an hour in the mud, before the calf is finally dragged out, to then carry it to the shed, have to give yourself a quick wash to get rid of the batter of amniotic fluid and mud caked over you from head to toe, then back into a cold bed for a few hours before getting up to work another day. Repeat on a random twenty nights between July and October. Been there, done that except with foals not calves. Up all night then back to work in the morning. Yes, I think I'd preferred to be picking fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 Thats true. Ive calmed down a lot. I got chatting to another backpacker on facebook who has mutual friends with me and turns out shes at the same place as me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 (edited) My five cents on manual farm work. - Its hard. Dont rush from the start, youll burn out. Pace yourself. - On the first three days, everyone else is faster than you. Accept it. Pace yourself. You will catch up after a week or so. Some people you will never catch, accept it. - You will get exceeding tired. Go to bed early, especially in the first week. You may look like a party pooper, but you can start staying up with the party crowd after you get in the swing. Pace yourself. - You will get easily dehydrated and burnt. Drink lots, sunscreen lots. Buy a floppy hat, wear loose, light clothing, keep away from crop tops. - There will be days you dont feel hungry, especially in the first week, all you will want to do is collapse and go to bed. Eat, your body is working hard, it needs fuel. - Everything is heavy. Protect your body with clothing over the places things rub. - Dont refuse to listen or follow instructions. This is a farmers livelihood, they are the ones that sink or swim, pretty much everything depends on getting the harvest in quickly and without damage. But, the positives: - You will get better at it, it takes time. The farmer, and some of the pickers, have been doing this for years, some have been doing it for decades. They dont expect you to be an expert on the first day, even though they would like you to be...... - You will get amazing fit, fitter than you have probably ever been. - Physical work is strangly enjoyable after a while, but still always tiring. Pace yourself. - Youll meet lots of lovely people. - Youll get the opportunity to extend your visa. ETA - youll be fine if you pace yourself :biggrin: Good luck Edited May 15, 2016 by dmjg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the bottler Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 My five cents on manual farm work. - Its hard. Dont rush from the start, youll burn out. Pace yourself. - On the first three days, everyone else is faster than you. Accept it. Pace yourself. You will catch up after a week or so. Some people you will never catch, accept it. - You will get exceeding tired. Go to bed early, especially in the first week. You may look like a party pooper, but you can start staying up with the party crowd after you get in the swing. Pace yourself. - You will get easily dehydrated and burnt. Drink lots, sunscreen lots. Buy a floppy hat, wear loose, light clothing, keep away from crop tops. - There will be days you dont feel hungry, especially in the first week, all you will want to do is collapse and go to bed. Eat, your body is working hard, it needs fuel. - Everything is heavy. Protect your body with clothing over the places things rub. - Dont refuse to listen or follow instructions. This is a farmers livelihood, they are the ones that sink or swim, pretty much everything depends on getting the harvest in quickly and without damage. But, the positives: - You will get better at it, it takes time. The farmer, and some of the pickers, have been doing this for years, some have been doing it for decades. They dont expect you to be an expert on the first day, even though they would like you to be...... - You will get amazing fit, fitter than you have probably ever been. - Physical work is strangly enjoyable after a while, but still always tiring. Pace yourself. - Youll meet lots of lovely people. - Youll get the opportunity to extend your visa. ETA - youll be fine if you pace yourself :biggrin: Good luck wise words Dan ... it was kind of you to do that for Stacey ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booma Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 i picked cherries on my whv. lost weight & had a fab time while i was at it. my arms were especially sore to start with but you get used to it fairly quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 i picked cherries on my whv. lost weight & had a fab time while i was at it. my arms were especially sore to start with but you get used to it fairly quickly. I picked grapes in France many moons ago for 4 weeks. Yes, tiring to start with but good fun and also met a great bunch of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movingback Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 I picked grapes in France many moons ago for 4 weeks. Yes, tiring to start with but good fun and also met a great bunch of people. Bunch of people? Pun intended? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Bunch of people? Pun intended? :cute: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 (edited) Stacey, everything @dmjghas said is absolutely true and more or less is exactly as I was going to say. During my Working Holiday in Oz in 1967 I picked and packed apples in Tassie for three months. The first week killed me, but I worked with a good mix of local people and other WHVers and it is up there with one of the best times of my life... never been so fit either! Suggest that before you start, you stock up on warm socks, hat, thermal vests/close fitting tshirts, and some form of muscular rub, like Deep Heat.... Just take it easy to start with so your body gets used to it... all will be well. Oh and keep posting... with photos too please! Sending WA Grannie hugs along with Bottler!! x:wink: Edited May 16, 2016 by Rossmoyne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share Posted May 16, 2016 Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it. The girl told me that there's still no work and he was supposed to hear back from contractors today but no word yet. I'm not leaving my job until I'm certain there's going to be some work so ill hold off till end of the week. What a few of my friends are doing who don't want to do the farm work - they are working till near the end of their visa then getting a tourist visa. But I'm sure I read of tourist visas being refused? Is thst true? That's something I would have considered doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 I have just read that the plan to tax backpackers at 32% has been put back 6 months to 1 January 2017 (and the expectation is that it will be scrapped). Good news. Don't know if you had heard this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 I have just read that the plan to tax backpackers at 32% has been put back 6 months to 1 January 2017 (and the expectation is that it will be scrapped). Good news. Don't know if you had heard this. I just heard that on the news too. A vote catching manoeuvre perhaps, but good for the Backpackers and Farmers alike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 I just heard that on the news too. A vote catching manoeuvre perhaps, but good for the Backpackers and Farmers alike! Doubt it would win many votes. More likely they have realised that the tax would be a massive own goal but they couldn't admit that before an election so put it back 6 months with a view to ditching it after the election. Apparently WHV applications have fallen 5% since the announcement and it was not widely known about yet. Visions of crops rotting in the fields with no pickers probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 I just heard that on the news too. A vote catching manoeuvre perhaps, but good for the Backpackers and Farmers alike! Whose vote would it capture? Probably not of interest to a lot of people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 Whose vote would it capture? Probably not of interest to a lot of people Most of the National party - plenty of farmers who rely on WHV labour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted May 17, 2016 Author Share Posted May 17, 2016 Yeah I heard about it today. I still think they will eventually hike the tax up. The girl that I was telling you about said she started today and doesn't want to see another orange again already lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted May 18, 2016 Share Posted May 18, 2016 Whose vote would it capture? Probably not of interest to a lot of people Farmers and those in the hospitality and tourist industry I would think, as they would find it hard to get casual employees without backpackers. I agree that big business couldn't give a monkeys.... but the little guys who would be affected by this can quite easily direct their votes to Independents and away from the major three parties.... all of whom are pretty dire these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted May 18, 2016 Share Posted May 18, 2016 Whose vote would it capture? Probably not of interest to a lot of people It's of enormous concern in rural communities which rely on large numbers of workers at seasonal harvest times. For them, losing backpackers means losing crops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share Posted May 19, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 ^^^^ Nullarbor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share Posted May 19, 2016 Nah lol. It's just a drive 10 minutes from where I live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 Nah lol. It's just a drive 10 minutes from where I live Looks like you are standing on the highest peak for miles. :cute: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom Churchill Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 [ATTACH=CONFIG]33552[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]33553[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]33554[/ATTACH] Great pics Hen. Where were they taken? If I can make just one person smile, then I've made a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quokka2005 Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share Posted May 19, 2016 We were out on a road that takes you to kal. I'm really having second thoughts about this fruit picking. I found out it works out to be around $12.50 each bin. I know people say you just have to work hard but I seriously doubt I could do one in an hour so it wouldn't even work out to be even anywhere near min wage so I might not even get my visa anyway. I'm so stressed a it all. I got a right weirdo phoning me from gumtree today too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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