Finding seasonal work in the Melbourne area
by Andy
(Manchester, UK)
Is it realistic to do three months of seasonal work in one go? Do most people spread the work out over the year? I am hoping to spend 4 months in NZ for ski season so this limits my time to complete seasonal work to extend my visa!
Two of my friends went to Australia in November and me and another friend will be joining them in February. The plan was to complete 3 months work so we could extend our visa yet still spend a winter season in NZ.
The two lads that are already there are loving it in Melbourne. They say it is difficult to find seasonal work and that you have to move around a lot and it is not easy to do 3 months in one go. Because of this they are not going to go to NZ!! They are going to do the seasonal work gradually throughout the year and then maybe do NZ in 2009!
Me and my other friend desperately want to go to NZ in the first year but still want them to come with us. So me and my friend are trying to persuade them and we need some feasible evidence! Is there seasonal work near Melbourne over the next few months? I'm currently looking at the information on your website to compile a good argument to put towards them!
Cheers for your help, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Response to: Finding seasonal work in the Melbourne area
Hi Andy,
Is it realistic to do three months of seasonal work in one go? Do most people spread the work out over the year?
I don't think there are any averages. People do what they want. Someone who came to do station work might stay there for 6 months. There are many things that people do for the experience, not just to get some quick cash. Some of the people who come up here where I live, to work on the melon farms, they stay the whole season, and then they come back for another season on their next visa. If people enjoy their life where they are they stay, if they don't they move on.
Is there seasonal work near Melbourne over the next few months?
Check out the government website that I link from the fruit picking page to see what's in season in the area.
There's always something to pick in this country. Grapes should be ripening in the Mildura area (I hate picking grapes...) I think peaches and apricots are still in season, citrus in Shepparton... (That's what I remember. I don't really know the far south that well. Melbourne is not exactly Outback...)
The problem is, that stuff is not the kind of work you want to do three months straight in one place. You travel and do a bit here and there, and then it's actually fun. Well, sort of. The great thing about farm work and fruit picking is that it does allow you to move around and see so much, while still earning money.
But then again, there are plenty of people who are just not into that kind of work at all. And if you don't want to move around it can be difficult. And if you'd rather stay near the cities then it will definitely be difficult.
Still, I think you should be able to get together your three months... Just not necessarily in one go. But that isn't really essential, is it?
The two lads that are already there are loving it in Melbourne. They say it is difficult to find seasonal work and that you have to move around a lot and it is not easy to do 3 months in one go.
If you absolutely don't want to leave the Melbourne area, well, then you will have a problem with the 3 months in one go thing.
The only other thing I can suggest is to look for a good place to do some WWOOFing. That kind of volunteering also counts as seasonal work (provided it's far enough outside the Melbourne metropolitan area).
Sorry, but other than that I can't help you guys.
Good luck anyway!
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