Regional Work Australia
I completed my 88 days of regional work, which I completed in 2 different work places (in a fruit farm and a horse station) in regions considered eligible for visa purposes.
Completing the 88 days of regional work was necessary for obtaining the second working holiday visa. 179 days of regional work must be completed in your 2nd year visa to attain your 3rd year visa across 4 different companies, 2 holiday parks and 2 bars.
How did I find my regional work?
- Facebook groups – there are lots of Facebook groups that post looking for backpackers
- Networking – Everyone I spoke to, I mentioned that I had to do regional work – you never know who owns a farm or a pub in a remote area. Networking can also help you find farm work in these remote areas, which is essential for the 88-days work for the 2nd year visa.
- I showed up – I can’t stress enough how important it is to show the employer you’re already ready to work.
What is the best time of year for regional work?
This will all depend on what work you’d like to do.
Fruit Farms: fruit picking jobs
I worked on the fruit farm in October – which was spring time in Australia and we got rained off quite a bit. Fruit farms are part of the plant and animal cultivation industry, which includes activities such as planting, tending, harvesting, and processing of fruit. If you are working in the packing room you will be less likely to be sent home because the fruit won’t be getting wet.
The farmers told me that fruit farms need workers all year round because there are different stages to fruit picking. Different fruits also come into season at different times of the year, keep an eye on Facebook groups and job boards like backpackers job board for farming jobs.
Horse station:
The horse station I worked on was for a polo team and I worked closely with professional polo horses. I found this job by networking but you can take a look on Facebook groups like Western Australia Horse Employment.
Just a reminder that working with animals only counts if it falls under animal cultivation (breeding). If the company only does recreational work with animals it won’t count as stated on the website. “Maintaining animals for tourism or recreational purposes is not eligible.” Link here.
Tree farming and felling are also considered eligible work under the plant and animal cultivation category.
The breeding season for horses officially starts on 1st September so this will be the best time to start looking at horse breeders. The polo season in Western Australia ran from January to April.
Holiday Parks:
I worked in my first holiday park during the dry season in the Northern Territory, specifically in Darwin. The dry season runs from May to October and this will be the busy tourist season for Northern Australia. You can read more here.
We worked here from June to September which is when the work started to slow down as tourists started to make their way back down to the Australian Summer.
I picked up work in my 2nd Holiday park during the wet season – starting work in October. My second park was located in Townsville and is much lower down the coast than Darwin. This makes it more accessible for people to travel up for school holidays, long weekends etc. It also doesn’t receive as bad a wet season as it would further north. Since the Christmas School holidays finished the park has been very quiet here with not as much work available. This is due to pick up at the end of March for the Easter Holidays and then continue to stay busy as we reach the dry season.
Bar work:
Bars will be kept busy with locals all year round. Especially if you are in a populated area like Darwin or Townsville. Bar work is a popular choice among working holiday makers.
I spent the dry season working in a bar in Darwin which counted towards my days and the wet season in a bar in Townsville which again counted towards my days.
To work in a bar in Australia you will need your RSA which is your responsible service of Alcohol. Most bars in Northern Australia and Queensland also have gaming rooms. I recommend getting your RSG too. Which is your responsible service of gambling. This will make you more desirable to the employer and it also means you’ll be on a higher hourly rate. Link here.
What do I put on my resume?
The chances are you haven’t worked in that line of work before, so put down anything you think might be desirable.
Some examples might include:
- Having a full manual or automatic licence. Most places I’ve worked on have company cars or buggies and some require you to have a licence to drive them.
- If you have your RSA (Responsible service of Alcohol) and RSG/RCG (Responsible service of gambling and Responsible Conduct of Gambling put this down even if you don’t already have bar experience. Having them before applying shows you’re eager.
- If you’ve worked with Children in the past.
- Any cleaning experience – even if not hired as a cleaner, every job we work in you need to be able to clean up spills or have organisation skills.
- Experience in immediate processing of animal products can be beneficial.
- Put down your hobbies, nothing is irrelevant.
- Do you like to garden?
- Were you in the scouts?
- Have you ever had CPR or first aid training? Even if out of date, they like that you have the knowledge.
Anything you think that might be even vaguely relevant to the role put it down.
Quick Tips for Regional Work in Australia
You don’t need to do your 88 days of work consecutively. If you’re really dreading it then just get it started, do a few weeks or a month, if you still don’t like it leave and try somewhere else in a few months.
You don’t have to work for 1 employer. You can work for as many as you like and in as many different industries eg. Farming, construction, hospitality. Just make sure to also triple check your postcodes here.
Be prepared to pack your bags and start the job the next day, companies looking for regional staff are looking to hire instantly most of the time and with so many people looking for work unfortunately they probably won’t hold a position for you.
Show up in person where you can, emails get lost with the countless other backpacker emails. So be different to stand out. Go in and introduce yourself, if you’re not in the area call up and ask to speak directly with management or the hiring team. The follow up with an email.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the 88 days of specified work calculated?
There are special ways that can calculate 88 days. Best to check on the Immi website and on the 88th day calculator.
Jobs in industries like farming, fishing, and tourism can fulfil the specified work requirement for a second Work and Holiday visa.
What are the 88 days of regional work for a working holiday visa?
The 88-day working period is a compulsory part of the Working Holiday Visa (WHV Subclass 417 and 462) with British passport holders exempt from 1 July 2024.. There are certain work categories that qualify for this please see the Immi website.
Is Australia getting rid of 88 days including bushfire recovery work?
Not for most nationalities that are entitled to working holidays visas. However, British passport holders will not be required to do 88 days regional work from the 1st July 2024 to apply for a second or third WHV.
The 88 days Australia requirement is still necessary for most nationalities to apply for a second or third year working holiday visa. For bushfire recovery work and eligible postcodes please check out here.
