Adventure Calling Young Irish Farmers in Oz.
Whether it has been the lure of exotic adventures, a thirst for foreign experience or simply just the opportunity to get away from home for a time, the Irish have been drawn to Australia for generations. If you are between the ages of 18-30(strictly) and have ambitions of seeing the world before settling down, read on.
There are jobs available in Australia in a huge variety of agricultural sectors ranging from cattle rearing to dairy farming, machine operation and engineering to horse rearing. We at Irish Farm Services are certain that your ideal experience is out there waiting for you, even if that’s mushroom farming!
As Ireland is one of only 19 countries involved in the 12 month working holiday visa with Australia, we are well positioned to avail of their many opportunities. The agricultural sector is a goldmine of experience and opportunity in Australia while carrying the added bonus of entitling you to apply for the second visa, if you wish.
In Australia the Irish have always been held in high regard. This has been attributed to the hard working attitude the Irish have brought with them in the past. Also, many believe, because the Irish have never been part of Australia’s ruling elite class, so we haven’t ever had enough power to make unpopular decisions in the country. This added to the droves of Australians claiming Irish descent has made us welcome visitors in Oz.
The experiences and rewards on offer in Australia, we at Irish Farm Services believe might be too good to pass up. There have been many changes in farming methods over the last 200 years and Australian farmers have had to be adaptable as well as resilient and inventive. The challenges of access to fresh water, massive clearing, over grazing, the vast distances, transport costs and wild animals, have tested Australian farmers to their limits. In response, farming has become more mechanised and reliant on technologies.
If I haven’t managed to lure you towards the rugged experiences of the land down under, why don’t you follow the link to our listings to check out what positions some of the Australian agencies have on offer.
For those of you who do decide to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, Irish Farm Services has a list of all the boring, but essential details:
• Arrival- As you may be working on a ranch / farm which could be far from cities and airports it is advisable that you book a night’s accommodation in the nearest city to the airport. This would allow you to figure out transport to the region of your employment as services may run only once or twice a day to certain regions and may not suit the arrival time of your flight. It would be a good idea to pre-book your travel to your place of work.
• Bank A/C- Before you leave the city, set up a bank account as there may not be a bank branch near the location of your work. You will be able to use the location of your work as the address for the bank.
• Tax File Number- You should apply for this if you are working. It’s not essential but you will pay more tax if you don’t have it. You can apply for this online in advance through the Australian Taxation Office. It would be sent to your Australian address in 10-28 days.
• Superannuation- You must get and keep this number, it pays into a pension fund which you must do, but you can apply to get this back when you are leaving Oz.
• Clothes- Have your work clothes ready with you, it wouldn’t be a mighty idea to arrive on the farm looking for a lift back to town to go shopping.
• Phone- Make sure you get a SIM card which will give you regional coverage as some mobile operators in Australia don’t provide services to some regional areas.
• Drivers Licence- Rules regarding driving licences vary depending on the territory or state. Follow the link below for information regarding your destination.
Licence Information
We at Irish Farm Services are dedicated to getting you up to date information on how to get working whether it be at home or abroad. If you decide that adventure and work experience around the world is for you, then stay in touch with our regular blogs.
However, if you decide that the travelling bug is not for you, get on to Irish Farm Services and post your availability and desired area of farm work. Irish Farm Services can help you to get connected with a wider farming community throughout the country and further afield.