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Seasons
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| Chillies |
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| Eggplant |
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| Honeydew |
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| Mango |
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| Pumpkins |
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| Rockmelons |
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| Squash |
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| Sugar Cane |
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| Watermelon |
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| Zucchini |
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Need work while you travel? Workers wanted!! Our working season is starting now! We need harvest workers from mid March through to the end of the year. Other work is available from January through to March, but please call to check availability! During March and April we need people to plant seed for melons and also plant cane. From April through October there is picking of squash, zucchini, melons, chili, cucumber, tomatoes and more! Most work is paid hourly. Fruit and vegetable picking can be a great way to earn money while you are travelling Australia. You get fit, get a great tan and travel while you're doing it! PLUS if you do more than 3 months of harvest work you are able to apply for a one year extension to your working holidaymaker visa! How much Money can you earn? Most vegetables and fruit (eggfruit, zucchini, squash, chilli, tomato, rockmelons): approx. $17 per hour (before tax). Some jobs will pay more, some will pay on contract – it all depends what is available when you are here. Mangos, pumpkins and watermelons are usually paid on contract - the amount depends on the farm and the size of the bin however a good picker can earn around $150 a day or MUCH more! Mango packing is normally paid at approx. $17 per hour (before tax). The hours you will work each day depend on the weather - some days you may work 10 hours or more, others you may only work 4 or 5 hours. Most farms work 7 days a week during the season. What do you need? - Working Holidaymaker Visa (subclass 417)
- Tax File Number
- Australian bank account
- Working Clothes and shoes (we sell these at Reception!)
- Water bottle - you need to take AT LEAST 5 litres of water per day
- Sunscreen
- And a good attitude to hard work.
Harvest Trail work – information on your health, tax, superannuation and more! Wanting to hit the harvest trail?
Harvest work is HARD WORK! Yep, you get a tan, you usually work outside, you get fit and you can often work long hours or on contract to earn more money. But it can also be hot, heavy, dirty and physically challenging. You really need the right attitude to it and if you don’t think you’re up to the job, then you probably won’t be.
Be Prepared for Work Much of the work is located in smaller regional areas – before you spend time and cash travelling to these places, a little thought and research may help you to get the best out your harvest trail experience.
Call ahead! At Delta, we try to give honest information about work availability. Be aware that it is difficult for Delta (and all working hostels!) to predict work availability – work depends on the farms, the weather, how many others check in before you on the wait list and even moon cycles! Be prepared to wait for work. We will always tell you if we think there will be a wait for work. Most farmers want staff for at least one or two weeks. Picking, planting and packing DO require training and some skill so the growers prefer staff who stay longer!
Before you start you will need to arrange some or all of the following: - A valid Australian work visa (subclass 417)
- A signed Tax Declaration form for EACH farm that you work on. You have 28 days to give your Tax File Number (TFN) to the farm – if you don’t provide it, you will be taxed at the max tax rate of 30%....crikey!
- An Australian bank account. Some farms pay by cheque or cash, but make sure you always take your bank account details to a new job – that way you will always be paid on time
· Proper work clothes: - Closed shoes. Most harvest work will not allow thongs or sandals.
- Long pants (depending on job)
- Lng sleeved shirt or arm protectors. A thin long sleeved shirt will protect you from sunburn in summer – you will be amazed at just how quickly your skin will fry in the harsh Aussie sun.
- Gloves (depending on job)
- Sunscreen
- At least 5 litres of water!!! The Aussie sun is HOT!
- Lunch
We sell work clothes in Reception! You can also get cheap working clothes from op shops (second hand clothes stores mostly run by charities) – you will probably be able to pick up clothes for only a couple of dollars.
While Working
It will take around 3 days to used to the harvest work physically. Be prepared to ache and grumble for the first few days! After around day 4, your body will adjust to the work and it will be easier. If you can make it past those first few days, then you’re set! Tiger Balm is fantastic for muscle aches and can be bought at Reception as well as pharmacies and supermarkets. Try some basic back stretches before and after work as well – see if anyone at the hostel knows yoga and get them to show you some stretches.
Taxes
While working, you WILL pay tax and superannuation. It’s important to keep a record of the farms that you’ve worked on, and the superannuation funds that you’ve joined in order to be able to claim this money back when you leave. Keep a list of farms, their contact number and their ABN and the superannuation fund they had you join – and better yet, keep your payslips. This information will also then be used for filling out the all important Working Holiday Visa extension application! You are allowed to work for up to 6 months for the same employer, but there are no limits on the length of time that you work during your time as a working holidaymaker.
If you are having problems with your pay, please see your supervisor at the farm first. If you think you are being paid or treated unfairly at work then you can contact the Department of Industrial Relations and they can provide advice to you.
Your Health Working in the Aussie sun – even in winter – puts heat stress on your body. You will dehydrate quickly so take at least 5 litres of water to work and aim to drink more in summer. If you are working in heat above 32°C then you should drink an extra ½ to one litre (2 to 4 cups) of water per hour. If you sweat out more water than you drink, you will dehydrate. Signs of dehydration include: - fatigue / weakness / dizziness / light headedness
- loss of appetite
- dry mouth
- headache
- burning in the stomach
Often thirst is one of the later symptoms of dehydration and heat stress so you need to make sure you drink often and plenty! Dehydration can quickly become severe but is very easy to prevent. Just because you aren’t thirsty doesn’t mean you aren’t dehydrated! Remember also that alcohol dehyrdrates – so if you’ve been drinking the night before work then you will need to be more conscious about drinking water. Most hangover symptoms are due to dehydration (see the list above) so if you are suffering drink water, water and then some more water! Wear light weight clothing that will help air to circulate – this will help to keep you cooler and also help prevent heat stress. Be aware of sunburn – just because it’s cool and cloudy DOES NOT mean that you won’t be red and sunburned! Always wear sunscreen and a hat, and light long sleeves in summer will help to protect your skin. A tan is great, but looking like an old pair of leather boots isn’t quite as cool.
Finishing Work / Leaving the Country
Once you’ve finished working (whooohooo!) then you need to plan your tax return. Many backpackers will find that they are able to claim back all or most of the tax they’ve paid while working... You will need to lodge a tax return through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) using a Taxpack, which is available from most newsagents. There are also companies which advertise in most backpacker magazines who will organise it for you. If you have a decent grasp of English, it’s actually pretty simple to do it yourself and you will save the commission. You should also be able to get back the superannuation that you paid while working.
Harvest work can be hard – but staying in a working hostel for a period of time gives you a chance to save money and develop deeper friendships with other travellers than you would when you are on the road – and earning that second year of a working visa is a pretty big bonus as well! As owners of the Delta, we’ve had lots of backpackers tell me that their absolute favourite time in Australia was spent here at Delta – good times with good friends.
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Work!!!! READ ME!!!! 
