Regional work in Australia, otherwise known as ‘farm work’ is a government requirement for those on one-year Working Holiday Visa’s to receive another visa. This goes for both the 417 and 462 Working Holiday Visas. Most people aiming to complete this regional work are just trying to avoid exploitation. Aside from a second Working Holiday Visa, there’s a whole heap of reasons to do regional work in Australia.
Doing regional work is a time to escape your usual routine, whether it’s city life or anything else. Nearly everyone finishes regional work with a different perspective of Australia and regional work. These reasons to do regional work in Australia are a few things to look forward to and feel optimistic.
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Making friends
Whether you’re travelling alone or not, making friends while doing regional work can make the entire experience better. Because let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than being in a bad or uncomfortable situation and feeling lonely.
Making friends and meeting new people that are in the same (possibly bad) situation as you is the best way to make a job situation more comfortable. Other backpackers have similar perspective and opinions when it comes to regional work. This makes it easier to connect with the people around you, instead of any other bloke working there.
Discover new regions
Taking the region out of regional work, most people doing this type of work have to relocate to some degree. And relocating also means the ability to explore a new area, no matter where that may be. Sure, many areas don’t have a lot in the area, but there’s always something new to discover.
And, if you don’t have a vehicle to explore the area, try making friends and sharing fuel costs to do so. If you’re already travelling with someone, talk to others about the area and what’s around to discover. You might be surprised at what’s around. This is also a good way to get your head out of work, physically and mentally. Some headspace in a new area—even if it’s brief—can give your workspace a mental refresh.
Try out new types of jobs
Not everyone travelling around Australia on a Working Holiday Visa is right out of high school. A lot of people travelling are trained professionals, which have already completed bachelors, masters and even doctoral degrees. That doesn’t mean these people are set in doing that specific profession though.
This goes for everyone, travelling is a time to try out new things, in this case, new jobs. It could be job that’s physical, outdoor, or something in the service industry. Either way, trying new jobs is a perfect way to figure out what job you feel best in, or… don’t.
Need more help with regional work in Australia? Check out these articles: Best Gear for Regional Work, Tips on Finding Non-Exploitive Regional Work and How to Survive Regional Work.
Learn the land
Many regional jobs that qualify for a second Working Holiday Visa are outdoors, often in remote areas. Something unique, aside from discovering new regions, is being able to learn more about the land. Whether the job is just planting strawberry seeds, or milking cows on a dairy farm, there’s a lot to learn about the job.
This isn’t just about the land, but also other horticulture and agriculture ideas. You might be surprised in what you learn while on the job, and how useful they are for other parts of life. It creates a lot of space and reasoning for learning outside of a classroom. Who knows, you might discover a new personal hobby.
Understand Australian culture
The city life is a good starting point for learning about Australian culture, but it doesn’t end there. Australia, similar to other young countries, was built through hard labour in regional areas. Whether this is evident or not, living and working in regional areas is a good time to get to know community.
These communities is often a backbone for Australian culture. From my experience, there’s a lot of positive in Australian culture in smaller communities. People rely on their local community for business, success and support through hardships—such as the bushfires in 2019/2020. Whether you experience positive or negative pieces of this culture, it’s a unique reason to do regional work in Australia.
Explore a different you
On the note of travelling to learn more about the world, it’s also a time to learn more about yourself. Completing regional work in Australia may have been something you never, ever, imagined yourself doing. There’s been numerous moments I question myself on what I’m doing.
Taking these moments to explore yourself is part of the entire Australian Working Holiday Visa experience. Maybe while living in regional Australia, you decide it feels better than the hectic city life? Or not. This is just one of the reasons to do regional work in Australia.
If you liked this article, check out How to Survive Working in the Heat, Best Jobs to Complete Your 88 Days, and What to Know for a Second Working Holiday Visa Application.
