Volunteering in Outback Australia

Posted Thursday, September 20, 2007, 11:33 PM by Lonely Planet

Gale force winds and sleep deprivation were two things we hadn't expected. But camped at the Nepabunna community in outback South Australia, they were just a couple of the challenges we faced on our volunteering stint...

Lonely Planet staffers Emma Gilmour and Ellie Cobb recently pulled on their volunteering boots. Here's what they experienced:

On paper it sounded good
Join a Friends of the Earth trip to a remote Aboriginal community to help in the Bush Tucker garden and build on existing relationships with the community and the Adnyamathanha people of the area.



In reality it was amazing
Eight of us were on the trip - a diverse group of people ranging from a paramedic to an anthropologist - all with our own reasons for volunteering. We drove 10 hours north of Adelaide to the Gammon ranges, and camped in some of the most epic and impressive scenery we've ever seen.

The wind was strong and the nights bloody cold, but the priviledge of staying on indigenous, protected land and being accepted into an Aboriginal community was fantastic. We helped out in the bush tucker garden, ripping out old crops in preparation for new season planting. We learnt about native plants, and as a thank you were taken to see sacred sites of the Adnyamathanha people.

Not everything was perfect, we questioned how useful our work was and whether we could have been more effective, but overall it was an incredible experience and one that neither of us will never forget.


For more information on Volunteering including tips on how to get started click here.

Labels: Asia and Pacific, Volunteer

Join the Discussion: