WWOOF - Willing Workers On Organic Farms
Replies: 6 - Last Post: Jan 22, 2013 11:49 AM Last Post By: EliseLbx
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WWOOF - Willing Workers On Organic Farms
Hi everyone,so I'm an 18 year old student off to Australia in a couple of weeks to some traveling, visit some friends and stuff, and was wondering if anyone had any feedback on this WWOOF organisation? It seems like a fun, worthwhile thing to do, and completely different from anything I've done before, but I don't know anyone who's participated in this so it would be great to have some actual testimonials from anyone who's done this, before I pay the 65 odd dollars to sign up if it's not worth it... Social aspect, workdays, locations, experience as whole, that sort of thing! Alternatively, if anyone has any other schemes along the same lines, 'work for your keep' type thing, I'd love to hear about those too!
Thanks a lot!
2
Had a neighbour who got in wwoofas to work on her small farm. They seemed to be a very reputable organisation.The up-side is that you may get to know some very interesting people and get access to rural communities that are off the regular tourist track. The downside is that you will be off the regular tourist track, so you won't be seeing all the usual tourist highlights.
So if you want to experience the rural Aussie culture I'd highly recommend it. But it won't be the usual Aussie backpacker experience of hanging on the beach and getting drunk/ stoned every day. Instead you'll be working most days and getting drunk with Aussie farmhands instead ;)
3
Be careful. An elderly couple in my area used to take in wwoofers and boasted to my wife that it was a good way of getting inexpensive odd job labour. The accommodation they provided was basic, the locattion was pleasant but around 30km from the nearest town, they were retired professionals and although their property could by no means be described as a farm they did grow their own vegetables and fruit,I always regarded their action as exploitation, but possibly they were an exception.
