88 days a slave - from a different perspective

This is a remake from a post I published back in 2017, but since the original post got lost in cyberspace along with most of my content when I made a domain transfer last year, I wanted to make an attempt to piece it back together from memory because I think it’s important to have someone’s positive farm experience out there for everyone to see, especially now during these Corona times. I originally found inspiration to write this post after I read the article 88 days a slave online and I wanted to prove to other backpackers out there that not every farm & employer is like the ones mentioned in the story. This post is for you that needs to hear a positive farming experience, needs help in looking for your own regional work or simply if you’re curious about the land down under.

Digging through my memory brings me back to a different time, to when I was a backpacker in Australia for 2 years, an adventure I never wanted to end. After first arriving in Australia, it didn’t take long before I realized that I wanted to stay for a 2nd year and in order to be eligible for a 2nd working holiday visa and stay another year in the magical land down under you have to work for 88 days, within a specific postcode in a specific trade chosen by the government. Which line of work you can choose and in what regions depends on what kind of visa you have. Because of this rule, there are employers out there that exploits and take advantage of poor backpackers like myself and it didn’t take long before I heard awful stories about how some farmers used backpackers as ‘‘legal’’ slaves.

I found my own farm work in a Facebook group and jumped on a bus to take me there! After all the horrible experiences I read about online, and heard about from fellow backpackers I met along the way, I was worried and expected that I would be counting the seconds until I was free. I also took many precautions when applying for my own regional work to ensure my safety.

What happened when I arrived on the farm was very far from anything I’d ever read about. I was met by a loving family with 3 funny & extremely sarcastic brothers. Without knowing it I had crossed into the unknown and entered a land where meat eaters ruled, dogs ran freely and crocs were treated as a religion. My 88 days flew by, and before I knew it I had spent almost 100 days on the farm. I won’t lie, it was very hard work and there might have been other places that paid more, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. During my entire period on the farm I had 6 days on and 1 day off, on those days we would get some proper rest and run off on all kinds of adventures.

Among other adventures, we went on a 24h roadtrip up to Cairns, visited Australias highest single drop waterfall and traveled to see the gorgeous Magnetic Island. There, miles from a civilization , we became like a little farm family. Counting the entire family and other backpackers there was around 15 of us living on the farm, with new people rotating every 3-4 months. I never in my wildest imagination thought that I would be sad to leave, but when the day finally came and they drove me to the airport I couldn’t help but feel sad that my farm adventure had come to an end.

What to keep in mind/look for

ABN number - Every registered farm has their own unique ABN number. If you ask your potential employer and they are reluctant to give it to you, that’s a red flag.

Hourly paid - NOT piece rate. It’s not often (Read; never) you hear of a happy backpacker working on a farm that offers piece rate. And hey! If you are reading this and you are one of the lucky few who has worked on a farm where they paid you piece rate and you had a great experience, let me know and i’ll update this further!

Minimum wage - To protect backpackers, the Australian government requires the employer to pay you (the backpacker) minimum wage for it to count towards a 2nd year visa. Some farmers tho, do not pay minimum wage and then your days worked won’t count towards a 2nd year visa.

Do not pay in advance - Some claim you will have to pay for rent in advance, a kind of deposit, or a fee to ensure you that they will keep the position for you until you arrive. This is BS. Rent can be taken out of your paycheck, and so can a deposit. And that you would have to pay to ensure your spot is just a red flag.

Trust your gut feeling, if something feels off. DO NOT GO, don’t risk it. There are plenty of jobs out there.

Screenshot messages, and facebook profiles (if contacted via facebook) and make sure someone knows where you are. Let someone know in advance where you are going and promise them you will contact them again within 24 hours as a safety precaution.

Where to look for 2nd year visa jobs

Gumtree | indeed | Backpackerjobboard | Fruit picking jobs |

Facebook groups: 2nd year visa jobs | SecondYearVisaJobs | 2nd year visa jobs Australia | Backpacker jobs in Australia | Farm work Australia | Farm work Australia Backpackers | Farm jobs Australia |

When you find a potential employer, you will have to sell yourself! There are plenty of backpacker jobs out there, but also plenty of backpackers like yourself! Also, if you happened to end up on a bad farm for a few days, don’t mention it in your application - no matter the reason why you quit. Your new employer could get the wrong idea and think you’re a picky worker, or doesn’t want to work hard and discard you before he/she even talked to you.

And finally, do not let all the bad things you hear stop you from doing your 88 days, if you’re lucky, you could end up with a similar story to my own and have the time of your life there! With that said, I hope you liked this post and all I ask of you in case you like my blog and wants me to continue creating content is to not only pop in for a visit every now and then but to also Like, Save, Comment & share my posts on social media. That way I am able to see if what I’m writing is appreciated by you. That was everything for now, and until next time, take care! xo Nathalie