Best Ways to Get Volunteer Work in Australia
including Help X ing, Wwoofing and Non-Profits
A great way to see "the real" Australia, get work experience and do something great in our world is to volunteer in Australia's local communities or to protect Australia's fragile environments.
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You don’t necessarily need a working holiday visa to volunteer, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t spend some of your working holiday visa volunteering and it can be a great way to gain experience before getting a paid job.
*Please note, that as of 2015, volunteer work no longer qualifies you for a second year visa.
Within the last decade voluntourism has become a popular travel trend, and Australia is no exception. Voluntourism is when travellers volunteer to help out in local communities or to protect the environment in the country that they are travelling in.
- Why Volunteer in Australia?
- Types of Volunteering Popular in Australia
- Non-Profit Volunteering in Australia
- Wwoofing
- HelpXing
- Short-term Volunteering
- Disaster Relief Volunteering
7 More Reasons to Volunteer in Australia?
Volunteering in Australia can give you the opportunity to experience both the country’s unique cultures and beautiful landscapes, as well as giving back. With volunteering you can benefit yourself as well as a local community; benefits include:
Types of Volunteering Popular in Australia
Non-Profit Volunteering in Australia
There are a few main types of non-profit volunteering you can do in Australia:
Wwoofing
WWOOF stands for “Willing Workers on Organic Farms” and the concept is that volunteers go to work on organic farms in return for a unique cultural experience, as well as free meals and accommodation. The work is usually 4 to 6 hours a day and can include: weeding, planting, gardening or feeding animals, depending on what type of farm you go to. In some cases the work can even help you get a second work visa.
To do Wwoofing you also need to pay to become a member. To find out more about Wwoofing in Australia and how to become a member, click here.
Help X ing
Help Exchange or simply HelpXing is very similar to Wwoofing, but it is newer and has a few slight differences. To become a HelpXing member is a lot cheaper than becoming a Wwoofing member. The basic package is free and it costs €20 to upgrade to the premier package.
To find out more about HelpXing in Australia, and how to become a member, click here.
Short-term Volunteering in Australia
There are also plenty of opportunities in Australia to volunteer on a short-term basis, particularly for big festivals, events (for example the Adelaide Fringe Festival) and fundraising for various charities.
Disaster-relief Volunteering in Australia
Unfortunately, every year some parts of Australia have to deal with natural disasters, including flooding, bush fires and monsoons. There are volunteer opportunities here to help with disaster-relief after a major incident has occurred.
For more information about disaster-relief volunteering in Australia visit the Australian Red Cross website.