If you’d like to experience life working on an organic farm you could WWOOF your way around Australia. No, no, you don’t have to do dog impressions, even though you may find yourself digging in the dirt. Being a WWOOFer is a great way to travel around Australia and save money on accommodation and food costs by offering to volunteer. So here is the lowdown on how to WWOOF your way around Australia.
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What does WWOOF stand for
WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms and it is an exchange program. WWOOF Australia is part of a world wide network.Â
How does WWOOF Work
In exchange for your willingness to work, you’ll receive food, somewhere to sleep, first-hand knowledge of agricultural methods and experience your host’s way of life. The usual hours worked are between 4-6 hours per day with a maximum of 38 hours over 7 days.
 Work you can do
Maybe learn to milk a cow
Work is varied and will depend on the farm you choose to volunteer on. These can include, but are not limited to:Â Vineyard Operators, Coffee Producers, Tea Tree Farms, Eucalyptus Oil Distillery, Oyster Farm, Pearl Farmers, Cattle Stations, Hobby Farmers, Butterfly Farms, Animal Rescue, Herb Specialists, Dairy Farmers, Bio Dynamic Farmers, Garlic Farmers and Agro Forestry. So you could be milking cows, tending to fruit and vegetables, pulling in fishing nets, rounding up cattle, bottle feeding baby animals, driving farm equipment – the opportunities are endless. Duties should be confirmed between you and your host before you decide to volunteer there.
Advantages to being a WWOOFer
There are a number of advantages to being a WOOFer and they include:
- Learning first-hand from Aussie Host Farmers about organic farming, permaculture and bio-dynamic farming techniques.
- Know Hosts have agreed to WWOOF guidelines ensuring your safety.
- Learn new skills. These could be milking a cow to growing organic vegetables
- When you volunteer you live with the host and experience Australian life with your host.
- It is a cheap way to travel Australia as your accommodation and food are included in exchange for your work.
- Farms are located all over Australia so you can experience different areas.
How to become a WWOOFer
Tending free-range chickens
To become a WWOOFer you will need to register for a 12 month membership. Membership provides exclusive access to the online directory of organic farm hosts, and other volunteers. After purchasing your membership you can go online and peruse the directory of some 1300 organic farm hosts, contact one or two in the area you wish to experience and voila, your life as a WWOOFer begins. A 12 month membership currently costs $70 for singles and $120 for a dual (2 people) membership. You can purchase your membership here.
How to become a Host
If you own some land and need some help consider becoming a WWOOF Host. Being a host means you have access to volunteers who wish to learn about the farming that you are doing. To become a WWOOF host you will need to apply for a membership. Once you have this you can post on the WWOOF website that you are looking for volunteers and can contact potential WWOOF volunteers. You can purchase your membership here.
Becoming a WWOOFer will allow you to travel around the Australia to not only gain experience on an organic farm but will offer an insight into a unique Australian way of life of your host.Â
PS: WWOOF Australia is part of WWOOF Worldwide so if you want to volunteer in another country check out www.wwoof.com.
PPS: Attention Working Holiday Makers – If you are interested to extend your Working Holiday Visa read this article on when you WWOOF as part of the Bushfire Recovery you can qualify to extend your working holiday visa. Visit www.wwoof.com.au for more details.
I used to live in Melbourne and had considered WWOOFing, so reading this was great!
I’m glad you considered WWOOFing – many people do and love it.
I thought about this way of travel every since I was 18. It is pretty cool. Thanks for the details
It might be time to stop thinking and start doing! It is a pretty cool way to travel around Australia.
This was very interesting to learn about and a great initiative! Will definitely need to keep this program in mind for the future.
Please do keep it in mind, not just for Australia but other countries around the world.
What a great way to experience Australia, while learning skills you can take back home with you. Great post!
Agree, it is a great way to experience Australia while learning skills.
Oh WWOOFing looks like so much fun. I had a friend who did it France and absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing!
WWOOFing can be a lot of fun. I’m glad your friend who did it in France loved it.
I always wanted to try WWOOFing but never made the time for it! Maybe I should look more into Australia 😉 great guide!!
Yes, definitely try it. WWOOFing is a great way to travel around Australia.
I had never heard about this before, this looks like a great way to travel around Australia while learning new things! Thanks for sharing!
Yes it is a great way to travel around Australia – you receive free accommodation and food in return for some work. A great way to immerse yourself in the local area.
Such a great program! I’ve never done it but have a few friends that have. They really enjoyed the experience, so would recommend to anyone.
Many people go WWOOFing, not just in Australia but in other countries. I’m glad your friends enjoyed their experience.
This sounds like a fun adventure to me considering I have never worked on a farm before.
You don’t need to have worked on a farm before as you gain experience while on the farm.
I have heard of WWOOF before but hadn’t done much research on it! Looks like lots of fun to volunteer with this organization.
It can be loads of fun plus a great learning adventure.
What a fun and unique way to travel!
It is a fun and unique way to travel. You can also do it around the world!
This is really cool! I had no idea you could do this and I’m Australian! Thanks for sharing 🙂
It is really cool. There are many really cool things to do in Australia.
I would actually love to WWOOF at some point! Thanks for sharing this info – super helpful!
You are welcome. I’d love to hear your experiences when you do WWOOF.
This sounds like an interesting opportunity: Exploring a new place while doing some productive work.
A lot of people do this – WWOOFing offers a great opportunity to get free accommodation, food and experience in return for your work.