Logging For Australia

On my logging list had always been Australia, not only for the Australian Open, Uluru or Great Barrier Reef. But also for the mystery of the country with its red dust roads and lots of open space. Something I don’t have in The Netherlands space to see nature with all those people living on 1 square km.

Wwoof & Workaway

To dive better into the Australian culture I thought of doing some seasonal work there or volunteer work, but for seasonal work I had to be under 30 years, so volunteering was the only option available. I looked at the options and decided to go with Wooffing and Workaway.

Near For Australians

Looking back at my sabbatical volunteering was the best way to get to know the country and fall in love with it. I fell immediately in love with the first place I was volunteering in the middle of nowhere. Fresh from Darwin airport I walked 20 minutes to the bus stop and took 2 busses to Palmerstone where my host picked me up for a car ride for about 2 hours.

Difficult Australian Dialect

The open space, the neighbor 10 km from each other, the small cattle in the garden, what else do I want? In the afternoon I went to the garden center where the pottery market would be for the next 6 weeks. I was welcomed in the most difficult Australian dialect I would hear on my whole travel through Australia. It took me a whole day to get used to how they talked, but loved the talks about politics, their life in Australia and the beauty of the nature nearby.

Cyclone Season

The whole time I was there I would make the ¾ hour drive twice a day, bringing pottery and setting them up at the garden center between rain showers. There was a cyclone coming and another one had just passed. Cyclone season, something I forgot to check for this region.

Christmas Pottery Market

The start of the Christmas pottery market was two days later. Standing there helping the shoppers was a wonderful experience. Most of the shoppers made a 4-hour drive to get here for a talk about what was going on in the region and of course to buy some pottery between the showers.

The No Worries Way Of The Australians

It’s very nice to see how Australians interact. It is very different from the Dutch way or the Curaçao way I was brought up with. I think the No Worries way they have, suits me better. I would love to go back doing some more Workaway or in a paid job, but definitely see more of the country.

Volunteering with Wwoof or Workaway is an experience of a lifetime. Workaway is a safe way to volunteer. Don’t forget to talk with the host about the important things like:

• Sleeping arrangement: Do I have my own appartment, room, or am I sharing with other volunteers

• What kind of work am I going to do and for how many hours

• If they can pick me up

• If there is something in the surroundings I want to see there

• And also important the diet they cook in. I was lucky that all my Workaway experience would be considered about me not eating rice.