One of the most notorious places in Australia to do 88 days of regional farm work is Bundaberg, a town located in Queensland. Many backpackers make their way over to Bundaberg to devote three months of their lives to earn a second (or third) year in Australia. I was once one of the excited backpackers ready to take on the farm work challenge in Bundaberg. Little did I know…
Before you continue…
2020 Update:
I just started my fourth year in Australia. Want to know how? Scroll down to the bottom of this page for more info 🙂
Working Hostels
Through Gumtree I found a company in Bundaberg named Willing Workers. Willing Workers has deals with farms all over the Bundaberg area. You stay in their hostel for AUD $210 (!!!) a week and they arrange work for you.
I stayed in a hostel called Federal Backpackers, and even though the staff were friendly people, the hostel was an old, run down, dirty hellhole. The dorms vary from 2 to 12 bed dorms, all for the same price. Light in the kitchen broken so that early in the morning or at night you have to sit in the dark? No one cares. Toilets disgustingly dirty? Not their problem. I often asked myself where the weekly $210 I paid went to. I think we can all guess.
Reversed Robin Hood: stealing from the poor
If you’re on an hourly paid job (which is what Willing Workers promises in their ad) they take AUD $3 of every hour worked. So instead of earning the AUD $24,36 minimum wage for farm work, you earn AUD $21,36 an hour. Willing Workers has over 100 backpackers working for them, day in day out, up to 12 hours a day. You do the math.
The Strawberry Farm – not as sweet as it sounds
A day after I arrived in Bundaberg for my farm work I started working at a strawberry farm. I wasn’t too happy when I found out that I wouldn’t be paid hourly, but on a contract rate. This means the harder you work, the more you earn, which isn’t as reasonable as it sounds. For every plant planted I earned 4 cents. Another 2 cents was added to that if the plant didn’t die. That’s 6 cents per plant. Jackpot!
Not much later we found out that the three Vietnamese workers on the farm did get paid hourly, and earned the casual minimum wage. When we saw them at the pace they were planting at we understood why: paying them by plant would’ve cost the farm, Tinaberries, a lot more, as these workers were so incredibly fast they could’ve easily made AUD $30 – AUD $35 an hour. This was the first sign of the many dark things going on at this farm…
Promises, promises, promises…
After the first day of working I wasn’t too happy. I was promised hourly paid jobs and strawberry planting is very hard. With the pace I was going at I was making about AUD $12 an hour, nowhere near the AUD $18 Willing Workers promised.
I immediately rang up Bronwyn, one of Willing Workers‘ managers. She told me that there were no hourly paid jobs available at the moment, and that I just had to keep trying so I would get better at it. I decided to keep on going, because after all it was not only the money, but also getting my 88 days done that counted.
The days that followed after weren’t too bad. Because we were planting plants which were “harder to plant”, we got a raise to AUD $6,5 cents (whoohoo) per plant. Also, the group of backpackers we were working with was a fun bunch of people, making the days more enjoyable.
Two weeks passed
Two weeks and thousands of strawberry plants passed. One morning when we were planting as usual, Tina (hence: Tinaberries) came up to us and told us they lowered the price of the plants back to 6 cent a plant. She told us the reason behind this is that the new plants we were working with are much easier to plant. This was nowhere near true; these plants were in fact even much harder to plant! We objected, and explained to them why we thought this wasn’t fair. Tina eventually agreed to maintain the rate of $6,5 per plant, but it was clear she and her husband Bruce weren’t too happy about it…
A change of atmosphere: no more Mrs. Nice Farmer.
After the debate about the AUD $0,05 cent the atmosphere changed. Tina and her husband Bruce were all of the sudden a lot less friendly than they used to be. One day Bruce came up to me and sarcastically yelled: “Well, congratulations Evelien! You’re the lucky winner today! You’re not planting well so you can re-do your whole row (250 meters!!)!” I couldn’t believe what I just heard. He couldn’t be serious, right?!
I had been working at that farm for almost three weeks, and they never ever complained about my planting skills. All the plants I planted before were still alive and growing steadily. Now “all of the sudden” I’m doing it all wrong? Seriously? Fine – I checked my row and re-planted a few plants. At the end of the day I heard they were having a go at the other backpackers as well. Suddenly none of us were doing our jobs right – a cowardly way to get back to us for not agreeing with the lowering of the wages.
I lost all motivation
After that I just couldn’t be bothered anymore. They want to pay me per plant instead of hourly? Fine. They prefer quality over quantity? No problem. From then on I took my time for every plant. I made sure I put it in deep enough, pulled it up a little, put enough soil around it, check, double check, check some more, good? Yes. Perfect. “Off you go little plant, grow your delicious strawberries!” At the end of the day I finished one row, instead of the 2,5 rows I normally did. Not much later when I was back at the hostel Bronwyn called me, saying I had been fired by Tinaberries. Wow. So that’s how the farmers roll.
From strawberries to tomatoes
I soon started at another job, working as a tomato packer in a packing shed – paid hourly. The work wasn’t horrible and was physically much easier than strawberry packing.
Meanwhile two of my friends were also promised hourly paid jobs. Instead they were lead on, had to wait many days for a job, and were eventually sent to a sweet potato farm. When they found out they were paid on contract basis again and not on the promised hourly basis, they were done and quiet.
Willing (to exploit as many) Workers (as they can)
Do you think my experience with the strawberry farm was bad? Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
While working in the tomato shed I met a girl who shared her experiences of working on a sweet potato farm. The farmer had been sexually harassing her. He had not only been making sexual remarks towards her, he also grabbed her hips and touched her, and then laughed it off.
She immediately filed a complaint with Willing Workers, where Bronwyn promised her she would never have to go to that farm again, and that they wouldn’t send any other girls there either. After that, girl after girl was sent to work on that farm, because after all, it makes Willing Workers a lot of money, and that’s all that counts.
Dingo Blue Hostel
Another working hostel in Bundaberg to do farm work is Dingo Blue. We often had to go to Dinglo Blue to pick up a van to drive to work (the van itself being nowhere near roadworthy). This hostel is nothing more than a few shipping containers put on top of each other.
The living conditions in Dingo Blue are even worse than in Federal. One day one of the windows in the bathroom was broken, resulting in glass all over the floor. The girls immediately reported this to the hostel manager, but only about a week later someone came to fix the problem, leaving the girls in a very hazardous situation.
If the authorities would come and check Willing Workers and its living conditions this hostel would definitely not pass Australian safety standards and would be shut down. There are rumours that the owner of Willing Workers paid off the authorities so they stayed away. I wonder where that money came from…
Conclusion: do NOT go to Bundaberg!
No matter how desperate you are to get your 88 days done, do NOT go to Bundaberg to do farm work. At first the contractors and people like Bronwyn seem really friendly and caring, but all they really care about is making a lot of money. The contractors and farmers in Bundaberg have one huge thing in common: they don’t give a shit about you. Farm work is extremely psychically challenging. You’re exposed to extreme weather conditions, work long hours and often do repetitive work that leaves your body aching. Trust me, you don’t want to be treated like dirt on top of that.
More stories about backpackers being exploited are circulating these days, like this story on ABC News. I really hope the Australian Government will investigate these issues and end this farm work exploitation. As any other backpacker I would love to stay in Australia for a second year, but under no circumstances will I ever accept being treated as a modern day slave.
I eventually gave up on farm work in Bundaberg and left. A couple of months finished my 88 days a couple of months later in Griffith, NSW. The situation was slightly better there, even though I was still heavily underpaid, worked long hours in horrible conditions and had to deal with crazy farmers on a daily basis.
2020 update – I am still in Australia 🙂
I’m currently starting my fourth year in Australia. My first two years in this beautiful country were on a working holiday visa. My third and my upcoming fourth year are on a student visa.
I’m currently studying Marketing & Communications in Sydney, for a cost much more reasonable than what I initially expected.
I finished my first year of studies and obtained my Certificate IV. And I just started a new course to obtain my diploma in Marketing & Commuications. Meanwhile I’ve been living in Bondi and enjoying all the beauty Sydney has to offer. Life in Australia is just so good 🙂
If you’d like more info about studying in Australia then feel free to ask any questions you might have by emailing me at eef@eefexplores.com. I’d be more than happy to answer them 🙂
❤ Eef
29 Comments
Australia – 7 tips on finding farmwork – Eef Explores
[…] sorry, I would avoid places like this in general. We’ve been to both Bundaberg (read my blog “88 days a slave”) and Gatton, and had very bad experiences […]
Australia – Four months of farming – Eef Explores
[…] and I eventually got fired. (Read about this in more detail in one of my previous blogs – Bundaberg – 88 days a slave). I then ended up sorting and packing tomatoes, but after 21 farm days completed I decided being a […]
Australia – Four months of farming – Eef Explores
[…] and I eventually got fired. (Read about this in more detail in one of my previous blogs – Bundaberg – 88 days a slave). I then ended up sorting and packing tomatoes, but after 21 farm days completed I decided […]
backpackermac
I’ve heard the rumours about Bundaberg… Sad that level of exploitation is still going on
evelienlangeveld
Yup, unfortunately it’s not getting any better 🙁
Sophia Bray
This is exactly what puts me off getting my second year visa. I wish the Australian government would just be done with all this 88 day farm work bullshit and give us a different and safer way to obtain our second year visa.
Unfortunately I’m reading similar stories to this way too often. Thank you for sharing.
eefexplores
I totally understand babe. I eventually finished my 88 days in a less shitty place, but it remains slave like labour.
Risto K
I guess they should rename to “Desperate workers”
GR
Why whine? sorry but you canleave at anytime, you are not a hostage. Again i simply do not understand this post, you dont like it then leave…so simple
eefexplores
Did you even read it? Then you have read that I actually left.
Des
What sore of MORON are you GR …… I think it is disgusting and it needs to be looked into by the ‘POWERS THAT BE’….but I guess that will never happen…..I wish the young people all the best not all Australia is like this and I trust you ENJOY the rest of your time in Australia….x
eefexplores
Thank you Des 🙂 I eventually finished my 88 days in a less shitty place and I’m enjoying my second year in Australia to the fullest!
Marcel
I See… Things will never change at rosieproduce/Akers..
Valerie
Hi,
There are more of this situation around Australia, it’s sad these people put Australia in a bad daylight! If I was you pls call ‘fair work’ (131394) from Australian government and explain this situation, they will try to find these people and find out what’s going on. If nobody does this they will keep going on… Greetings
eefexplores
Thank you for your reply Valerie! 🙂 I phoned up Fair Work but they couldn’t do anything for me 🙁
Valerie
Ohno, that’s sad. Because things like this has to stop… It’s not human… What was there excuse for they couldn’t do anything?
Mal
My wife and I have been doing this for 13 plus years and yes there are a lot of mongrel contractors out there that’s why we don’t use them. I know it’s hard for most of the backpackers as they are treated like second class citizens but if you don’t like the work you are doing move on, there are plenty of other jobs out there. Try going directly to the farmer sometimes it helps. Good luck I know without you there fruit would rot on the ground. Keep up the good work
eefexplores
Thanks Mal! I finished my 88 days in an orange packing shed which wasn’t too bad 🙂
Anonymous
Have you reported them to the authorities? Fair work Australia (fairwork.gov.au) would be a good place to start.
Adrianne
I am so sorry your experience in Bundaberg was so horrific,I live here and please be assured as a local I had no idea things were this bad here for all the young working travellers and am totally disgusted especially with the firms you have named, I have been a supporter of Tinaberries ever sinve they oppened, but after this, I am afraid no more.
What is the reason that no one could help you and others in same situations, did you speak with local council?
Sarah
It’s a shame you had such a bad experience with your fruit picking/planting, however I really have to disagree. I turned up in bundaberg totally broke and needing work, I was in cellblock to start with which was very slightly better in living conditions but still infested with cockroaches, they had no work for us so we moved to Dingo Blue. Sure the rooms were basic and it wasn’t the cleanest but I can safely say I had some of the best times of my life in that backpackers, your fellow travellers become family and life long friends. As for the work, yes it is complete manual labour and it’s hard in the hot weather but you get on with it, have fun and make the most of your experience! You get enough money to line your pockets to buy some goon and have a night out in Central and then get up in the morning with a stinking hangover to pick tomatoes/strawberries/lemons/mangoes and do it all over again! I hold very fond memories of Bundaberg and tell people all the time that it’s one of the best things I ever did!
eefexplores
I’m happy to read you had better experiences at Dingo Blue/Willing Workers than I did, Sarah 🙂
Sarah
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience with your 88 days, It’s a shame, but I can promise you that the whole experience is what you make of it. I came to Bundaberg absolutely broke and needed work (I’m an Australian citizen so don’t even need to work the 88days) and ended up in Cellblock to begin with but then moved to Dingo Blue (willingly!) and was given work on a strawberry farm and the occasional tomato picking amoung other things and I honestly think to this date it’s one of the best experiences I ever had. You’re right, the hostels are total holes and the people you work for aren’t great but your fellow travellers and the fun you can have more than makes up for it. I went to work at silly o’clock in the morning often hungover from the night before, put my head down and got on with it and then used the money I earned to buy goon and do it all over again. Everyone at Dingo Blue was a family, I’ve made several life long friends from being there and would tell everyone and anyone that you should absolutely give Bundaberg a go, and like you, if it’s not for them then just leave!
Sarah
I’m so sorry my spiel posted again hahaha!!
eefexplores
Hahahaha that’s okay babe 🙂
Gino Matcon
Could you please contact me as this is what I’ve been warning authorities about. I’m in contact with 60 minutes and your story would help me. Its a problem that starts with the major retailers. Thanks Gino Marcon farmer in Bundaberg. Just contact me via facebook.
Lazy people
You lazy picker planters want to get payed doing nothing
eefexplores
Haha yeah, that’s exactly right. Thanks for making this extremely sharp and witty comment.
Bronwyn
I am also sorry you had unpleasant experiences in my hometown of Bundaberg. You will find that the larger backpackers and the associated labour hire companies are business and run as such. I will not defend the dodgy practices of some in the market but some are good. Maybe backpackers can post their experiences on a website so others know who is reasonable etc.