So you’re thinking of doing a working holiday in Australia and it’s all a bit daunting. To make your visit a success, understanding Australia’s work seasons will help set up your stay.
Tropical North Queensland is a backpackers paradise and as I type this (in July), virtually every business in the tourist town of Port Douglas has a “Help Wanted” sign in their windows. The tropical north (Cairns, Whitsundays, Darwin, Kakadu, and Broome) has three basic seasons: The dry season May -Sept), the build up (October-November) and the Wet season (December – April).
Tourists avoid the tropics in the build up (hot and really humid) and wet season (hot and raining with the chance of cyclones). Employment opportunities are definitely better in the dry season. If you’re picking fruit or doing construction in the wet season to tick off your 88 Days for a second year WHV, it can take a frustratingly long time as rain days can keep you “off the tools” and out of the orchards.
UPDATE FEB 2024: There’s a staggering number of backpackers chasing very few hospitality jobs in TNQueensland. A lot of young people are really struggling at the moment and there’s a bit of exploitation going on with work for accommodation “deals” in exchange for 88 Days, most of which don’t even qualify for a second or third WHV. Be careful folks and consider your options. There’s plenty of work down south and moving to TNQ chasing hospo work before the tourists return in June is not a smart thing to do.
One of the most common ways to do your 88 Days is to working hospitality in the tropical north from June – October. During peak season, you could work 88 days straight if you wanted.
If you are working on farms the best way to find out where the work is, is to follow the harvest trail website. Tree planting in Victoria is typically done in winter or spring to improve the chances of trees surviving the hot summers. Vineyards have plenty of winter work (pruning and vine tying) as well as picking season.
Speaking of hot summers, Victorian, South Australian, Southern WA, Tasmanian, SE Queensland and NSW coastal towns are heaving with tourists over the warmer months. Most Australians take holidays between December 26 and January 26 and there’s a massive hospitality worker shortage in these regions. These beach towns have very consistent hospitality work until it starts to get cold. There’s also plenty of public holidays in March and April which are great times to work and get penalty rate pay, which is double on offical holidays.
There’s always a chronic housing shortage in these beach areas over peak summer because landlords can earn big bucks renting out their properties to holiday makers. If you are planning on working in a beach town over summer it’s best to get your accommodation sorted well before the crowds arrive. Think September, and the longer the lease the more chance you have of getting a place over the peak holiday period. Getting into a share house is a possibility in November when universities finish for the year and young people are on the move.
Australia needs construction workers virtually everywhere, but especially in rapidly growing beach towns and mountain areas like Jindabyne, Mt Buller, Bright, and Mansfield. The construction work in ski resorts stops as soon as the lifts open and there’s a scramble to get building sites weather-proof as winter approaches. There’s always a mad rush to complete project in the lead up to Christmas too.
A great way to earn some really good money is to secure your accommodation in a beach town in spring, bang nails until Christmas and then pour coffee or beers when the tourists hit on December 26.
Construction and city office work grinds to a halt in January. It’s not a good time to be looking for work in these sectors when everyone’s at the beach.
If travellers need to boost their bank balance, events are always looking for casual workers. Think, The Melbourne Grand Prix, The Australian Open, and The Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne are also good places to do long days. Sporting, musical and cultural events really are good options if you need a few extra dollars to keep travelling.
People on Working Holiday Visas also want to take a break from work and explore the country. The best time to do this is definitely not during peak tourism season when hostels and caravan parks are overflowing. It’s definitely better if you’re working when everyone else is holidaying and holidaying when everyone else is working.
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