South Australian Backpacker's Handbook

WORK, WORK, WORK
WHAT WORK IS AVAILABLE?
Well, there’s landscaping, construction and
hospitality but probably the most popular form
of backpacker work here in South Australia is
seasonal. Local farmers and orchards are always
looking for help with picking fruit and pruning
vines – and South Australia has a lot of vines! This
can be pretty hard work at times but you’ll meet
some great people and don’t need any experience
to get the job.
Grape picking jobs are available between
October–June, in the Riverland, Fleurieu Peninsula,
Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, Limestone Coast and
Barossa regions, while grape pruning is done
between May–October.
LOCH LUNA ECO-STAY WINES,
BARMERA
Working and travelling can go hand in
hand but you’ll need to apply for an
appropriate visa first. A Working Holiday
Visa enables people aged 18–30 to
stay in Australia for up to 12 months, including up
to four months worth of study. When talking visas,
South Australia, including Adelaide, is classed as
‘regional’, so if you’re working in an eligible industry
for three months, you can apply for a second
working holiday visa. For more information on visas
visit www.immi.gov.au
Apples (Riverland, Limestone Coast and Adelaide
Hills), cherries (Riverland, Limestone Coast and
Adelaide Hills) and stone fruit crops (Riverland)
all need attending to during the warmer months.
Then there are jobs for citrus (Riverland) and
vegetable crops (Riverland and Limestone Coast)
for most of the year. Visit www.harvesttrail.gov.au
for more information.
The best thing is that most of this work is classified
as regional, so if you do three months hard yakka
and you may be eligible for a second one-year
Working Holiday Visa.
Check to see if your hostel has a job board, and
some employment agencies can also help out. You
can also check out www.seek.com.au
Before you start work in Australia you must register
for a Tax File Number (TFN) – or apply online at
www.ato.gov.au
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