Well, we are getting closer to hitting the road, yay!! :D
We bought our tow vehicle a couple of years ago, and in April bought a used van with pretty much everything we had been looking for - earlier than we needed but price was too good to leave, and have already used it a few times - went to Wemen for Easter, then 3 weeks hols to QLD in May, and once this awful Victorian weather improves, hopefully more quick trips around work.
My question is, is there much work out there on the road, either paid or house sitting etc? Hubby is 52, a farmer most of his life (jack of all trades, master of some kind of bloke, lol), will have a go at almost anything.. I'm 48, currently managing the local Reject shop, done a bit of everything from horse breaker and trackrider (retired from riding now but still more than capable of handling horses on the ground), nurse (no longer registered), worked in a variety of retail stores (Bras 'n Things, Ed Harry, Crossroads, Katies, etc), receptionist in a Chiro clinic etc..
We are paying off debt (car, van, investment properties) as fast as we can now while we're both working full time, but if we knew we could get work we'd probably head off in a year or so, rather than when we are debt-free in about 5-6 years..
Anyone else rely on income on the road to survive, and do you find it easy or hard to get work/house sitting?
Thanks! :)
spida said
03:10 PM Sep 4, 2017
There are lots of websites for work/volunteering/house sitting.
Try Blazeaid as well - free camping and all meals in exchange for work - a wonderful experience. You get to meet the locals and often work comes out of that - it is how I have ended up house-sitting so much.
Part of the secret is not to travel too far - fuel is the killer. Free camp often.
Woody2 said
07:37 PM Sep 4, 2017
G-day Blondie69.
We are in central qld. There is more work here then you can poke a stick at.
I'm 67 work part time, could work 80hrs a wk if I wanted to.
The local farmers are yelling out for tractor drivers and truck drivers.
Plenty of stock work if you wanted.
I was offered tractor work a couple of wks ago.
$35.00 a hr ,house,power ,internet,tank off diesel once a month,eggs ,meat,some veggies.
Work as many hrs as I wanted.
Just finish what you are up too then do it.
JohnR said
08:41 PM Sep 4, 2017
We are in our 4th year of being full time Nomads and try to arrange 50% of our time house/sitting with preference for small acreages.
Have no problems sourcing house sits and usually find that we have to say "No" in a lot of instances. We do not criss cross the country and we do not back track. Our process involves sourcing a long term sit in a regional area and then locate another sit in same region or close by. We are currently sitting Oxley Vic on 6 acres with follow up coastal sit at Lakes Entrance. Before moving to the Nations Capital for some work.
The life style is very much to our liking and we only do sits with accommodation/utilities and WIFI included. There must be animals to care for.
Try Aussie House sitting site or the Grey Nomads site. We have also helped out with Blaze Aide, as someone has mentioned the best experience ever, helping out, working with like minded people and the generosity of the people (farmers) in our instance absolutely first class.
Just remember that you don't get paid. BUT your accommodation is there and you are not burning diesel, as well you are meeting some very nice people as well.
JohnR
gold dandelion said
08:56 PM Sep 5, 2017
stick inland. try grain corp over east, start north and follow the work down, you can be a labourer, sampler and your wife sampler weigh-bridge operator, they also pay you to camp out, pays for the food and grog then get into a cotton gin. usually 12 hrs a day 12 on 2 off. both good money for short term work. 3 mths each, enough to fill the pockets, save some and live well for 6 mths. cbh in W.A. Local IGA's want weekend workers and long weeekends as the young one's don't want to work. don't worry about the fruit season, too hard and not enough money and too many backpackers. if you want See-Hop on Thurs Is. and Ibis are always looking for workers. take the working boat from cairns, leave your van their and drive back down when your finished. work up there for 3 mths and all your medical stuff, operations, pills etc are free. cost you 10 bucks to cross the Jardine on your way home. Farming jobs in W.A start around April
blondie69 said
07:26 AM Sep 6, 2017
Thanks everyone, we've never had an issue getting work locally, but I guess it's that concern that runs around in your head once you leave the comfort of your own postcode, lol..
Just need to sort a few things out and do it I think!! :D
Grubbygypsy said
10:44 PM Sep 6, 2017
I been lashed up even when I don't want it....never fear....you'll get it if you want it.
Bruce and Bev said
09:02 PM Sep 7, 2017
From our experience in travelling both WA and the Eastern States and SA, there is never of shortage of people wanting their house (and usually their cats/dogs) looked after - we found we got more people chasing us to look after their homes than we could manage. We used Aussie House Sitters site for it and it covers the whole of Aust. Costs you as a housesitter $60 a year - the house owner pays nothing. Do up a good resume of you both and watch the offers start to flow in. Our next door neighbour wanted to go north for the winter and couldn't get anyone - ended up paying a housesitter $100 a week, plus no utility charges. Don't go for the ones who want you to pay anything as all home owners want you to look after their pets or at least mow their lawns.
Plenty of work about for those with farming ability, general handyman work and retail - especially if you are away from the coastline. Go into the local Info Centre and they know EVERYONE in their town and who want workers (paid of course)
Hi everyone,
Well, we are getting closer to hitting the road, yay!! :D
We bought our tow vehicle a couple of years ago, and in April bought a used van with pretty much everything we had been looking for - earlier than we needed but price was too good to leave, and have already used it a few times - went to Wemen for Easter, then 3 weeks hols to QLD in May, and once this awful Victorian weather improves, hopefully more quick trips around work.
My question is, is there much work out there on the road, either paid or house sitting etc? Hubby is 52, a farmer most of his life (jack of all trades, master of some kind of bloke, lol), will have a go at almost anything.. I'm 48, currently managing the local Reject shop, done a bit of everything from horse breaker and trackrider (retired from riding now but still more than capable of handling horses on the ground), nurse (no longer registered), worked in a variety of retail stores (Bras 'n Things, Ed Harry, Crossroads, Katies, etc), receptionist in a Chiro clinic etc..
We are paying off debt (car, van, investment properties) as fast as we can now while we're both working full time, but if we knew we could get work we'd probably head off in a year or so, rather than when we are debt-free in about 5-6 years..
Anyone else rely on income on the road to survive, and do you find it easy or hard to get work/house sitting?
Thanks! :)
Try Blazeaid as well - free camping and all meals in exchange for work - a wonderful experience. You get to meet the locals and often work comes out of that - it is how I have ended up house-sitting so much.
www.facebook.com/groups/HAFandT/
www.facebook.com/TheFarmArmy/
Part of the secret is not to travel too far - fuel is the killer. Free camp often.
We are in central qld. There is more work here then you can poke a stick at.
I'm 67 work part time, could work 80hrs a wk if I wanted to.
The local farmers are yelling out for tractor drivers and truck drivers.
Plenty of stock work if you wanted.
I was offered tractor work a couple of wks ago.
$35.00 a hr ,house,power ,internet,tank off diesel once a month,eggs ,meat,some veggies.
Work as many hrs as I wanted.
Just finish what you are up too then do it.
We are in our 4th year of being full time Nomads and try to arrange 50% of our time house/sitting with preference for small acreages.
Have no problems sourcing house sits and usually find that we have to say "No" in a lot of instances. We do not criss cross the country and we do not back track. Our process involves sourcing a long term sit in a regional area and then locate another sit in same region or close by. We are currently sitting Oxley Vic on 6 acres with follow up coastal sit at Lakes Entrance. Before moving to the Nations Capital for some work.
The life style is very much to our liking and we only do sits with accommodation/utilities and WIFI included. There must be animals to care for.
Try Aussie House sitting site or the Grey Nomads site. We have also helped out with Blaze Aide, as someone has mentioned the best experience ever, helping out, working with like minded people and the generosity of the people (farmers) in our instance absolutely first class.
Just remember that you don't get paid. BUT your accommodation is there and you are not burning diesel, as well you are meeting some very nice people as well.
JohnR
Plenty of work about for those with farming ability, general handyman work and retail - especially if you are away from the coastline. Go into the local Info Centre and they know EVERYONE in their town and who want workers (paid of course)