Tag Archives: WWOOF

Take me there: Something you should know about wwoofing/helpx/specified work in Australia

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If you are looking for a second visa in Australia you could find yourself either working on a farm or fruit picking and from this you will be exposed to insects at a higher rate than ever before, one of these buggers will be the tick.

 To aid you in your first few weeks of meeting these creatures may I personally warn you that these pests appear to be on the rise, for reasons to do with the weather shifting from high heat to wet conditions.

 If you find one of these attached to you don’t run to your nearest counterpart and get them to rip it out with tweezers, as I did, this only encourages them to hold on tighter and release their venom. Instead, add Vaseline or Tea Tree Oil and the suckers gradually come out and fall off all alone.

 Welcome to the countryside!

 If you do freak out and rip the bugger off then a small, hard, pink lump will form, which you must add Tea Tree Oil to every day for 1-2 months, or at least until it disappears. The venom shouldn’t hurt you if it’s a black head. If it’s white then seek assistance medically immediately, these are the parasites that have been killing off cattle. They are small but very, very deadly.

 They like warmth and moisture so be sure to double check your underarms, the nape of your neck/hair line and breast bone.

 Why no one warned me of these or advised what to do if and when I found the tick is beyond me. Although another helper on the farm who has been almost everywhere with me since arriving didn’t have any hassle for the last 2 months on the farm, it seems to be mostly a case of bad luck.

 So there you are, be prepared and be safe.

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Paddington Bear Becomes Farmer

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Paddingtons outfit is almost perfectly suited for the outdoors, so it was no surprise that he tucked into farm life just as keenly as he would lean towards a hot lady bear.

Paddington Bear has no fear against the deadliest of spiders, or even the brown snake that can kill you within seconds of its bite. He is courageous amongst the hills and whizzes around on the country motorbike to his heart’s content. Here he is, rustling amongst the wild dry grass:

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Sleep: Trump Card Wwoofing

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I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the last month on a double bed, which is rare for a woofer; I was half expecting to stay in a caravan with a blanket; there are actually two over the hill here in case more helpers turn up.

Helpers even have a shower and a toilet across the veranda making the whole farming transition that bit easier. I was rather expecting to fight with the insects as I searched for the cubicle in the far off distance during my midnight toilet break.

The heat wave has confirmed that summer is here,  reaching 45 degrees,  I can tell you that my English skin is breaking out in droplets just by sitting still. Two months here has not acclimatised my body yet, which isn’t helped by the room hot boxing itself during the day, despite every window being open; and I fear that this is what Asia will be like: humid, hot and damp from perspiration. Even at night-time.

To save me from this British rant of weather, making the things that are good seem bad, there is a gift that has been sitting underneath a chest of drawers in the room this whole time and I sincerely adore the person that invented this mechanism, I will look you up one day, dear fan maker.

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