Working on a turf farm in Beaudesert was the highlight of my trip

Fabie is sitting under a tree in Agnes Water and talks with Simon – 20 year old backpacker from Germany – about what the ‘true Australia’ is and what the highlight of his stay was.

Why did you pick Australia?

Because there is only the opportunity to get a working holiday visa for Canada, NZ and Australia. We have friends in Canberra so we already had connections to Australia. This is why I picked Australia over the 2 other countries?

I can see you are travelling in a tent and a Ford falcon – what made you choose this over a rental van?

It is just much cheaper and it is our car so we can do whatever we want. We don’t have a date to return the car and it is more comfortable. The first 3 months I took the bus – I am now a lot more independent with a car, no timetable.

Any advice on the tent to get?

My best friend bought the tent and gave it to me – so this is what we got!

What is the most fun you have had so far in Australia?

Working on a turf farm in Beaudesert (1h west of Brisbane). I worked there making new experiences driving tractors, trucks, quadbikes and motorbikes: stuff I never did before in Germany and I am really glad I did this as I can’t do this in Germany. It was physical work, hard work. Very well paid as well. The owners took me home in the evening for BBQ. The experience with the Australian people is the way to experience the real Australia rather than staying in a hostel

Where did you see that job being advertised?

Funny story: I met a guy on a plane from Dubai to Perth. He gave me his contact details and said I could stay with him as long as I could. He introduced me to the people that owned the farm and that’s the story

Where are you heading next?

Cairns – straight into the wet season. Our next stop is somewhere in a national park – it is a rather small town but it has a national park. Airlie Beach is the next main stop.

Is Australia what you expected it to be when you booked your plane ticket?

I have been to Australia when I was 13 so I knew what I could expect. However, I didn’t know anything about rural living and farmwork and this is what I was searching this time.

What did you find different about the Australian family way of life compared to the one back in Germany?

Hmm. There was not much different. Oh – I know – you guys are having hot dinners in the evening whereas in Germany we have a hot lunch and a cold dinner.

I find the people I stayed with loved to take their time and made me feel very welcome. Over the last week of work by boss told me to stay with him instead of staying at the hotel I was staying. They taught me a lot about Australia and gave me heaps of useful tips for trips.

I am hoping I can really keep the contact with this family and the guy I met on the plane once I return from Germany.

Even though I am a tourist here I feel I have really experienced the Australian way of life by working and staying with Australian families.

Knowing what you now now, 5 months into your trip, is there something you would have done differently?

No, I am pretty pleased with my trip so far. I received some very good tips when I first arrived as I spent the first weeks with very close friends in Canberra and they gave me all the info I needed to make things go smoothly. That made it really easy?

How have you been sharing your experiences so far with people back in Germany?

I have my very own Facebook Group but I don’t really post things on there. I don’t have a smartphone here in Australia (which was a wise decision because my first phone didn’t last long here) and there is very little wifi internet in Australia (tip: go to the local library to get free Internet!). I tried many times to upload videos of me driving a truck but it didn’t work because of the wifi was too slow.