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Complete Your 88 Days with Purpose at Chenrezig Institute

5.0
(18 reviews)18

The experience

Looking to complete your 88 days for a second/third year visa in Australia? Join our peaceful Buddhist retreat in QLD (postcode 4554)! Help with bushfire & flood recovery, land care, gardening & community support. Stay includes comfy shared housing, healthy veg meals & meaningful connection. Qualifies as specified work under WHV 417/462. Give back while living simply in nature. 🌿

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

Cleaning: Help clean the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas.

Social Work: Help with volunteer work in local projects and communities.

What you get

2 days off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Get free drinks or beverages.: Drink up! Get free and tasty drinks for yourself.

Free Events: Get free entrance for the best events in town.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Yoga classes: Take free yoga classes at our place.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Intermediate English

Over 18 years old

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Looking to complete your 88 days of specified work for a Second or Third Year Working Holiday Visa in Australia? Join Chenrezig Institute, a peaceful Buddhist retreat and community nestled in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland (postcode 4554) just 1.5 hours north of Brisbane.

Our region has been officially designated as affected by bushfires and floods, meaning that volunteering with us qualifies as specified work in a disaster-affected area under visa subclasses 417 and 462.

Volunteers at Chenrezig contribute to meaningful recovery and regeneration work while living in a values-based environment grounded in compassion, mindfulness, and community connection. You don’t need to be Buddhist to join. We welcome open-hearted people from all walks of life.

In exchange for your support, we offer shared accommodation, nourishing vegetarian meals, a natural forest setting, and the chance to be part of a community making a positive impact. This is more than just visa work; it’s a way to give back, slow down, and reconnect with what matters.

Activities & Shift

Volunteer contributions include:

• Bushfire and flood recovery
• Land care and native regeneration
• Permaculture gardening and landscape design
• Grounds maintenance (paths, weeding, brush clearing)
• Admin and organisational recovery
• Community support for those impacted by natural disasters

Shifts & Expectations:

Volunteers will typically commit to around 30 hours per week, usually spread across five days with six-hour shifts. Longer stays with lighter schedules (20–25 hours per week) may also be arranged. Some weekend work may be involved, and regular days off are provided for rest and reflection. Volunteers are expected to engage with a collaborative spirit and respect the peaceful, values-based environment. You’ll play an active role in our bushfire and flood recovery efforts while learning practical skills and experiencing daily life in one of Australia’s oldest Buddhist centres. There are also opportunities to work with Tibetan traditional art and holy objects, and to take time for yoga, meditation, and self-reflection in our serene rainforest setting.

Rules

Code of Conduct: no killing, no stealing, no lying, no sexual misconduct, no intoxicants including smoking. Respect for the monastic community of Buddhist Monks and Nuns in the Mahayana Tibetan Buddhist tradition.