Volunteer programs to Work in Australia: Hostels, home stays, NGOs, farms, eco villages and more

Are the volunteer and work exchange programs in Australia for you?

Australia is one of the world’s largest and most sparsely populated countries. The capital, Canberra, is not as popular as Sydney - the destination where most choose to volunteer in Australia. There are opportunities for work exchange in Gold Coast and other cities in Australia like Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide or Newcastle. 

The major cities are great places to find volunteer programs in Australia, and they’re located along the southern coastline, with a mild climate. The North has a hot climate, and a desert takes 35% of the country’s area, right in the middle. In this gigantic island, you’ll find mountains covered with forests, paradisiacal beaches facing a blue sea and much more.

Work in Australia in exchange for accommodation and go explore places like the Great Ocean Road - more than 200 km of amazing views, considered one of the best road trip destinations in the world - or Mount Kosciuszko, the country’s highest peak! 

You can take some time to learn about permaculture and a life closer to nature as a farm volunteer in Australia. Another great reason to work in Australia is to help as an animal conservation volunteer in a land with so much biodiversity.

Ever thought about learning how to play the didgeridoo? It’s a traditional instrument played by the indigenous on the island before British colonization - the Australian Aborigines.

Ever wanted to meet penguins? You can go to St Kilda Pier, in Melbourne, and admire our little friends swimming around in summer. We could go on and on talking about things to do in Australia, but how about you go see for yourself? A lot of adventure and learning opportunities await you in the land down under!

Why should you volunteer and work in Australia?

Going to big cities in Australia is a great chance to be around international communities since the country welcomes people from all over the world. Which also makes it one of the best places to learn English and gain global competence. Australia welcomes many travelers, students and workers every year. Today, more than 25% of people who live in Australia are immigrants. 

That’s 6.9 million people that come from Italy, Greece, China, Japan, Brazil, the UK and many other nations to make up the diverse population of this island. The distinct and diverse nature is another great reason to work and travel in Australia. Discover rainforests next to deserts, climb snowy mountains and swim in clear waters fringed by white-sand beaches.

How to choose the best volunteer work in Australia for you?

Take a deep breath. Picture yourself living a great adventure. Going to places you've always dreamed of and taking your best photos with great friends. When you imagined all this, did you find yourself on a farm or in a city? You can find almost all travel styles on the Worldpackers host list. Imagine your adventure and we’ll help you make it real, even when you are traveling on a budget. 

For now, a great thing that will help you choose a place to work in Australia is to get informed about that place! For example, Sydney is a cultural hub settled on the world’s largest natural harbor. 

Melbourne is the country’s second-largest city and a very popular destination for people who want to volunteer for free in Australia. From Melbourne, you can go to Phillip Island and other amazing places to appreciate nature. You can learn about yoga as a volunteer in Axedale. Another example is Adelaide, where you can go almost anywhere by bike. If you’re into bike rides, maybe the region around this city with a bit more than 1 million inhabitants is perfect for you.

Nearly every Australian city offers something different and unique. Start by doing some research: read our blog posts and stories from travelers who have lived the experience so you can find the best destination for volunteering in Australia!

Costs and Visa: How can I work in Australia?

It’s hard to find opportunities to volunteer for free in Australia, but you can get really close to that if you get free accommodation and meals in exchange for a few hours of volunteer work a day. Is there a working holiday visa for Australia? Yes.

 There’s a program called “Working Holiday Maker”, with two types of visa: Work Holiday Visa and Work and Tourism Visa. Depending on your country of residence, you might be eligible for each visa. These types of visas allow you to stay and work in Australia full-time or part-time, or even do volunteer jobs for up to 12 months.

Apply for a Work and Tourism Visa if you are from:

•   Argentina
• Bangladesh
• Chile
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
•  Poland
•  Turkey
• Thailand
•  Uruguay
•  USA

Apply for a Working Holiday Visa if you are from:

•  UK
•  Canada
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
•  Germany
•  Hong Kong
• Italy
• Japan
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Ireland
• Cyprus
•  Korea
• Sweden
• Taiwan

And always check the latest updates on the Department of Home Affairs website to see if your country has been included in the list for a volunteer work visa in Australia.

Voluntary work in Australia: transformation and self-discovery

The type of work you can do in a working holiday in Australia at a hostel, guesthouse or farm can vary greatly. Maybe you’ll help with cleaning, making breakfast, teaching languages. Maybe you’ll be the one to take other travelers on tours, who knows? You can always use your volunteer work to get to know yourself cause traveling can make you more open-minded and confident.

Perhaps volunteering in Australia with something you've never done before is great for discovering new facets of yourself, or trying out activities that expand your knowledge of the world. You can get to know yourself by helping others, why not? One might see a community struggling and think a short stay is not enough to change their lives. It may be that your work has a small impact. You may be able to influence the life of only a couple of people.

But each and every person who volunteers and helps others is a drop in an ocean of human-to-human collaboration and fellowship. Each volunteer can work to make their part of the world a little better. If you dream of a better world, if you see that goodness and love can transform our lives - bit by bit - your bit could be doing volunteer work in Australia