As harvest season really gets into top gear in many parts of the country grey nomads are finding themselves in the thick of the action … and many are having the time of their lives.
With farms struggling to attract workers, and an affordable accommodation crisis in full swing, long-term travellers in their motorhomes and caravans have been a perfect fit.
Cane farmer Alexander Dal Santo told the ABC that his seasonal workforce was made up solely of three grey nomads this year.
“You are cutting corners and taking shortcuts just to get the job done, within reason,” Mr Dal Santo said. “It’s harder to get younger employees … people don’t seem to want to do the work anymore or they’re not as interested or they’d rather move into cities.”
The sugar cane harvest is in full swing, and grey nomads are there in numbers. PIC: Kathy B / Pixabay
Grey nomad Wayne Fawcett, 62, and wife Barbara from regional Victoria are at Mr Del Santo’s farm, and say that while the work is ‘a bit physical’, you can do it at any age.
“It’s not a young man’s game, it’s everybody’s game,” Mr Fawcett told the ABC. “As long as you’re reasonably fit, age doesn’t matter.”
And 59-year-old Steven Fry is in Queensland’s Burdekin Shire, about 100 kilometres south-east of Townsville, working as a sugarcane harvester.
“I jumped on the Grey Nomads website and saw they wanted haulout drivers and I thought it would be something worth having a go at,” he told the ABC. “For the five months that we work and to get seven months off, it’s terrific, it suits my lifestyle to a tee … going back to Monday to Friday every week of the year, I’m finished with that.”
With various harvests happening at different times of the year in different parts of the country, an increasing number of grey nomads are seizing the chance to supplement their budgets and see a different side of life by working on farms.
There are always a host of different grey nomad-friendly jobs on this website. Click here to see what’s available at the moment,
DON’T MISS OUTWith three great prize-laden competitions currently under way, and the list of discounts on offer growing quickly, there has never been a better time to become a Grey Nomad Member.
Prizes on offer include a Cobb kitchen in a box (value: $399.95), a Diamond caravan mat (value: $299.95), and an Auspit spit roast kit (value: $285). Click here to see more details.
Click here to see the full range of benefits on offer to members and to find how to join.
It appears that Australia is having the same employment problems as the uk in terms of seasonal agricultural workers. In the uk they relied on overseas (European) workers to fulfil these shortages. I would love to see the same happen in Australia giving older folk a similar visa as students to fill the gap in this area. What a great way the see and understand a facet of such an amazing diverse place. We would love a holiday contributing to a place we love to visit and do our bit to help as well.
Our motto when visiting has always been, leave only footprints which is so right but in testing times we all need to help each other and give a little back if required.
Work, a dirty four letter word! LOL.
I have looked at the farm work and wondered how physical it is. I have been doing farmsits and enjoy that. At my age half a days work is sufficient.
This is something my husband and I are looking at doing next season. Hubby will be upgrading his MR licence to a HR synchromesh. Is that sufficient or will he need a road ranger? TIA.