Work and Play with YHA

Whilst many of our hostels have job boards, there are a special few who have strong links with local businesses and farmers and can assist working holiday makers to find jobs. Even better, they offer great weekly rates and cheap (or free!) meals.

New South Wales

Sydney Beachouse YHA

Sydney Beachouse YHA boasts a close relationship with many local businesses from hospitality, labouring, landscaping, cleaning and office work with jobs varying from 1 day to 6 months. This hostel, located so close to the beach that you can hear the waves as you're drifting off to sleep, offers a true family experience and many guests end up calling this place home due to the weekly and monthly rates. Beach-side lifestyle with busses to get you into the city in less than 40 minutes - sounds alright to us! 

Glebe Point YHA

Glebe is a hotspot for working holiday makers due to it’s close proximity to the CBD and Western Sydney, as well as their Weekly Rate (which includes a Friday night BBQ!).

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour YHA is located directly across the road from the beach, offers a weekly rate for working holiday makers and has close ties to local farmers, meaning they have a very high success rate in placing guests in seasonal blueberry picking jobs which count towards your second year visa.

Whilst work is not guaranteed, farmers tend to call for workers at very short notice, so it’s best if working holiday makers are on site during the season (late June to December), and your own transport will also help (but isn’t mandatory). Local hospitality work is always available if you’re not working towards your second year visa.

Yamba YHA

Yamba is a lively, unspoilt holiday destination and is thus busiest throughout Summer. During this time (November to March), the town has lots of retail and hospitality work available, and tends to call Yamba YHA for last-minute staff.

Yamba YHA has an onsite bar, café and restaurant and tends to hire backpackers as bartenders, wait staff, receptionists and housekeepers. It’s a family affair with husbands, wives, mums and kids running the hostel, and backpackers love the homely feeling they get while living and working in Yamba. Warning – you may never leave!

Queensland

Cairns Central YHA

Cairns Central YHA offers a killer weekly deal and has a job board up in the hostel which local businesses and business owners populate with current availabilities.

Port Douglas YHA

If you're a 462 Visa Holder, you can undertake jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry in the Northern Australia region, rather than completing farm work (score!). Port Douglas is located north of Cairns and the perfect place to rest your head after a hard days' work! 

South Australia

image courtesy of South Australian Tourism Commission 

Adelaide Central YHA

Adelaide Central YHA has a Job Board in the hostel which local businesses use to promote job openings or last-minute availabilities they may have, but their weekly deal is the one you’re going to be really interested in! 7 nights at a very discounted rate, plus two hostel dinners, access to all hostel activities and free pancakes each morning!

Western Australia

Kununarra YHA

Kimberley Croc YHA in Kununurra has dedicated half of its hostel’s beds to long-term seasonal workers, paying a weekly rate. Types of work will vary seasonally,

• Tree farming is all year round
• Grapefruit picking is available from March – May
• Small Crops are available from April – September
• Mango picking is available from September – November

The hostel can provide you a list of farmers likely to be recruiting workers at any given time, who’ll generally pick you up and drop you back to the hostel after your days’ work.

Dunsborough YHA

Dunsborough YHA acts as a conduit between working holiday makers and farmers/vineyards and local hospitality providers as well as lots of other random jobs that float in from time to time.

Over the past 15 years, the hostel has developed a very strong network amongst local businesses who require seasonal workers and also workers at short notice to fill in gaps during busy periods; becoming the first port of call for local employers hiring casual and long-term staff. As Dunsborough is very much a holiday town there is a shortage of student/youth to fill these roles so backpackers are relied on heavily to take up the slack.

The hostel offers a weekly rate, and a discounted fourth week if you’re staying for a while!

Bunbury YHA

Offering a discounted weekly rate, providing daily information about job availabilities on their Facebook page and sending comprehensive job opportunity information to their email database each month, Bunbury YHA is committed to helping you find the work you’re looking for. Chat to reception as you check in as they’ll be able to point you in the right direction!

Pemberton YHA

Pemberton is on the edge of Gloucester National Park, renowned for the extraordinarily tall Karri trees.  Pemberton YHA matches backpackers with work available at any one of a dozen local farms – predominately avocado, agricultural and vineyards.

When one job finishes, the hostel help set you up with another one, to ensure that you are able to complete your three months’ seasonal work requirement to get the visa extension. Yes!

Tell me more! 

Click here for more information regarding working holidays in Australia.