Part of a recent advert in the Grey Nomad newsletter
" In exchange for 14 hours of work a week we can provide you with a place to park your van, access to electricity and water, plus use of toilet and laundry facilities . "
So supply your own protective gear and have no certainty of workers comp cover and provide 14 hours labour valued at $350. That is $50 per day - for a parking spot and little else.
Beggars belief.
Yes I agree, but, sadly someone will probably take up that offer.
They are just taking advantage of someone who is struggling, beggars belief for sure but there out there these types of people!
Ian
hese days I wouldn't work in an iron lung. As a matter of fact I've completely forgotten what work is." - Oh Dear GTS, you have broken the written rule
and electricity, water and laundry facilities. They all cost. Doesn't appeal to me, but somebody fit and healthy might find attractive the prospect of swapping labour for somewhere to stay without finding cash for a caravan park.
It's an offer, if they get no takers, they get no takers.
Part of a recent advert in the Grey Nomad newsletter " In exchange for 14 hours of work a week we can provide you with a place to park your van, access to electricity and water, plus use of toilet and laundry facilities . " So supply your own protective gear and have no certainty of workers comp cover and provide 14 hours labour valued at $350. That is $50 per day - for a parking spot and little else. Beggars belief.
I agree.
However such ads are not uncommon, so I imagine they must get takers.
There are far better opportunities around.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Saturday 25th of February 2023 05:39:46 PM
We are currently undertaking our third stay helping out on a property while the owners take a well earned holiday. We get power, water and the use of laundry for helping out a few hours a day and looking after the property. We do this because we like to help people out who need it, we are far from somebody struggling to pay camp fees. For us it has nothing to do with saving on camp fees, where we are there is nothing around us , the nearest shop is a journey. Maybe give it a go and help somebody out before providing negative comments.
We are currently undertaking our third stay helping out on a property while the owners take a well earned holiday. We get power, water and the use of laundry for helping out a few hours a day and looking after the property. We do this because we like to help people out who need it, we are far from somebody struggling to pay camp fees. For us it has nothing to do with saving on camp fees, where we are there is nothing around us , the nearest shop is a journey. Maybe give it a go and help somebody out before providing negative comments.
My wife & I have been caretaking & house sitting for several years, mainly in remote areas, mainly over wet seasons in the tropical north. We have helped out for periods of a month to 15 months. All like yours have been all about the experience. We have been offered payment & declined. What we do seek is an arrangement of mutual benefit.
For the last two years (almost) we have lived in two very interesting places & had experiences which few others would ever get. It's been both fantastic & completely cost neutral to us. Last year we were caretaking Moreton Telegraph Station on Cape York for 7 months over the wet season. We declined payment but accepted all our food being provided. (The owners had expected to provide all food & pay a wage).They were very generous & we ate well. Even had wine & beer provided. It was a win win situation, & one which achieved our goal of finishing the 'gig' not as ex employees, but as friends.
We had a house to live in, with all the comforts of home, power, water, tv, laundry, internet & fuel. This year we have similar literally in the midst of the Iron Range rainforest for every season, caretaking a private owned research centre. We are alone for around 70% of the time & have visiting researchers for around 30% of the time.How many folk get the opportunity to live in one of Australia's most unique environments, with the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the country's experts in everything from ants to Palm ****atoos, to unknown plants & more. They all look after themselves, we launder the bedding after they leave. Rather than having food provided we were offered a stipend, certainly nothing like full time wages, but enough to cover our food bills. Both places have involved being cut off by road for the wet season. We are currently about 9 months into our 12 month stint.
Other places have been a 7 month wet season at an aboriginal owned camp ground (closed) 180kms north of Broome, 4 months at an incredible Daintree Rainforest private wildlife reserve, & 15 months hiding from Covid at a farm sit about 30kms west of Mareeba. Other sits have been caring for pets in Broome & Cairns northern Beaches in family homes & two stints looking after a property at Portland Roads, Cape York for 6 to 10 weeks during wet seasons, where they flew us up & back from Cairns & provided vehicles to use. In those places, like you we have paid our own way but had the benefit of nice places to be & to experience places in ways that travellers just passing through never will. At all places we have provided security via our presence as well as anything from using mowers, tractors, pool maintenance, caring for pets, working dogs, & cattle, management of solar systems, maintenance of generators, track clearing etc etc. I have been a local postie, an Aerodrome reporting officer & an accredited user of an RFDS medical chest. None have felt onerous. We have never had a number of hours stipulated. We have worked when needed & lazed when we felt like it.
We stipulate up front that we are happy to help out but that we'd rather 'potter' than have a full time job. Without taking on the role of employees we are also comfortable to decide what we won't do. Eg. I have a bad back & need to be careful with lifting. Owner's response, "Yep it gets like that as we get older eh? Always more than one way to skin a cat, & when you have plenty of time it doesn't matter if it takes longer". In that case there were times the front end loader on the tractor' whilst possibly overkill for some was a real back saver for me, & what was needed was done.
I think that whatever arrangement folk are happy with is fine, but I also know that there are property owners out there who regularly have travellers like us to do jobs simply because they have learned they can exploit folks & get workers for a lot less of the going rate. We have become more adept at sussing out those owners who are only looking for cheap labour. The most important thing when possible is to talk with the property owners prior to starting to give both parties an insight as to whether we are a good fit for each other. Ads like that quoted by Tony 'might' be ok, but for me it does ring warning bells when the number of hours work required is stipulated. Not so much the amount of work (we have often put in that many hours when it's been needed) more the attitude of the advertiser - for the best 'gigs' there needs to be trust both ways rather than 'concrete stipulations'.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 2nd of March 2023 06:50:13 PM
As with all retirement travel every nomad has a different plan.
Some have to do their touring as cheap as possible, spending only on the necessities while others may want to see what is around them and are happy to spend extended time in an interesting area.
There are those that seek employment, there are those that house sit and caretake property for others.
Some want and expect to be paid a proper wage while others are happy with the friendship gained by actually being able to help people when they need it without calculated renumeration.
Some have other reasons why they do what they do while travelling. Extended lengths of time in remote areas that are subject to monsoonal weather events is something that the majority of travellers may not find satisfying. Each to their own and if they are happy then so be it,
I personally dont think that 14 hours work a WEEK for a free full accomodation site is being unfair. Having said this, it is hard to know without details.
What does the work for 14 hours involve? Where is the site? How long is the tenure?
My view is that if it is not suitable then dont do it.
We are currently undertaking our third stay helping out on a property while the owners take a well earned holiday. We get power, water and the use of laundry for helping out a few hours a day and looking after the property. We do this because we like to help people out who need it, we are far from somebody struggling to pay camp fees. For us it has nothing to do with saving on camp fees, where we are there is nothing around us , the nearest shop is a journey. Maybe give it a go and help somebody out before providing negative comments.
My wife & I have been caretaking & house sitting for several years, mainly in remote areas, mainly over wet seasons in the tropical north. We have helped out for periods of a month to 15 months. All like yours have been all about the experience. We have been offered payment & declined. What we do seek is an arrangement of mutual benefit.
For the last two years (almost) we have lived in two very interesting places & had experiences which few others would ever get. It's been both fantastic & completely cost neutral to us. Last year we were caretaking Moreton Telegraph Station on Cape York for 7 months over the wet season. We declined payment but accepted all our food being provided. (The owners had expected to provide all food & pay a wage).They were very generous & we ate well. Even had wine & beer provided. It was a win win situation, & one which achieved our goal of finishing the 'gig' not as ex employees, but as friends.
We had a house to live in, with all the comforts of home, power, water, tv, laundry, internet & fuel. This year we have similar literally in the midst of the Iron Range rainforest for every season, caretaking a private owned research centre. We are alone for around 70% of the time & have visiting researchers for around 30% of the time.How many folk get the opportunity to live in one of Australia's most unique environments, with the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the country's experts in everything from ants to Palm ****atoos, to unknown plants & more. They all look after themselves, we launder the bedding after they leave. Rather than having food provided we were offered a stipend, certainly nothing like full time wages, but enough to cover our food bills. Both places have involved being cut off by road for the wet season. We are currently about 9 months into our 12 month stint.
Other places have been a 7 month wet season at an aboriginal owned camp ground (closed) 180kms north of Broome, 4 months at an incredible Daintree Rainforest private wildlife reserve, & 15 months hiding from Covid at a farm sit about 30kms west of Mareeba. Other sits have been caring for pets in Broome & Cairns northern Beaches in family homes & two stints looking after a property at Portland Roads, Cape York for 6 to 10 weeks during wet seasons, where they flew us up & back from Cairns & provided vehicles to use. In those places, like you we have paid our own way but had the benefit of nice places to be & to experience places in ways that travellers just passing through never will. At all places we have provided security via our presence as well as anything from using mowers, tractors, pool maintenance, caring for pets, working dogs, & cattle, management of solar systems, maintenance of generators, track clearing etc etc. I have been a local postie, an Aerodrome reporting officer & an accredited user of an RFDS medical chest. None have felt onerous. We have never had a number of hours stipulated. We have worked when needed & lazed when we felt like it.
We stipulate up front that we are happy to help out but that we'd rather 'potter' than have a full time job. Without taking on the role of employees we are also comfortable to decide what we won't do. Eg. I have a bad back & need to be careful with lifting. Owner's response, "Yep it gets like that as we get older eh? Always more than one way to skin a cat, & when you have plenty of time it doesn't matter if it takes longer". In that case there were times the front end loader on the tractor' whilst possibly overkill for some was a real back saver for me, & what was needed was done.
I think that whatever arrangement folk are happy with is fine, but I also know that there are property owners out there who regularly have travellers like us to do jobs simply because they have learned they can exploit folks & get workers for a lot less of the going rate. We have become more adept at sussing out those owners who are only looking for cheap labour. The most important thing when possible is to talk with the property owners prior to starting to give both parties an insight as to whether we are a good fit for each other. Ads like that quoted by Tony 'might' be ok, but for me it does ring warning bells when the number of hours work required is stipulated. Not so much the amount of work (we have often put in that many hours when it's been needed) more the attitude of the advertiser - for the best 'gigs' there needs to be trust both ways rather than 'concrete stipulations'.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 2nd of March 2023 06:50:13 PM
Wow what an interesting life your living
And a knowledgeable response for newbie's like me to take note of
My sister years ago baby sat houses on Sydney Northern Beaches. She simply had to live there to make the house lived in, one was a 4 level house with lift, we all had Christmas lunch there.
Car & basically everything provided including the cleaners & gardeners.
We also had a very close friend who has now moved on ahead, who had done house sitting for years. Everything provided & could have bottles of wine from each of the owners' cellars. One of her house sitting parties Miriam Margolyes was there. We were invited to many of these house sitting parties. None were ever out if control as we were all a "bit" older.
But no cost to the house sitter.
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