Farm Work in Western Australia ( 3/4 )
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Stumble It!Job No. 2
You don't stay unemployed in Kununurra for too long. The turnover of workers is extraordinary and many farmers do frequent rounds in their "troopies" (an Aussie word for 'pick-up truck'), looking for seasonal workers. Even though most of the time people are desperately needed on farms, it doesn't mean that backpackers have any leverage in negotiating or asking for better treatment. The farmers will treat you as cattle and fire you as they please... The formula works to their advantage; there are simply too many of us.
After I had phoned Ceres Farms, I immediately got my second job in Kununurra. The conditions on the farm impressed me for their closeness to the gulags in the Soviet Union about which Solzenitzyn writes so descriptively. The farm specializes in pumpkins and assortments of watermelons that first must be pre-selected, cut off the stems, arranged in single file, and then collected by workers.
Seldom breaks, tense atmosphere, continuous process of picking, spying by the German boss with his high powered binoculars, and his frequent fits of rage make the farm a perfect breeding ground for mad men. One Aussie guy, a professional seasonal worker, reached the point where he could only function properly and relate to others in the deranged conditions of the farm. After hours he quickly turned to a most unsociable and somber species of man. The more unfair, high pace, and painful the activity was, proportionally to the heat of the day, the louder and madder he would become.
Another guy from Sweden, nicknamed 'Terminator', was known in town as the most loyal of the backpackers on the farm. Somehow he relished in being underpaid by the German farmer and even appeared grateful when awarded a 100-Aussie-dollar bonus at the end of the season. Someone told me he left Kununurra without a penny for he had blown everything in local bars!
In my case, the madness on Ceres Farms was short lived, lasting only 24 hours, nightmares included. On my second day, the German farmer approached the crew during the lunch break and in his broken, thickly accentuated English fired six of us for an alleged insubordination, goofing off in the fields, and abusing his generosity. You should have seen him in his over-sized dark shades, yelling nervously at the innocent backpackers. It was a most ridiculous and pitiable display of human aggression. People tried to contest him and point out that he used antiquated, Second World War methods, but all in vain. The English with work visas phoned the police; however, two other guys and I disappeared immediately. After all, there is more to do in Kununurra beyond dealing with one insane freak.
My test-and-trial approach to finding the most congenial work environment proved to be the right path. You must not take to heart the fact that sooner or later you will get fired on some unfounded, dumb account. As a matter of fact, the farmers don't ever take you seriously unless you make a commitment to slave for the entire season and keep your profile low. So why should you take them seriously too?
The best method to preserve your sanity while rubbing shoulders with Aussie farmers is to continually keep in mind that you're there to make bucks and get out as quickly as possible. Farmers don't trust you because you're a backpacker. Curiously enough, this term bears a negative connotation for Aussie country folk, meaning 'scum of earth'. When pronounced and accentuated correctly with a doze of demeaning sounds, 'backpacker' can channel out all the aggression and lack of respect.
I encourage you, though, to stand up for yourself in your workplace. It will happen that some overzealous foreman will not let you quench your thirst in the middle of the day because his commission depends on the quantity collected from the fields or that he will shorten your needed 'smoko' break out of no reason. Don't ever wait to stand up for yourself but apply the same foul language to make a point. Any other method of expression will not be comprehended. Most likely you will get fired but that's exactly how I found a farm where I could bear tortuous work in a more humane environment.
Questions?
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