Australian Time Out #16: Marry a Millionaire and Other Ways to Make Money in Tully

Digg this page | Save This Page | Stumble It!

16: Marry a Millionaire and Other Ways to Make Money in Tully

When I was working in Sydney, I met someone who had already traveled from Cairns down to Sydney; eager to pick her brains, I mentioned that the package we were considering offered a free night's accommodation in Tully. She said that she had nearly drank herself to death there in the absence of anything else to do. (And enjoyed it so much she stayed two weeks)

And she was right. Tully is literally a one street town, popular with backpackers for two reasons only - banana picking work and Tully River white-water rafting. We stopped at Banana Barracks for the latter activity (but you can go from Cairns or Townsville too), and discovered that everyone in our dorm got up at 4 am for work. Here's a tip: make sure you take advantage of the 1.5 litre jugs of wine for $7 and you won't even notice.

Tully Whitewater

The next morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, we met the other rafting hopefuls outside the hostel bar to watch a safety video (English and Japanese) and were bundled into a coach heading for the Tully mountains. Decked out in sturdy lifejackets and waterproof clothes, the guides separated us into groups of six, and with a few pointers we were off down the river! The hard work paid off when we rushed down several hairy passes and under a few spectacular waterfalls (freezing water!), and during the quiet bits you can enjoy the view; the Tully river is in a gorge, with rainforest on one side, bush on the other, plenty of wildlife and huge rocks to avoid! Great fun in all, well-organised and very safe, which doesn't detract from the rush of crossing the rapids. The guides are really clued up about the area and welcome questions. There are two companies that offer Tully rafting; both offer the same thrills for the same price!

The other reason for Tully's popularity with backpackers is the employment opportunities - banana picking, sorting and packaging to be precise - and the Australian farming industry depends on the thousands of backpackers who pour all of their hard-earned cash down their necks traveling the East Coast and are looking for a few weeks work.

The people I spoke to at the hostel didn't mind the work and were quite happy to do it for a few weeks; you will probably hear a few horror stories about fruit picking but it is a well-paid alternative to office work. Men usually are outside picking the banana bunches, which can weigh several kilos, and the women separate and package the fruit in the factory on-site. Most farms won't accept you if you don't have a valid working visa and Tax File Number (TFN).

Check TNT for harvest work timetables, and many travel guides mention areas that employ travelers for fruit picking or pruning. Usually the hostels in the area will organise work for you and free transport is sometimes arranged (Banana Barracks runs a harvest work agency in-house) although some jobs don't offer accommodation and are too far away from hostels (alternative is to camp on the property) and you will need a car to get there.

Cane farming is popular in Cairns too - the farmers there make up most of Australia's millionaires - and they're mostly male, unmarried and over 60, so that may be another option for any broke female travelers out there; remember you heard it here first!

Further information about fruit picking in OZ:

Employment National - call 133 444 for up-to-date job information
Australian Tour and Information Centre
The Stoned Crow Fruit Picking Guide
World Wide Workers - fruit picking jobs available
Anywork-Anywhere - Australian job list



Digg this page | Save This Page | Stumble It!