New hosts cannot join on-line. You may download our Host Pack* or email us for Host Pack, which includes the Host guidelines,  some information about insurance and a host application form for you to complete and return together with your membership fee of $50.00 (inc GST) or if you provide us with a copy of your current certification with an AQIS accredited Certifying body (eg. NASAA, ACO/BFA, OGA, TOP, SFQ or OFC) membership is free.

*The Host Pack is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You will need the Acrobat viewer to view these files. which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe 

Read a recent WWOOF Host Newsletter

EXISTING HOSTS who are ALREADY WWOOF AUSTRALIA Host Members can renew their membership online using an online order form.

New Host Information

Open letter from WWOOF Australia to people with properties in Australia who believe they meet the criteria for becoming a WWOOF host - and are interested in joining WWOOF Australia as a listed host

Download our Host Pack or E-mail us for a Host Pack  wwoof @ wwoof.com.au (no spaces)

Dear Friends, 

We thank you for your interest in becoming a Host with WWOOF Australia.

WWOOF has been operating in Australia for over 25 years, and has blossomed into a smorgasbord of Australia’s alternative lifestyles, offering students, backpackers and travellers from Australia and overseas a taste of Australian life. There are now over 2,000 Hosts in the WWOOF Book, offering a wide range of opportunities. The WWOOF Book provides contact details, a description of each property, the work to be done, meal types and accommodation. The WWOOFer simply browses through the book, chooses a place they would like to go, and then contacts the Host to arrange a mutually suitable time to visit. The choice may be based on geography (close to a route they are travelling); or philosophy (such as biodynamic farming practices); cultural (many of our Hosts speak other languages as well as English) or it may just sound like an interesting place to visit.  WWOOFers can extend their Working Holiday Visas through the WWOOF program. If you are want more information, visit the DIAC website WWOOFers live and work with the Host families in the same way as relatives and friends do when they visit.

The essential requirements of a WWOOF Host are:

-          being involved in organics in some way, growing or producing organic products

-         being an “Ambassador for Australia” in providing both a safe haven for Willing Workers as well as engaging in a mutual cultural exchange

-          provide all food and clean, comfortable accommodation to travellers and students in exchange for between 4 and 6 hours of farm/gardening type work per day. This work can include everything from gardening and landscaping to animal care and property maintenance. Some WWOOFers have no gardening skills whatsoever and your role will be to teach them your methods. When a WWOOFer calls you, ask what skills they have!

-          be able to provide experiences in a variety of organic farming/gardening techniques

What WWOOF Hosts SHOULD NOT DO:

-          exploit WWOOFers as slave labour - by working them beyond 6 hours per day

           ask WWOOFers to use chemical herbicides, weedicides or inorganic fertilisers.

-         use WWOOFers for hospitality-type jobs such as waitressing, kitchen-hand work, cleaning rooms in B&B establishments, au pairing, etc, as these are not farm jobs

-          Housekeeping & childcare (a Working with Children check is not a requirement for WWOOFers)

-          use inappropriate language, suggestive behaviour or unwelcoming behaviour

We get so much positive feedback from our existing WWOOF Hosts about their wonderful experiences, but let’s not pretend that it’s all roses in the garden! Being a WWOOF Host may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It is important that you carefully consider the following issues BEFORE deciding to become a WWOOF Host and are prepared to deal with them if they arise.  WWOOFers may be unskilled, in fact, some have never been out of a city and have never picked up a spade. This can lead to breakage of tools if they are not carefully instructed in their use. WWOOFers who book in but then never show up can be a huge disappointment for many Hosts. Cultural, lifestyle, personality and language differences can lead to misunderstandings between Hosts and WWOOFers. The WWOOF program is NOT about free slave labour, nor is it about Willing Workers who are not willing! Good effective communication between hosts and WWOOFers is essential. With patience, understanding and compassion, it is a worthwhile and memorable experience for the majority of our WWOOF Hosts.

The minimum stay is 2 nights (to prevent people turning up, eating and sleeping, then leaving the next morning) and the maximum stay is up to the Host and the WWOOFer. We have heard of WWOOFers staying for more than a year!

Many Hosts follow permaculture and biodynamic principles in addition to using organic practices, and we assume you are not using farm chemicals as a matter of routine. Please be aware that WWOOFers MUST NOT use man-made chemicals/fertilizers, approved organic alternatives are acceptable. We trust our Hosts not to use WWOOFers as cheap labour; WWOOFers should be treated as part of the family. Being a WWOOF Host requires a long-term commitment and should not be seen as a quick fix solution for a short-term need. Please read the guidelines carefully and contact other Hosts in your area for feedback on how the scheme operates at the grass roots level.

Two other very important points need to be mentioned here:

1. You are accepting total strangers into your home. To safeguard yourselves, it is a requirement that Hosts keep a Guestbook to register the WWOOFer’s membership number and matching ID (passport, drivers licence, etc) and type of Visa when they arrive. Failure to do this may result in problems.

2. There are important visa regulations regarding work. Work is defined by the Department of Immigration and Cultural Affairs as, “an activity that, in Australia, normally attracts remuneration”. This means that any activity that normally attracts payment, irrespective of whether you are paying money or giving some other kind of reward, (eg food and accommodation) it is still deemed to be work. If you are going to offer “work” as defined by DIAC you must ensure that the WWOOFer has a visa that entitles them to “work”. You can check this by ensuring their visa/passport is stamped appropriately. If they possess a Working Holiday Visa (WHV), there is a time limit on how long they are allowed to work at any one establishment at a time.  WWOOFers can now qualify for a second Working Holiday Visa if they spend a total of 88 days WWOOFing in specified regional areas, performing specified work (This can be worked with a number of different hosts). WWOOFers with a Tourist visa must not do any work that would otherwise be done by a paid worker. For more information on this issue, visit the Australian Immigration Department's Website and read the section on Volunteer Work Tourism Schemes

*If you provide us with a copy of your current certification with an AQIS accredited Certifying body (eg. NASAA, ACO, BDRI, TOP, SFQ, AUS-QUAL or OFC) membership is free. 

Your entry will also be included in an amendment list of new hosts which is readily available to WWOOFers. As a new Host you may not get enquiries from WWOOFers for some time until the next edition is in circulation. The best way to get WWOOFers initially is to post an entry on the WWOOF Australia Bulletin Board, which can be accessed via our Website. New hosts are registered to use the Bulletin Board and can put up photos and a profile, including their contact details, which will only be available to registered WWOOFers. Our WWOOF Host Newsletter will be sent to you 3 times per year, via e-mail or post.

We rely heavily on feedback from all members to maintain a working system. Complaints need to be backed up with names, membership numbers, and dates if they are to be treated seriously. For this reason it is a requirement that you ask to see the WWOOFers Book and some form of identification on WWOOFers arrival arrival and record their details in your Guestbook. If one of your WWOOFers confides in you of a bad experience involving another host, please have them contact us so that we can deal with the problem.

We hope this has given you enough information to assist in your decision to become one of our Hosts enjoying the benefits of WWOOFing.

We look forward to receiving your application form in due course.

Yours sincerely

The WWOOF Team: Garry, Debb, Traci, Tam, Lorraine, Manda and Danny

WWOOF is operated by WWOOF Pty Ltd, A.C.N 085-920-690

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New hosts cannot join on-line. You may download our Host Pack* or email us for a Host Pack, which includes the Host guidelines,  some information about insurance and a host application form for you to complete and return together with your membership fee of $50.00 (inc GST) or if you provide us with a copy of your current certification with an AQIS accredited Certifying body (eg. NASAA, ACO/BFA, OGA, TOP, SFQ or OFC) membership is free.

*The Host Pack is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You will need the Acrobat viewer to view these files. which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe 

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 The Practical Guide to WWOOFing in PDF format is written by Adam Greenman who has WWOOFed all over the world and gives a WWOOFers insight into the good and the bad, practical tips and ideas.  It would be a useful guide for new hosts as well as WWOOFers.

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Click here if you would like to read our latest WWOOF Host Newsletter