WWOOF Pty Ltd has operated in Australia since 1981 and has become a smorgasbord of Australia’s organic farms, permaculture and alternative lifestyle properties, offering travellers from Australia and overseas a taste of rural life.

Host Profiles include contact details, a detailed property description, work to be done, and meal and accommodation arrangements, availability calendar, location map and messaging links. WWOOFers search the website or their App, choose Hosts to contact, and arrange a mutually agreeable time to visit.

WWOOFers live and volunteer their time with Host families just as relatives or friends do when visiting. The minimum stay is 2 nights (to prevent WWOOFers eating, sleeping and leaving the next morning), the maximum stay is up to the Host and WWOOFer.

We receive so much positive feedback from our WWOOF Hosts about their wonderful experiences, but there can also be problems, as WWOOF Hosting is not for everyone.

Carefully consider the following issues BEFORE deciding to become a Host as you may need to deal with them if they arise.

• WWOOFers are generally unskilled.
• some have never left their home country, or the city.
• some have never completed tasks outside.
• WWOOFers sometimes book in, then don’t arrive.
• cultural, lifestyle, personality and language differences can lead to misunderstandings.

Good communication between Hosts and WWOOFers is essential. With patience, understanding and compassion, it can be a worthwhile and memorable experience for most WWOOF Hosts.

Please read the Host Guidelines and Obligations carefully. You can apply online to become a Host and set up your own profile. It is important to be totally up-front with the information about your property to prevent surprises and complaints. Many of our Hosts are very unusual, and this adds to the diversity of the WWOOF Program, so don't be shy about the things you offer that set you aside from 'the norm'! Your Host profile will be on our website and on the WWOOF App.

To find WWOOFers, post regular advertisements in our Notice Board on our website, or search on the Map search for nearby WWOOFers. Please keep your profile accurate and up-to-date. WWOOFers search the website and WWOOF App for hosts, so be sure to include key words in your profile rather than generalisations. For example, rather than "we have many different animals", "we have pigs, horses, goats, chickens, ducks, bees and sheep" will ensure your profile comes up in many different WWOOFer searches.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

We rely heavily on feedback from all members to maintain the integrity of the WWOOF program. All complaints must be in writing, with names, membership user names and dates. We verify the identity of a WWOOFer or host making a complaint, but treat this information as confidential.

If we receive a complaint, we will contact the member about whom the complaint was made to follow up the issues raised. We will require the member to provide us with contact and membership details of other members they have hosted or visited.

Failure to provide these details will result in the member’s registration being cancelled.

We are aware that many problems arise due to personality conflicts and we always take this into account when dealing with complaints. We also take into consideration the length of time a member has been in the program and the number of WWOOFers they host, or hosts they visit.

GENERAL COMPLAINTS

For complaints about unsuitable accommodation, food, inaccurate Host profiles, unreasonably long working hours etc., we will ask for details of other WWOOFers who have visited the host. We ask these WWOOFers about their experiences with the Host.

First complaint: We inform the member of the complaint, discuss the issues raised and request a reply in writing, and contact other members who have visited the host or hosted the WWOOFer for their feedback. If the complaint is verified, we will discuss changes that will need to be adopted by the member and, if appropriate, alter the member's profile for accuracy.

Second complaint: we inform the member again, discuss why this issue is still a problem and what can be done to resolve the problem, and warn the member that a third complaint will result in the membership being cancelled.

Third complaint: we will cancel the membership immediately.

SERIOUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING HEALTH AND SAFETY OR SEXUAL OR OTHER FORMS OF HARASSMENT

If we receive any serious complaint about health and safety or inappropriate behaviour, including sexual harassment, verbal or any other type of abuse, we will contact the member to inform them of the complaint and advise that their membership has been suspended pending resolution of the complaint.

The members profile will be immediately removed from the WWOOF Website and App. This may seem harsh; however, when there is a concern raised about health and safety or sexual harassment or abuse of any sort, we must err on the side of caution, as we have a duty of care towards our members.

At our discretion, we will contact members who have messaged the member to ask about their experiences with the member in question. If there are no messages in the members profile, the member will be required to provide a written statement of their version of events along with details of other members they have visited or hosted. We will then contact these members and ask about their experiences with the member.

If similar concerns are raised we will cancel the member’s registration immediately. If the complaint is resolved to our satisfaction, the membership will be reinstated.

If we receive a second similar complaint at any time in the future, the membership will be cancelled immediately.

NOTE: WWOOF cannot condone the breaking of State and/or Federal laws. WWOOF reserves the right to cancel a Host’s or WWOOFer’s registration immediately if we believe the Host’s or WWOOFer’s actions may bring the name of the WWOOF program into disrepute.

There are important visa regulations regarding work that WWOOF Hosts need to be aware of.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) allows visitors to Australia to WWOOF on Student, Visitor (formerly Tourist visa) and Working Holiday visas.

Work is defined by DHA as, "an activity that, in Australia, normally attracts remuneration". This means 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, particularly on a commercial farm. Volunteering is not considered work by DHA if it is for a not-for-profit entity, such as a hobby farm.

If you are going to offer "work" as defined by DHA you must ensure 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), 6 months is the maximum time they are allowed to work at any one establishment.

If you need to check on a WWOOFers visa there is a free, online facility, VEVO, that allows an employer to check visa entitlements of a non-Australian passport holders' visa. You need to register to use VEVO and will need the WWOOFers permission to check their visa details. You will need their: name, date of birth, passport number and passport country of issue.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DHA change the rules from time to time about what activities are allowed on visas, it is important to confirm with DIBP that the type of visa your WWOOFer holds does allow volunteering in exchange for food and accommodation.

Visitor (Tourist) Visas and Student Visas

• Visitor Visa - Tourist Stream (subclass 600) *see note below
• Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601), *see note below
• eVisitor (subclass 651),
• Student Visa,

On Visitor visas any work must be genuinely voluntary and must be work that would not otherwise be undertaken by an Australian resident and MUST be done for a Not-For-Profit entity, such as a Hobby Farm. If WWOOFers are entering Australia on a Tourist visa it is essential that they have Tourist style accommodation booked for their first few days, and have plans for tourist activities, WWOOFing must not be the main reason for their visit to Australia.

WWOOFers on Tourist visas who prearrange to stay on Commercial Farms can be refused entry to Australia as their visa conditions DO NOT permit work. If WWOOFers do prearrange any WWOOF Host visits, they must be Hobby Farms.In most cases WWOOFers on Tourist visas want to be doing something useful, learning about organics and permaculture and getting to know some real Australians.This is much better suited to the pace and lifestyle on non-commercial WWOOF Host properties, where they are generally treated as part of the family. They still have all of their meals and accommodation but the hours are generally less formal and as the property is not generating an income the Hosts are far less likely to be paying someone to help around the property.

There are a large number of non-commercial and hobby farm WWOOF hosts to choose from and the list search allows WWOOFers to select hobby farms when they search for a host. WWOOF Hosts can assist WWOOFers by ensuring they have selected the correct farm type on their WWOOF Profile.

Home Affairs say this about Visitor Visas - Tourist stream:

This visa lets you:

• visit family or friends
• be here as a tourist, for a cruise or for any purpose except business or medical treatment

You can study or train for up to 3 months in total on this visa. But if your main reason for travelling to Australia is study, a student visa might be more appropriate.

You can't work*.

*Volunteering is not considered work by Home Affairs, who define volunteering as follows:

Volunteer work is work that:

• is unpaid (you can be provided with meals, accommodation or out-of-pocket living expenses)
• would not otherwise be done by an Australian for pay
• is short term
• is incidental to your visit to Australia
• is done for a not-for-profit organisation
• benefits the community

The Visitor visa does not offer the wide scope of options that are available to those who are holders of First or Second Working Holiday or Work and Holiday visas which both permit paid work as well as volunteering.

WWOOFing (Volunteering) IS allowed on ALL Working Holiday Visas

The Department of Home Affairs say: “In recognition of the many legitimate and worthwhile agencies that employ volunteer workers to deliver valuable community services, Working Holiday visa holders will still be able to perform volunteer work should they wish to do so. The work will simply *not count towards eligibility for a second visa.” * Except in Bushfire Disaster Areas, see below.

Breaking News, February 2020

Bushfire Disaster Recovery volunteering now qualifies for 2nd and 3rd Working Holiday visas.

Following Blaze Aid and WWOOF Australia making representations to Government, on the 17th of February the Federal Government announced an initiative allowing volunteers in Bushfire Disaster areas to qualify for second and third Working Holiday visas.

WWOOF has developed WWOOF Volunteer Bushfire Relief Form in consultation with Border Force, for WWOOFers to use for their visa extension application, as confirmation of the volunteer work they have done. Border Force have approved regular WWOOFing hours of 4 to 6 hours a day, maximum of 38 hours in any 7 days for this purpose. Hosts need to fill this form in to confirm the type of help they have had and the dates the WWOOFer has stayed with them. Hosts must keep a copy of this form with their completed Guestbook page for each of these WWOOFers.

The main criteria for this volunteer work is that it has something to do with bushfire recovery, this can include all aspects of getting your farm back on track. There are links at the bottom of the WWOOF volunteer form to Border Force website and more information

Border force have also added extra types of construction work that will qualify as specified work:

Specified work in disaster affected areas 

Construction work can be vital in helping regional disaster zones, such as those affected by flood or bushfire, to rebuild and recover from disaster. Working Holiday visa holders who conduct construction work in eligible regional areas of Australia following disasters can count the work as specified work.

Examples of construction work that qualify as specified work include:

• demolition of buildings, trench digging, land clearing and earth moving
• residential and non-residential construction or renovation/repair, including of roads, footpaths, bridges, parking lots, fencing, railways, dams, irrigation systems, sewage and storm water drainage systems.

Bushfire recovery work means work undertaken, including work undertaken on a volunteer basis, to assist with bushfire recovery efforts in an area mentioned including:

(a) construction, farming, or any other work in association with recovery or restitution of land, property, farm animals or wildlife; and (b) providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in the affected areas.

Bushfire affected areas

For details, see:

• Working Holiday Visa (417)
• Working Holiday Visa (462)

STUDENT Visas

Student visa holders may volunteer for not-for profit (hobby farms) as for Tourist visas, or they can volunteer on commercial farms for up to 40 hours per fortnight as part of their paid work allowance.

For details see:

• Student Visa

IMPORTANT NOTE: Home Affairs change the rules from time to time about what activities are allowed on these visas, it is important to confirm with Home Affairs that the type of visa you apply for does allow volunteering in exchange for food and accommodation. WWOOF does NOT have any influence over Home Affairs, and they do not advise WWOOF if they alter the Rules, the most current information is always on their website homeaffairs.gov.au

For more information, see the WWOOF visa PDF

Hosts  Obligations

When registering as a Host, you agree and confirm that:

You are responsible for your own account security and you will not share your account details with any other person;

You will use your real name, address and contact details;

All other information you provide will be accurate and true;

Any WWOOFer you accept will genuinely benefit from the cultural exchange.

Treat all WWOOFers with consideration and respect.

As a registered Host, you acknowledge that:

You are using WWOOF Pty Ltd entirely at your own risk and we expressly exclude all liability for any loss or damage you, your family, your reputation, your business or your property may suffer as a result of using WWOOF Pty Ltd.

WWOOF Hosts must comply with the relevant rules and laws in your jurisdiction (if any) especially with regard to tax & insurance, Workcover, Occupational Health and Safety legislation, including the provision of all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

WWOOF is a worldwide movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers to promote cultural and educational experiences based on trust and non-monetary exchanges, helping to build a sustainable global community.

WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) started in England in 1971 when the first WWOOFers spent a weekend helping on an organic farm in exchange for their keep. The organisation was initially called Working Weekends on Organic Farms, but was changed to Willing Workers on Organic Farms  after people asked “why only weekends?” Gradually WWOOF groups around the world changed this to World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

Today there are over 55 WWOOF groups all over the world. All WWOOF groups are independent, but operate in a similar way, by putting people into contact with each other. Throughout the world the WWOOF philosophy is the same; WWOOF hosts provide food and lodging to travellers and students in exchange for between 4 and 6 hours volunteering per day.

Lionel Pollard began WWOOF Australia in 1981, and retired in 2000. 40 years on, WWOOF remains 100% Australian owned, managed and operated. The WWOOF Office was located in W Tree in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, East Gippsland in Victoria from 1983 until the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The WWOOF Team closed the W Tree Office and moved to a Remote work model and continue to work form anywhere with a Team of four, two running the WWOOF program as well as a Webmaster and App developer.

WWOOF Hosts all over Australia were originally listed in the Australian WWOOF Book, which was updated and printed twice each year from 1981 until 2017. The WWOOF Australia App was launched in August 2015 and gradually replaced the WWOOF Book, with the final edition being printed in July 2017 due to a lack of demand.

In October 2017 the WWOOF Website platform was launched with Host and WWOOFer Profiles, Messaging, Forums, Noticeboard, Map and List searches and Availability Calendars for all members. In April 2018 an upgraded WWOOF App was launched to reflect the features of the WWOOF Website, allowing WWOOFers to also search for Hosts while they are off line. In 2020 the App and website had a major facelift and both platforms continue to be upgraded and improved to reflect the needs of members,

For contact details of WWOOF groups and information about WWOOFing in countries without a WWOOF Group, see WWOOF International.

Remote Work & Study Placements

Online or Distance Learning and Working Remotely is becoming the New Normal in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Hosts who are happy to Host WWOOFers and facilitate Distance/online study or Remote work, during WWOOFers free time, will open doors to long term WWOOFer placements, so WWOOF Australia has developed some guidelines for Hosts and WWOOFers to help them implement this. We have added a new searchable field in the Host Profiles so Hosts can select an option that suits them if they would like to invite WWOOfers to Study and/or Work from their property.

Students & Distance Learning

College life suddenly looks very different. Make the most of it, complete your online courses while you live and study from anywhere in Australia! Join WWOOF Australia, Learn to grow food & meet new people while you live on an organic farm, and get growing! All of your meals and accommodation are provided by Hosts in exchange for your help, so WWOOFing is a fantastic way to stretch your budget while you study.

Digital Nomads & Remote Workers

Do you work remotely? WWOOFing is an excellent way to take your work on the road and learn new skills on a farm while completing your computer work in your free time. Many hosts welcome digital nomads! With Wi-Fi, mobile phone coverage or Wi-Fi calling using the Internet and with good prior communication with Hosts, remote working on a WWOOF host farm can be an incredible experience! The perfect balance to working remotely on a computer is spending the rest of your day with your hands in the soil! Helping a farmer while working remotely can be a mutually beneficial relationship that can lead to learning new skills and developing lifelong connections.

For Hosts to offer opportunities for WWOOFers to study or Work Remotely they must consider ways that this can work on their property and ensure they have appropriate facilities and spaces to facilitate this. We believe the following guidelines will provide some assistance.

Guidelines for WWOOF Hosts offering Remote Work and Study Placements

Hosts must:

• Provide a private and quiet space for WWOOFers to use to study or work in their free time.
• Provide access to reliable Internet (unrestricted or unlimited if possible).
• Have mobile phone access or opportunities for Wi-Fi calling access via Internet.
• Negotiate flexible WWOOFing times that will facilitate the study or work schedule of their WWOOFers in their free time.
• Keep the lines of communication open to discuss any issues that may arise with scheduled online meetings, classes or lectures and arrange WWOOFing around these scheduled times.

WWOOFers will:

• Communicate prior to arranging a placement with a Host to ensure the Host understands the requirements of their course or work arrangements and agree on how this can be facilitated.
• Be prepared to negotiate their WWOOFing schedules to fit in with their Hosts needs and arrange their study/work times to fit their free time to the best of their ability, being sure to arrange with the host for any specific scheduled lecture/class/meeting times.
• Ensure they keep their work/study space clean and tidy.
• Ensure they make the agreed time available to spend volunteering as well as helping with meal preparation and or clean up.
• Keep the lines of communication open and discuss any issues that may arise with scheduled online meetings, classes or lectures and arrange their WWOOFing times around these scheduled times.

Hosting WWOOFing families & WWOOFers with their own accommodation.

As more Australian families and couples join WWOOF, many with their own campervan style accommodation, hosts are seeking guidance on offering a fair exchange to ensure both hosts and their WWOOFers are treated fairly and feel valued and respected.

WWOOF Dual memberships cover couples or friends traveling together as well as families with children under 18. We will discuss these separately.

Couples or friends WWOOFing together

In the case of couples or friends travelling together on a Dual membership and being accommodated by hosts, the normal WWOOFing arrangements apply, with each WWOOFer volunteering for 4 to 6 hours each day (with a maximum of 38 hrs in any 7 days) and, if possible, having 2 clear days off to spend exploring the local area, or relaxing. The number of hours varies from host to host and is relative to the quality of meals and accommodation provided. Hosts providing tent accommodation may only ask for a few hours help each day for example.

Couples or friends bringing their own accommodation

If WWOOFers have their own accommodation and the host is only providing them with a campsite, their meals, power, water, bathroom/laundry facilities, and perhaps Wi-Fi, we expect the host to negotiate fewer hours of volunteering as they will not be providing accommodation. This should always be discussed in advance with your WWOOFers to ensure you are on the same page and both parties are happy with the arrangement.

This will of course vary from host to host, if your WWOOFers would normally sleep in a tent and are therefore normally doing minimal hours, the hours may not change very much, but if your usual WWOOFer accommodation is 5-star luxury, then you may ask them to help you for 4 hours instead of 6 hours each day for 5 days in exchange for 7 nights stay on your property.

The main thing is to be fair to both the WWOOFers and to yourselves and be clear in communicating this with your WWOOFers in advance. Before your WWOOFers agree to come and help you they really have no idea of the conditions on your property, how hard they will be working or how well they will be fed and looked after. Make sure you do not undersell the benefits of the experience they will have there, the skills they may learn or the fun they may have with you outside of their time volunteering. Communicating that you look forward to welcoming and getting to know them, and that you appreciate their coming to help you reinforces the value in the whole WWOOFing exchange, as being so much more than just hours volunteered being exchanged for meals and board.

WWOOFing Families with children

In the case families travelling with a child or children on a Dual membership and being accommodated by hosts, the normal WWOOFing arrangements apply, with each adult WWOOFer volunteering for 4 to 6 hours each day (with a maximum of 38 hrs in any 7 days) and, if possible, having 2 clear days off to spend exploring the local area, or relaxing. The number of hours varies from host to host and is relative to the quality of meals and accommodation provided. Hosts providing tent accommodation may only ask for a few hours help each day for example.

Generally, we advise these WWOOFers to negotiate with their hosts in advance regarding any additional food they may need to contribute or some other way they may help the host out to cover meals for their children. Depending on the age of the children, they may like to be actively involved in WWOOFing alongside their parents, or with the hosts children. Younger children need to be supervised by their parents so WWOOFing times may need to be flexible and take this into account. It is also vital that you communicate any safety precautions they need to be aware of as farms can be dangerous places for children if they are not well supervised.

Families WWOOFing with children & bringing their own accommodation

If WWOOFing families have their own accommodation and the host is only providing them with a camp site, their meals, power, water, bathroom/laundry facilities, and perhaps Wi-Fi, we expect the host to negotiate fewer hours of volunteering as they will not be providing accommodation although they will be providing additional meals for a child or children. This should always be discussed in advance with your WWOOFers to ensure you are on the same page and both parties are happy with the arrangement.

It will also vary from host to host, just as for other WWOOFers, so if they would normally sleep in a tent and are therefore already doing minimal hours, the hours may not change a great deal, but if your usual WWOOFer accommodation is 5-star luxury, then you may ask them to help you for 4 hours instead of 6 hours each day for 5 days in exchange for 7 nights stay on your property. Again, older children may be keen to volunteer and younger children will need to be actively supervised by their parents; each family will be different. Again, make sure you communicate any safety precautions for their children.

The main thing is to be fair to both the WWOOFers and to yourselves and be clear in communicating this with your WWOOFers in advance. Before your WWOOFers agree to come and help you they really have no idea of the conditions on your property, how hard they will be working or how well they will be fed and looked after. It is important that they understand their time with you will be valued, and that they will have a rewarding experience as a family.

Do not undersell the benefits of the experience they will have there, the skills they may learn or the fun they and their children may have with you outside of their time volunteering. Communicating that you look forward to welcoming and getting to know them, and that you appreciate their coming to help you reinforces the value in the whole WWOOFing exchange, as being so much more than just hours volunteered for meals and board.

WWOOFers Shay & Dean produced a series about their time WWOOFing around Australia with their young daughter: here is the first episode: Hitting the Road – The Gathering Folk – Shay and Dean – S01E01