How it
works
How it Works ...
WWOOF™ Australia has been operating in Australia since 1981. Our program links WWOOF Hosts with WWOOF Volunteers (WWOOFers) through membership.
Volunteers assist Hosts for 4-6 hrs per day in exchange for their food and accommodation (max 38hrs in 7 days).
The Hosts receive extra help and an opportunity to share their knowledge, lifestyle and culture with WWOOFers.
Mission Statement:
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.
How to be a WWOOFer
If you are willing to get your hands dirty and to learn new ideas and cultures, then WWOOFing is for you!
Through living with Australian families, learning and working alongside them your holiday and experiences will be unique.
WWOOFing is a great way to travel and explore Australia, immerse yourself in the Australian way of life and experience the country hospitality to be found in our regional areas.
3 Steps to become a WWOOFer
Step 1
Join WWOOF Australia-
Sign up online
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Single or Dual Membership
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No experience needed
Step 2
Create your online Profile-
Images and Galleries
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Tell us all about You
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Add Your Location
Step 3
Search for Host Farms-
Search Maps
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Post on Notice Board
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Private Message Hosts
Frequently Asked Questions
What does my membership include?
All WWOOFer memberships are valid for 2 years.
Website Profile – Create your own unique profile, upload photos, set your map location and showcase your enthusiasm, skills and personality to Host farms.
Find & Follow Hosts – Search Hosts by List or Map and save Hosts to your Favourites to access them on or offline.
Messaging – Contact Hosts in real time with private messaging on the WWOOF website and post to the WWOOF Notice Board.
Member Reviews – See Reviews of Hosts on their Profiles and leave your own Review of Host Farms you’ve visited.
What is a Dual Membership?
WWOOFer Memberships are valid for 2 years.
A WWOOF Dual Membership is intended for two WWOOFers travelling together or a FAMILY (Guardian & Children Under 18). It is offered at a discounted price compared to two single memberships.
WWOOFers with a Dual membership share:
- the same login and password;
- a single profile page showing both names.
- travel together at the same time OR;
- travel separately at different times of the year.
If you intend to travel separately at the same time, then you must have two separate single memberships.
What Visa do I need?
To WWOOF, and be considered an eligible visa holder you must hold one of the following visas. If you have applied for the visa but it has not yet been granted, you are not an eligible visa holder.
- Subclass 417 – Working Holiday visa
- Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa
- Subclass 500 – Student visa
You must arrange your entry visa to Australia before you join WWOOF. WWOOF is not responsible for any problems you may experience upon entering the country.
Memberships will not be refunded if you cannot obtain an entry visa. WWOOF Pty Ltd and WWOOF hosts cannot assist with travel costs or visa applications or letters of invitation, so please do not ask.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs has information about visas, these are some visas that allow WWOOFing:
- Working Holiday Visa (417)
- Working Holiday Visa (462)
- Visitor Visa – Tourist Stream (subclass 600)
- Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)
- eVisitor (subclass 651),
- Student Visa
For all of the above visas, please see Department of Home Affairs Website for conditions.
If you need to speak with someone Contact Department of Human Affairs or call 131 881 (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm)
Insurance
All WWOOFers must have adequate Travel Insurance to ensure they are covered for any eventuality that may occur while WWOOFing. Medical treatment, hospital admissions and Ambulance transport in Australia is extremely expensive for visitors from other countries.
Ambulance Cover is highly recommended for all members.
Many Travel Insurance policies do not cover volunteers, so we have sourced a Policy that does cover volunteering to make this easier for WWOOFers available here Easy Travel Insurance
For PDS details of the Travel Insurance Policy, see the Product Disclosure Statement
Visa - 2nd & 3rd WHM Visa Extension
Bushfire and Natural Disaster Recovery volunteering qualifies for 2nd and 3rd Working Holiday visas.
WWOOF has developed a Volunteer Bushfire and Natural Disaster 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.
Bushfire & Natural Disaster Recovery Work Voluntary work can only be included as specified work for the purpose of applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa where it is related to bushfire recovery work undertaken in declared bushfire-affected areas or to flood recovery work undertaken in declared natural disaster affected areas only.
For further information on Eligible and Ineligible Specified Recovery Work, click the button to download a PDF.
What type of volunteer tasks do I do?
WWOOFers mostly help with outdoor farming and gardening type tasks. This varies from host to host and from season to season.
It can include all aspects of plant and animal care, fencing, general farm maintenance, building, preserving food, packing produce, helping out at markets etc.
How long do I volunteer per day? Do I get Paid?
- living with the host (either in their home or on their property)
- all meals
- social engagement
- shared host knowledge about practical organic techniques.
WWOOFing as a Family
WWOOFers traveling with young children and teenagers under 18 should join on a Dual membership and set up a WWOOF Profile with photos to introduce their family to WWOOF Hosts.
WWOOFing can be a very positive experience for young children and their families, good planning and communication helps ensure success.
Hosts all provide accommodation, so bringing your own is not necessary, but some families choose to travel with their own accommodation such as a tent, camper van or caravan which gives them privacy, a familiar bed, routine and a space to retreat to if they feel they need it. Every family and child is different, so choose the option that suits your family and your budget.
Here are some links to some families that have WWOOFed with children:
Hitting the Road – The Gathering Folk – Shay and Dean – S01E01 – WWOOFers Shay & Dean produced a series about their time WWOOFing around Australia with their young daughter: here is the first episode to inspire you!
WWOOFers Christi and Jay – A blog about their first WWOOFing experience travelling with their children.
Blog about the Maislin’s, (Gami, Seth, Siena & Oren) an adventurous family from the USA who decided to WWOOF in Australia – by WWOOF Australia
Miller Family’s – WWOOF Australia story in Earth Garden Magazine.
For more information on WWOOFing as a family, click below:
Travel Safely as a WWOOFer
We recommend WWOOFers travelling alone select hosts with families if they are travelling to remote locations
Aways ensure friends and/or family know when and where WWOOFers will be and have the contact details of their hosts in case of emergency.
Read reviews written by other WWOOFers to find great hosts.
Interview Hosts – Ask about food, accommodation, activities, expectations, let them know your goals or special needs. We recommend speaking with prospective hosts over the phone as well as by message – what you hear in a voice can be quite different than written communications.
WWOOF operates largely on the honour system with members trusting one another to be respectful and to fulfil the mission of WWOOF. Because of this, we rely a great deal on host/volunteer feedback. Complaints are taken very seriously – with the most serious of accusations resulting in immediate suspension of membership during investigation and ultimately expulsion if found to be true. For more information, see ‘How are complaints handled’
WWOOF Australia, in conjunction with National Crime Check, are making applying for a WWOOF volunteer Police check quicker and easier. Once WWOOF receives confirmation of a clear Police check, usually within 24-48 hours, we will add a Police Checked symbol to your WWOOFer Profile along with the date of the Police check. Police checks are entirely optional, but will certainly enhance your WWOOF Profile and give both WWOOF Hosts and WWOOFers peace of mind.
For more information on travelling safely see the more information provided by clicking on the download link.
How are complaints handled?
WWOOFers are a guest of their host. The ‘House Rules’ will be different at each host and must be respected. Members refusing to abide by the WWOOF Guidelines or the ‘House Rules’ of the host can be asked to leave.
WWOOFers with a complaint about a host, and hosts with a complaint about a WWOOFer should contact wwoof@wwoof.com.au in writing with their concerns so they can be followed up. All complaints are taken seriously and are dealt with sensitively and confidentially.
Complaints must be in writing and include:
WWOOF members name, membership user name and contact details. (We treat this as confidential)
Host’s or WWOOFers name and membership User Name.
Dates of the visit.
Details of the issue.
For our complaints procedure, please download the link below:
Remote work or study opportunities?
Hosts who are happy to have WWOOFers and facilitate distance/online study or remote work, during WWOOFers free time, will open doors to long term WWOOFer placements.
If you are studying or work remotely and you would like the opportunity to do this while WWOOFing, you can filter the Host list search for these opportunities.
WWOOF Australia Remote Work & Study Guidelines.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
WWOOFer Guidelines
Memberships are not transferable. One person per Single membership, two people or one family only per Dual membership.
- Ensure they have Travel Insurance – WWOOFers are responsible for their own travel, accident, and medical insurance.
- Be a willing volunteer, happy to volunteer 4 to 6 hours daily for food and accommodation.
- Be an ambassador for your country of origin.
- Treat hosts with consideration and respect.
- Complete their WWOOFer Profile honestly and in full.
- Clothing – Appropriate clothing and footwear is required for farm life, i.e. sturdy shoes/boots, clothes such as jeans or canvas pants, hat & gloves. Hosts will provide any protective clothing required.
How to be a Host Farm
Hosting WWOOFers on your property is a big responsibility, not to be taken lightly. It is a great opportunity to share ideas and skills such as Organics, Biodynamics, Permaculture, Sustainability and living lightly on the earth.
WWOOF Australia Hosts gain access to thousands of volunteers who can assist you with running your commercial farm, hobby farm or piece of paradise.
WWOOFers can be a variety of multi-cultural travellers – Australian and non-English speaking. Some may have country life experience, or they’ll be raw from the city. It’s up to you to make them all feel welcome, secure and teach them a few things about your lifestyle and farming practices.
Make life-long friendships – be part of building a sustainable global community.
3 Steps to become a Host
Step 1
Join WWOOF Australia-
Sign up
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Yearly Membership
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$30, $50 or $65 Plans
Step 2
Create your online Profile-
Images & Gallery
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Showcase your Farm
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Promote Your Offerings
Step 3
Take in WWOOFers-
Open your Home
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Post on Notice Board
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Private Message WWOOFers
Frequently Asked Questions
Hosting - What's in it for you?
- 4-6 hrs/day of help on your farm (Max 38 hrs/7days)
- Share your skills & knowledge
- Show travellers the local secrets
- Access to WWOOFer volunteers
- Website Profile
- Private messaging
- WWOOF Noticeboard
Host 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).
Bushfire & Natural Disaster Relief
WWOOF has developed a Volunteer Bushfire and Natural Disaster 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.
Bushfire & Natural Disaster Recovery Work Voluntary work can only be included as specified work for the purpose of applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa where it is related to bushfire recovery work undertaken in declared bushfire-affected areas or to other recovery work undertaken in declared natural disaster affected areas only.
For further information on Eligible and Ineligible Specified Recovery Work, please click the link below:
Complaints Procedure
We rely heavily on feedback from all members to maintain the integrity of the WWOOF program.
All complaints must be in writing Email WWOOF, 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.
Complaints must be in writing and include:
WWOOF members name, membership user name and contact details. (We treat this as confidential)
Host’s or WWOOFers name and membership User Name.
Dates of the visit.
Details of the issue.
For our complaints procedure, please click the download link below:
Are WWOOFers paid?
Are WWOOFers paid?
There is no monetary exchange between hosts and WWOOFers.
Hosts and WWOOFers undertake to support each other, as friends and extended family do.
WWOOF is a network of large and small organic, bio-dynamic and permaculture host farms and volunteers who help them.
Volunteers should never be treated as employees. It is vital that there is never an indication that a volunteer is being treated as an employee. They are a guest on your property, they are there to learn about your organic practices and techniques while getting to know their Host and take part in Australian life and culture.
Fair Work Australia can apply a test to determine if someone is a genuine volunteer, the main criteria is that the volunteer has more to gain from the relationship than the host. If the host is seen to have a financial gain from the work done by the volunteer, Fair Work Australia (FWA) may determine that the volunteer was actually an unpaid employee and order that they be paid.
Visas
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.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs has information about visas, these are some visas that allow WWOOFing:
For all of the above visas, please see Department of Home Affairs Website for conditions.
Remote Work & Study
Remote Work & Study Placements
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.
Offering this opportunity to WWOOFers can open doors to long-term WWOOFer placements.
There is a 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.
Hosting Families & WWOOFers with own Accommodation
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.
If WWOOFers & Families have their own accommodation and the host is only providing them with a campsite, 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.
WWOOFing Families with children
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.
Don’t 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.
Watch this YouTube video
Hitting the Road – The Gathering Folk – Shay and Dean – S01E01 – WWOOFers Shay & Dean produced a series about their time WWOOFing around Australia with their young daughter: here is the first episode to inspire you!
If things don't work out
Upon signing up as a host you agree to our terms and conditions and must adhere to the WWOOF Guidelines.
Either party has the right to end the relationship if things are not working out. It is important to understand that many WWOOFers come from countries with different cultural ideals, so when you make contact with a potential WWOOFer, be sure to communicate very clearly what you would like the WWOOFer to do during their stay with you.
Sometimes, for whatever reason, the visit may not work out as expected. It may be miscommunication or unreasonable expectations from either party. Be honest and gracefully explain that it’s just not working out and remember that the WWOOFer might need transport to a train station or bus stop or need time to find another host. If you don’t feel right, act on it immediately. You are not required to keep the WWOOFer on if it’s not working out, but please assist them to move on and try to part on good terms.
WWOOF Australia has a Complaints Procedure which we take very seriously. Any arrangement or agreement you make is your responsibility. Please make sure you make the arrangement clear so that the WWOOFer has a good understanding of your expectations before they arrive.
WWOOF Host Guidelines
- Grow or produce organic products.
- Provide experiences to WWOOFers in organic farming/gardening techniques.
- Provide all food and clean comfortable accommodation to WWOOFers in exchange for 4 to 6 hours maximum of volunteering daily (Max 38 hours in 7 days).
- Be an ‘Ambassador for Australia’ and provide a safe haven for WWOOFers.
- Treat WWOOFers with respect and consideration.
For the full WWOOF Host Guidelines see link below:
