Backpackers.com

Travel Advice on Tap at the Melbourne Adventure Travel and Backpackers Expo This Weekend

The Melbourne Adventure Travel and Backpackers’ Expo is coming up this weekend. It’s a must-visit for any backpacker setting out for the first time, and fun-to-visit if you’ve already been there, done that, but secretly might just be thinking of heading out again (aren’t we all!).

Over the weekend of 22 through 24 Feb 2008 (Fri-Sun), you can talk to (and get advice from) over 150 exhibitors, all gathered at the Royal Exhibition Building, (Carlton, Melbourne).

Plus, a series of free informative travel talks by experts in the field of budget travel should get the travel bug biting in a big way.

And, for those of you interested in working overseas, there’s also the Work & Travel Expo – part of the overall expo – where you can find get advice from a bunch of work, employment and volunteer exhibitors.

The expo is on from 10am-4pm Sat/Sun (12 noon-7pm Friday) and costs AU$7 at the door, but you can get in for half that by visiting this page.

Related entries:
Get Lost: How To Ditch Your Job And Get Travelling
How To Plan Your Round The World Trip
Sticking To Your Budget: Free Things For Backpackers To Do In Europe

Useful (related) resources for backpackers:
Hostels in Australia – find and book your Australian hostels online right here!
JustAustralia.org – travel guide for Australia
Pure Australia – your guide to gapping it in Australia (work visas, jobs and more)

Posted in Destinations, Travel News, Travel Tips & Planning, Working Holidays | No Comments »

Top 5 Websites For Finding An Apple Picking Job In New Zealand

Way back in February this year, we wrote about apple-picking opportunities in New Zealand. The response was huge, so we’ve decided to follow it up with more information for all of you job-hunting backpackers out there.

Fruit-picking is a popular way for backpackers to earn some travelling cash. You don’t generally have to have a degree or experience, and you get the benefits of working in the great outdoors, rather than sitting behind a stuffy office desk.

Finding jobs isn’t that hard. Many hostels have noticeboards on which farms can and do post requests for fruit-pickers, so if you’re there already, that’s a good place to start.

Going online is an even better way to find what you’re after. We’ve had a good ol’ look around, and these here below are our top five websites dedicated to seasonal work (with an emphasis on New Zealand):

1. seasonaljobs.co.nz – good place to find seasonal and hospitality jobs throughout New Zealand. Browse the postings for jobs in your area and leave your own free message on the noticeboard. Well set out site.
2. seasonalwork.co.nz -listings of available jobs on the New Zealand ‘harvest trail‘. Listings provide details of employer, job-type (apple-picking/fruit-picking etc) and area or you can search for something specific by region and job type.
3. pickingjobs.com – international site providing extensive job list for fruit-picking jobs around the world. Various results for Australasia (including New Zealand). Good advice for backpackers who’ve not picked fruit before.
4. backpackerboard.co.nz – noticeboard for jobs currently on offer in New Zealand. Also provide free advice on obtaining a Working Holiday Visa.
5. workinnz.co.nz – apple-picking opportunities in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Limited to jobs offered by Mr Apple, the country’s ‘largest grower, packer and exporter of apples’.

Useful (related) travel resources for backpackers:
Hostels in New Zealand – find and book your hostel in New Zealand online.
NewZealand.com – travel info for the region
WWOOF – World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

Posted in Destinations, Travel Tips & Planning, Working Holidays | 5 Comments »