Working as a cook on a sheep station
"Being in the outback where there are no distractions really forces you to find a sense of peace within yourself."
I would definitely recommend to others if they are wanting to do a second year. And the sooner, the better. I didn’t realise finding work would largely depend on the harvest season for certain crops, naturally. So I opted to work with animals instead. I’m actually working as a cook on a sheep station and I love it! I’m making a decent wage and saving lots of money since there’s nowhere to spend it 😂 Also, living in the outback feels like a very uniquely Australian experience that I couldn’t get anywhere else.
I thought I’d be doing a lot more physical labor. I actually did a farm training course so that I could get a job as a station hand. I guess I lucked out in finding a job that was more suited to my experience and interests.
The hardest part is being so isolated from everything. I’ve lived in rural areas before, but this is by far the most isolated. It helps to have other backpackers and workers close to my age though, and I’m getting a lot of time to read and write, and just rest, which is a nice change.
Being in the outback where there are no distractions really forces you to find a sense of peace within yourself. You start to wonder what you’re running from by filling your life with so much “noise” when you live in normal society. I’m really enjoying the peace and quiet and I wonder how I will function when I go back to being around so many other people again!
If I were to do it differently, I would have gotten my farm work out of the way first thing so I didn’t have to worry about it.
I think seeing a different way of life is really valuable. I don’t think I could live so isolated all the time like some people do, but it gives me much more respect for the ones that make this their life.
