March 2009

Helping-Hand Holidays

This Earth Hour month, we bring you a range of holiday ideas where you really can make a difference

WORDS LUKE WRIGHT

It’s true that a holiday of sunny indulgences can be fun, but for some of us this is just not enough to satisfy the soul. If you’re looking for a little more from your break, if you want to give something back and take home a sense of fulfilment, a volunteer holiday might be exactly the thing for you. Not only do you help a worthy cause, some are even great budget holidays.

Down on the Farm

Willing Workers On Organic Farms, or WWOOF as it’s lovingly called by those in the know, provides people with an opportunity to give their time and labour on an organic farm in exchange for food, lodging and a slice of the quiet life. Joining the program and going to work on a farm is as simple as buying a WWOOF directory and browsing for a suitable host. As a WWOOFer, you have the opportunity to work on more than a thousand farms right around Australia — tropical fruit farms in Northern Queensland, a butterfly farm in the Northern Territory, a goat dairy in Tasmania, an alpaca farm near Adelaide, and much more.

“WWOOFing is an experience built on a model of positive exchange and growth,” says Garry Ainsworth of WWOOF. “The underlying aim,” he continues, “is for the exchange between you and your host to go beyond a simple labour-for-lodging transaction and to include personal interaction, to cultivate friendships, to learn, and for the organic movement as a whole to take root worldwide.”

Food and accommodation is provided in exchange for four to six hours of work (minimum stay is two days) and costs nothing more than the AU$55 to buy the WWOOF directory.

Finding Nemo and Friends

This year sees the launch of a fantastic volunteering-on-holiday opportunity from Reef Check — the United Nations’ official community-based coral reef monitoring program. Eco Action is a new initiative set up to engage locals and tourists with the critical task of surveying and monitoring Australia’s world-renowned coral reef systems. The beauty of this program is that participants not only make a real difference in ensuring the reefs have a future, they can jump in, get wet and have up-close-and-personal encounters with the natural living wonders of the sea.

“Reef Check Australia’s programs allow you to explore the magical world of coral reefs,” says Jo Roberts of Reef Check, “while at the same time helping to support their continued existence.”

Using a small underwater diary, participants identify and record fish, corals and algae and submit their data on an online database, so Reef Check scientists can keep track of coral health worldwide. This is a brilliant interactive eco-experience for those who can snorkel or dive and want to help protect our precious underwater resources. The Underwater Reef Guide for Reef Check’s Eco Action program costs AU$37.95.

Saving Turtles

The “Cairns and the Cape – Turtle Rescue” is one of Intrepid Travel’s most amazing journeys on offer. This adventure into Queensland’s Top End begins in Cairns and makes its way to the Cape York Turtle Camp. Guests work with researchers and the Mapoon Aboriginal community to help protect these quiet, ancient creatures — tagging, measuring, monitoring and saving them from nets and feral pigs — and there’s plenty of snorkelling, camping on the beach and mixing with local indigenous people to enjoy.

All reports from this eco-adventure are absolutely glowing. Meg Koffel at Intrepid Travel rates it as one of the best: “I’m so, so passionate about this trip,” says Koffel. “It’s just brilliant.”

This region is one of the last wild frontiers of Australia and any holiday here is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To come here on Intrepid’s six-day journey (from AU$1,815, ex-Cairns) and be part of the critical work for these endangered animals makes it all the more enjoyable and worthwhile.

Tree Time

Greening Australia, a community organisation with more than 25 years’ experience in taking on serious environmental issues such as climate change, salinity, water quality and soil degradation, offers volunteering experiences for the whole family. Although keen to point out that it does much more than simply plant trees, Greening Australia’s volunteer tree planting days (along with volunteering at one of its community nurseries) are a fun day out for everyone — from the kids to the oldies.

There are opportunities right across the continent for all ages — from large-scale projects to local community events. To find out about where in Australia you can get busy with a shovel and do your bit for the environmental health of our country, check the events calendar on their website.

Tree planting days normally run for a full day and are free, although a small donation is sometimes made by participants to cover admin and supplies.

Frog Watch

Earthwatch Australia was founded in 1982 to connect the general public with scientific fieldwork across Australia. It aims to “promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment”, which means getting people out in the field to take part in its programs, such as the “Australia’s Vanishing Frogs” project.

The project, part of Earthwatch’s Discovery Weeks and Weekends, takes place in the forests of the Great Dividing Range outside of Newcastle. Here, nine species of frog have disappeared over the past 20 years and scientists can’t explain why. Volunteers can take part in monitoring and collecting data on frogs in a bid to understand why they are under such great threat. Be prepared for a camping-style expedition with lots of fun frog action at night. The Weekend Family is AU$295 adults, AU$195 child; the Week Family is AU$990 adults, AU$660 child — minimum age is six, with a guardian or parent.

Caring About Conservation

Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) is a hands-on environmental organisation with a great range of volunteer programs around Australia. With more than 2,000 conservation projects — from trail maintenance in the Sydney Harbour National Park, native animal surveys on Kangaroo Island to forest care around Barron River — there are loads of opportunities to get outdoors and among nature, all while doing important conservation work while on holiday. Volunteers don’t need any prior experience; a team leader will show you the ropes and you’ll be getting your hands dirty alongside a small group of like-minded eco-enthusiasts.

“Volunteering with Conservation Volunteers can be a life-changing experience,” says Denise Castro at CVA. “Not only are you helping the environment, you make new friends, visit places most tourists don’t get to see and gain a broader appreciation for Australia’s unique environment.”

With projects across the country running from one day to more than a month, there are options for everyone. Overnight stays cost approximately AU$40 per night and include meals, accommodation and project-related travel. Even better rates apply to longer projects.