Leaving work, going to oz

tenchi-fan · 4 Apr 2006 at 13:58

I started a job in Dublin mid-October. Dublin and my hometown (Dundalk) are quite close - 50 miles apart actually. However, commute takes a long time.

So, long story short I find myself living up here when I'd prefer to be at home, and doing a job I don't want to do.

So I've decided to hand in my notice next week (if I can stick it that long - and assuming they don't monitor the internet!!!) and go to Oz for a year in May, hoping to get some outdoor work instead of dreary, boring office work.

I'm 24 and have only a couple of thousand saved after flight costs.
Now, is there anyway I could make it into a turn-your-life-around holiday, rather than a run-of-the-mill, run-out-of-money, drink too much in the first few weeks and end up homesick, broke, and temping in an office in a different country?

Any ideas / suggestions on jobs, what area to go, etc?

Gooner14 · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:00

If you get a working visa for a year, and complete 3 months fruit picking, you can stay another year.

At least thats what my friend is doing out there at the moment. She went over there on her own, and is having a great time. So thats a 2 year stay. She has been all over and said its really easy to get work temping. As far as I'm aware she has lived in both Sydney and Melbourne and several other places.

Red and White · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:00

/apllauds spur of moment behaviour

make sure you get a working Visa before you go, plenty of jobs in bars etc

tenchi-fan · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:10

Clerkin said:
/apllauds spur of moment behaviour

make sure you get a working Visa before you go, plenty of jobs in bars etc

Spur of the moment... actually it was... in December!
On 28th of Dec I decided to go to Oz, really spur of the moment...... I got my Visa on the same day, and then I realised I had more bills on my credit card than cash in the bank so it had to wait a few months.
So months later, now that I'm really fed up of work and life, I decided to resurrect my plans.

I was thinking of doing the whole fruit-picking thing. My parents would be so proud, a part-qualified accountant with acca exams working for minimum wage picking fruit. I'm sure it would be a more fulfilling job than what I'm doing now!

I'd like to work in some construction job, as I did manual work a few years ago and enjoyed it, but I think I'm to weedy now - a real days work would probably kill me. Then again, at least I wouldnt be bored to death.
Are there many opportunities for working as an unskilled worker?

Matt · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:14

tenchi-fan said:
My parents would be so proud, a part-qualified accountant with acca exams working for minimum wage picking fruit.

They should be proud. Why should you spend the younger years of your life sitting in an office?

I'd love to go travelling, but i don't have anyone to go with

and i don't think i could do it on my own as i'd need someone to drag me round

heh

Gooner14 · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:18

tenchi-fan said:
I was thinking of doing the whole fruit-picking thing. My parents would be so proud, a part-qualified accountant with acca exams working for minimum wage picking fruit. I'm sure it would be a more fulfilling job than what I'm doing now!

I understand what you mean, but it's the fact that it allows you the extra stay in Oz land. 3 months work, an extra 12 months on your visa, from what she has said I'd use the term 'work' loosely!

Do you plan to go to NZ too?

You could get married out there so you could stay forever!

tenchi-fan · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:20

Matt said:
They should be proud. Why should you spend the younger years of your life sitting in an office?

I'd love to go travelling, but i don't have anyone to go with and i don't think i could do it on my own as i'd need someone to drag me round heh

Yea I should have done it years ago... even now my parents are saying "just do another year and a half at work and you'll be fully qualified and get a mortgage and...and..." But now I'm immune to their nagging!

Matt · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:21

You've got a long time to sort your life out, but you've only got a few years of being able to travel properly

Leave it too long and you'll just be doing 2 weeks on a cruise ship

tenchi-fan · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:24

Gooner14 said:
I understand what you mean, but it's the fact that it allows you the extra stay in Oz land. 3 months work, an extra 12 months on your visa, from what she has said I'd use the term 'work' loosely!

Do you plan to go to NZ too?

You could get married out there so you could stay forever!

A friend of mine went last year and he's getting married to an aussie girl in October next year!
Actually i think fruitpicking is a great idea. And the extra time it allows is a bonus. But I doubt there's much demand (or money!) for fruitpickers in Ireland!

I'd like a more career-type job, like working in building or carpentry or something... at least to try my hand at it!

Gobbledegeek · 4 Apr 2006 at 14:44

We're currently in the process of emigrating and hope to be there by the end of June. We will be based in Bendigo which is an hour and half from Melbourne and three hours from the skiing. Bendigo is the centre of a known wine region so I'm guessing there's grapes and where there's grapes, there's generally a demand for pickers.

You can always e-mail if you need any help.