So, I know it’s been a while since I last updated this blog, but the purpose of my blog is to not only share my travel experiences but also help and encourage others to travel the world through giving helpful tips. During my recent stay in Australia, I came across this really cool website called HelpX, which has prompted me to basically pack up all of my things to get a taste of what its like to live in the Australian outback.
HelpX is a website that connects backpackers/travelers to people that are looking for help, normally on farms or in other remote places. The term is called woofing, which stands for working on an organic farm, but is not limited to only farm work. Australia is great place for woofing because over 50 percent of its land is used for farming and livestock grazing, especially in the northeastern part of the country. However, the website has people looking for helpers all throughout the world including the US, Europe, New Zealand, many places in Mexico, South America, and even Southeast Asia. It is also well known for people that are interested in riding and training horses. In exchange for working 2 or 3 hours per day, doing a variety of things that may include farming, gardening, cleaning, or other housework you get free accommodation and food. For someone on a tight budget, this can be extremely useful, not to mention an amazing experience.
 |
| Me and my favorite horse Diana. |
The Australian Bush
My first woofing experience was in a place called the WhitSundays in the Bush. The bush is basically a word used to describe a rural, underdeveloped land in a wooded, shrub land and/or forest. My friend and I stayed on a beautiful ranch with horses, dogs, gecko’s and frogs, and a beautiful huntsman spider that lived in the bathroom.
 |
| The spider that lived in our bathroom. |
Our host, Glen, was a country Ozzie guy straight from the outback, with this thick Australian accent, and a potty mouth that you could not imagine. My experience was interesting to say the least. We stayed in the middle of nowhere with not much around, so for a person that loves to walk, it was still nearly impossible to get from one place to another without a car. But overall, the experience was really cool! We learned about his culture and lifestyle, we got to ride horses and we were only 1 hr away from paradise, the beautiful WhitSundays.
The Jungle
My next woofing experience was in a place called the Bloomfield River, 3 hours north of Cairns. I called this my jungle experience because the house we stayed in was situated literally in the middle of the rainforest. Everything was completely different from anything I had ever experienced. I stayed in a house with no walls, and compared to the other houses around, this was considered luxury. Most of the houses around ran off of solar power because there was no electricity company that serviced the area, or some didnt' have power at all.
 |
| The house with no walls. |
 |
| The swinging bed. |
 |
| The coolest shower ever! |
The experience itself though was simply amazing. With little to no access to the TV, the Internet, and the regular gossip blog sites that I go to everyday, I had a lot of time to really enjoy life and the nature surrounding me. I slept in a swinging bed outside with nature. Every night, I went to sleep to the sounds of crickets chirping and the sounds of leave crunching from footsteps by the animals that came out in the dark (YES it was alittle scary). Every morning, beautiful peacocks that wanted food clucked around the bed to see if they could find scraps of left overs. Even though, I was horrified in the beginning, I really appreciated the experience.
Everyday was a new adventure! Whether it was walking around in the rainforest to spot wildlife, going fishing, crabbing, or crocodile spotting, I enjoyed all of the days and nights. I did new and exciting things everyday like swim in a fresh water creek and hike up rocks to find a beautiful waterfall.
 |
| Me and Lisa in at the freshwater creek. |
My television consisted of watching a golden orb eat a moth, or the peacock spread its fan to attract the ladies. It was better than watching national geographic! I chatted with the locals and learned about their way of life. It was really cool as well because Bloomfield River is primarily aboriginal communities, so it was insightful to speak with native Australians. I was shocked to find out that some didn’t know Beyonce, Lady Gaga, or even Barack Obama!!!SMH!!! But they educated me all of these tropical fruits that I didn’t know. It was not only an exchange for work and accommodation but also an exchange of cultures and lifestyles.
 |
| Me and Philomena |
