Mark went to Australia in 2009 on the Intern Options – Horticulture Travel Jobs Programme and started work in Mildura near Melbourne.

This is what Mark had to say about his time in Australia.

I had always wanted to travel to Australia, none of my friends had done this so I was kind of the first one to do this, it was pretty daunting to head off to the other side of the world for 12 months. I had been saving for a while for my trip but when I talked with my parents and had a look online at how much money I would need for my trip, we decided that I would need to wait another year to do my trip. This was a real disappointment as I had been planning this for a while.

I first heard about the Intern Options programme through the gum tree website as I was looking to see if I could get a job when I get there. I had looked at some other programmes but what put me off was that they could not guarantee me a job. I had to travel to Australia and then go and visit their office there for them to try and find me a job. They all said I got help with my CV and discounts on different things but it was all stuff I didn’t need. This kind of defeated the purpose of paying a company to do this kind of thing I thought. So I was happy when I was approved for the Intern Options horticulture programme.

So the fact that I could have a guaranteed job before I left meant I could count on the money for at least 2 or 3 months which was the biggest benefit I could see. I also learnt about the second working holiday visa which got me really excited as the longer I can stay in Australia the better!

I have been in Australia now for five months (wow time has gone fast). I started work in Mildura in June and worked for close to three months. The work was, well work and the employer was very nice. We get paid on time each week which is good. The people I work with are lots of fun and we got on really well. After the first place of work I had saved quite a bit of money, so me and some of the friends from work decided to travel for six weeks and spend some of it!

We organised with the Australia contact for Intern Options to have work for us in the North of Australia in six weeks time and we travelled up the East coast of Australia through Melbourne and Sydney and up the coast till we got to a place near Darwin. We have been picking Mangos for the last week or so which is hard work but fun. It is a lot warmer up here so shorts and t-shirt oh and a hat!

I was asked by Jon to say why I did this programme and for me it was the security of travelling to Australia and having a support network that was flexible. I also made some really good friends and now I can stay in Australia for 2 years which is great. I have also saved up some good money over the Australia winter and I can now have some fun in the summer!

All the best for next years travelers and I definitely recommend this programme, you can’t go wrong with a guaranteed job!

Mark

If you’re interested in a guaranteed job like Mark’s and possibly a second Australian Working Holiday Visa to return to Australia for another year before you’re 31, check out the Australia Horticulture Travel Jobs page for more information and to apply.

Keep up to date with Horticulture Travel Jobs Announcements (Enter your email below)