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We hope your Christmas
& New Year Holiday was filled with good cheer. Its now mid-March and the first
anniversary of the Black Saturday fires has refreshed our memories about how
devastating it can be to live in the bush, as many of us do. So we were
concerned to hear of a young German girl who was alone in the house during the
Toodyay fire in WA. Fortunately a neighbour came and took her to safety. This
should be a reminder to ALL hosts to have a Bushfire Plan and make your WWOOFers
aware of this on days of extreme or catastrophic fire danger.
Reasons to keep a Guestbook.
We issue a sample Guestbook page to each new host and ask that every host keep a
log of every WWOOFer hosted. It is vital to know who you are hosting. Hosts
should keep WWOOFers’ membership numbers, passport numbers, dates worked and get
them to write comments in your Guestbook. Then you have a record in case
something or someone goes missing, also you have all you need in case the Dept
of Immigration contacts you about hosting visitors who are extending their
visas. DIAC can call several years after a WWOOFer has stayed with you to check
on the dates they were there, so it is advisable to keep your guestbook long
term. It is also helpful in assessing complaints for any reason. Needless to
say, the Guestbook tends to eliminate theft because you have all their details
written down in case of the need for police action. We can email or post a
Guestbook page if requested, or you can download one from the Host Information
page on our website.
The
business of receiving appropriate WWOOFers:
We have been alerted to the website of Host NV095:
www.jasper-hall.com
Here they
engage potential WWOOFers in a survey which we think is really clever and a
valuable way to get the WWOOFers you want. Here it is for you to ponder its
relevance to your situation:QUICK QUIZ for WWOOFers Answer YES or NO: *You can
live with spiders, snakes, ticks, leaches and so on? *You are happy not to
shower daily during a drought and our rainwater tanks are nearly empty? * You
are happy to use composting toilets and to wipe your bum with leaves? *You are
happy that we don’t buy much from supermarkets and try to live simply , etc?
*You are happy to wash your dishes and clean up after yourself? *Are you strong
in mind, body & spirit and want to help achieve social & environmental
sustainability? Now for the telling: How many times is there a YES. 0– you
wouldn’t last an hour. 1-You wouldn’t last a day 2– You wouldn’t last a week 3–
You may not like it 4– You should be fine 5– You’re likely to fit in well, 6– we
want you! This is available in several languages which is also a great feature.
You can easily adapt a survey for your own circumstances.
BULLETIN BOARD NEWS
Hosts are extremely
happy about getting quick responses when they place ads on the BB to attract
WWOOFers. However, PLEASE do NOT list contact details in the
body
of your topic when using the BB, as this makes it easy for non-WWOOFers to
contact hosts and pretend to be a WWOOFer when in fact they are not. Then the
problems begin. We recently had a re-emergence of the fraudulent Father/Son duo
contacting hosts (after a quiet spell) due to contact details being listed on
the BB. We automatically delete the ad if contact details are listed, so it is
time wasting on everyone’s part if hosts continue to list their contact details.
Don’t worry, the WWOOFers quickly ring us asking for contact details from the
BB.
But *BREAKING
NEWS*! You can now list your contact details in Your Profile section on the BB.
This can only be accessed by WWOOFers who have been validated to use the BB and
have logged in. Full details on how this works is on our website Homepage.
Simply click on the Bulletin Board and then click on ‘How to Use the Bulletin
Board’. This valuable tool also tells you how to add your property or personal
photos, interest etc. Please remember that not all WWOOFers use the BB and
therefore, it is not possible to verify a person’s membership via the BB. Ring
our office or email us if you are unsure.
More
Breaking News:
Now for the first time ever, due to popular demand, we have activated a
Feedback Rating
System on the Bulletin Board!
Hosts can now rate WWOOFers and WWOOFers can rate hosts from 1 to 5 Stars. All
it takes is to first find the member on the BB, click on their User Name in
order to see their Profile. On the left hand side you will then see Rating:
Rate Me *****
Hover over
the number of Stars and then click when you have highlighted the correct number
of stars. The number of stars will average out each time you are rated. You
cannot rate yourself but you can see in your own Profile how others have rated
you. This is so new we are still learning. We can email directions on how to use
new features on the BB on request.
***New
WWOOFer Guide available***
We now proudly present a
small publication by an English WWOOFer, A Greenman, entitled ‘The
Practical Guide to WWOOFing’
which we offer for only $8 and can only be emailed as a PDF at this stage. It is
a great little book offering insights & experiences of WWOOFing around the world
in this man’s perspective. Oddly enough, the booklet does not include Australia,
but we consider it valuable nonetheless.
~HOST
FEEDBACK~
We write in our entry
and speak about it on the phone that WWOOFers must like children in order to
stay with us. We are amazed at how many WWOOFers come to our home and will
totally ignore our children. Its not that we want them to constantly play with
them, but it is only polite to at least acknowledge them. Many times the
WWOOFers treat our place like a motel, eating and then retiring to their rooms
with no family dialogue. We find it very uncomfortable to have people in our
home that do not acknowledge us or our children.
One way to deal with
this is to say on the phone that we’ll have them for 3 days and then see how
they go. This way if everyone is happy they are invited to stay longer and those
who are not as happy are free to leave without any problems. I ALWAYS tell our
WWOOFers that it is their holiday and anytime they are ready to move on is OK
with us and not to feel uncomfortable about leaving. WWOOFers seem to feel a
huge relief from this outlet.
VB078
I hosted 4 WWOOFers in my first year and much to my surprise all were men– all
were willing workers, all in their different ways, were very skillful & helpful
and all were thoughtful guests & good company. They stayed an average of 4.25
weeks and each time it was like having an impromptu family around me. I must
admit I was apprehensive at first at the idea of opening my home to strangers,
but that quickly changed. Altogether my hosting experience has been a very happy
one. The idea of creating relationships based on the money-less exchange of
goods & services is, I think, quite liberating and very appropriate for the 21st
Century. What a pleasant, personal way of encouraging ‘cultural exchange’.
TN167
We have been inundated
with WWOOFers– up to 6 groups per day wanting to come. Some very aggressive and
wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Many WWOOFers are getting others to write
emails for them-in good English– but we then discover later that they have
little/no English skills. WWOOFers also need to adhere to House Rules. We are
not a youth hostel. Things like water usage, changing clothes regularly. As
hosts we keep a supply of WWOOFer clothes which helps when they arrive with no
work gear.
NT095
I was just booking in 2
WWOOFers and remembering the comments from the last newsletter about WWOOFers
being made to weed alone all day and thought what I might do to help others find
a solution. I only want happy people in my garden because I think it affects the
food. So there are a couple of ways to set things up for a successful visit:
1- I give them at least
2 very different jobs so that when their muscles get tired, they can switch to
another job.
2– Having 2 WWOOFers at
the same time relieves boredom and gives them a chance to become friends.
3– A part of each day I
deliberately teach the WWOOFers something new that they were interested in.
4-These kids are doing
tasks that they have maybe never done before or don’t know how to do properly.
So its important not to make assumptions and to show them clearly at the
beginning and come back from time to time to monitor their work. It’s a bit late
when you notice the lettuces all weeded out.
5– I bought a
translating machine with 12 languages and it’s the best thing since sliced
bread. Even for kids with reasonable English, sometimes there’s a word or phrase
and it makes things that much easier with big language
gaps.
VW058
We are up to WWOOFer
number 255, and with the exception of 2 or 3, we would have them all back again.
In fact, many have returned to stay with us– and brought their Mum & Dad or
family. We’ve had to teach city dwellers how to use a wheel barrow and have been
taught other skills by experienced WWOOFers. We have had 3 East Germans, the
youngest of whom was 57– outwork anyone else. The local community love our
WWOOFers and treat them with kindness and
care.
NH059
We do have quite a
number of WWOOFers. They usually like to work on different projects, not always
the same thing. Our biggest challenge so far are the Koreans. They have a strong
work ethic and work very well, but it is very hard to communicate. We usually
invite them to cook a traditional meal from their country which is usually
well-received. Our breakdown of WWOOFers in regards to positive versus negative
experiences: 60% are plain positive experiences, 30% so-so and 10% where we are
glad to see them go. I think WWOOFing is a tremendous cultural exchange and even
as an older person, I intend to do some WWOOFing overseas.
NN145
I would like you to know
that my garden ‘A Garden Path’ and I have been selected as the winner of the
WA CH9 Battle of the Burbs Sustainable/Water wise/Environmental Project Garden.
As a disability pensioner I am thrilled to win the award of $7500 as it will
enable me to purchase a solar pump for irrigation. I could not have achieved
this award without the help of WWOOFers. I currently have 2 delightful WWOOFers
from Germany & England who appeared on camera to represent all the WWOOFers
(over100) who have helped with my Environmental Education activities. Not only
have WWOOFers helped with physical tasks, but they have also cheered me up when
I have been low, shared their own gardening knowledge & skills, prepared
culinary delights and enabled me to travel all over the world without even
leaving my home!
WP054
~WWOOFer
FEEDBACK~
My name is Arnaud Gelb.
I am addicted to WWOOFing, it is a great experience.
I09/7393
After hearing so many
stories of unreliable WWOOFers, I can’t resist to give an example of unreliable
hosts. I had booked a host via several detailed emails– a 2 week stay and I
phoned them 2 days before to arrange the meeting. They became cold when I told
them I would be hitch-hiking. The following day they called me at 9 pm to tell
me they were sick after all and couldn’t take me anymore. What a lame excuse! I
am an experienced hitch-hiker.
I have been to remote
places and think that this is an excellent form of travel., especially when
there is no other means of transport in big Australia. My hosts don’t have to
pick me up as usually I find a lift to their gates. Hosts, PLEASE do not reject
hitch-hikers. The good part of the story is that I found other hosts nearby who
rescued me at short notice
NB020–
so I don’t complain. Frederic
I09/41313
I’m Jenny from Holland
and I’m WWOOFing now for 5 weeks in Childers at Vintner’s Secret Vineyard.
Marianne & Edward are lovely people and great hosts. They take you to places
around, you really get to know other local people and they treat you as a family
member. The work isn’t very hard and very diverse, which is lovely to do. Thumbs
up to Marianne & Ed!
Jenny
SAD
NEWS
Sadly, one of our WWOOF
members from Switzerland, Ina Moeller was tragically killed in a car accident on
her way to visit a host in Cooma, NSW. Details of the accident are sketchy, but
there are reasons to believe that she may have been tired after a long drive on
unfamiliar roads and unaware of the great distances between towns. If you have
WWOOFers with their own transport, please advise them of any hazardous
conditions that may exist in your area and make sure they know the driving times
to their destinations and the need to have a good break every 2 hours, or
anything else that will keep them safe on our roads.
VISA
EXTENSIONS
New developments in
Visa Extensions.
DIAC is now allowing those WWOOFers who have worked for at least 90 days to
lodge applications retrospectively, even as long ago as 2006. This means that
you may get a WWOOFer from the past contacting you to provide proof that they
visited you and worked for ‘x’ number of days. This is legitimate and we are
following directives as they are received by DIAC. We have spent many hours
updating our homepage with links to DIAC issues. Click on
Overseas
Information & visas for any information regarding Visas, which forms are appropriate, and how
to lodge applications. We can also provide hosts and/or WWOOFers with Form 1263
and all information relevant to Visa extensions.
Hours
of Work for the 2nd Working Holiday Visa Extension
DIAC recommend that
WWOOFers work the same period that is considered full time work on YOUR farm.
If this is more than 6 hours per day, then you will need to make arrangements
with the WWOOFers for any additional hours they work over 6 hours per day.
These hours can either be paid work (but please note this is not considered
WWOOFing and WWOOFer Insurance would not cover these hours) or the WWOOFers
could have time off on weekends or other days in exchange. Flexibility is the
key! Here are a couple of examples:
*Hosts could have
their WWOOFers work for 8 hours each day for 3 days in exchange for 4 days food
& accommodation (8 hours x 3days = 24 hours, 6 hours x 3 days= 24 hours) This
counts as 4 days on form 1263.
* Hosts who consider a
full time week on their farm to be 32 –38 hours could have their WWOOFers work
these hours over 4 1/2 or 5 days then have 2 days off. The WWOOFers would have
all their meals & accommodation provided for 7 days and the host would sign for
7 days on their 1263 form.
NEWS
FROM THE WWOOF Office
WWOOF has taken on 2 new
employees. Manda Canny (who’s been here since last April) is our new friendly
phone receptionist/admin specialist AND WWOOF host, and Danny Mitton, will be
taking on general maintenance as well as office and website projects. We
welcome them with enthusiasm.
On another note, Debb is
now delving in to the murky business of ‘host
complaints’. Ninety-nine percent
of our hosts are as good as gold (we shall see after the Rating System gets
underway). The other 1% are guilty of such infractions as inadequate food and/or
housing, workload beyond 6 hours per day, unfriendly, odd or unwelcoming
behaviour, sexual harassment, or offering mainly jobs that are not related to
organics
such as child minding, restaurant work or chamber maids. As Ambassadors of
Australia, you as hosts are meant to show the WWOOFers that you care about them
as people, not just workers, and make their stay as pleasant as possible, while,
at the same time, receiving the same back in kind. We realise that its not all
a bowl of cherries when hosting difficult WWOOFers and the stress it can cause.
WWOOF cares about its people, too, both hosts and WWOOFers. When complaints
arise, each side has their story and each side usually denies the accusations
which makes the job of resolution difficult. A lot of time and effort goes in to
investigating and resolving complaints to achieve a satisfactory result for all
concerned. So please make your attitude your altitude for smooth sailing.
All
the best from the WWOOF Team, Garry, Debb, Traci, Tam, Lorraine, Manda & Danny
WWOOF
Memberships
$60
single
**Hosts receive $10 for every WWOOFer they sign up!**
Host
Memberships
New Host $60
Annual Renewal $45
Concession $30
Certified Organic FREE*
*Host Application and Renewal are free on receipt of a copy of your current
certificate from an AQIS Certifying Body | 