Wwoofing, Huh?
Wwoof, Willing Workers on Organic Farms, is a worldwide volunteer organization. It is a program available around the globe in which travelers exchange a few hours of work per day for room and board. What an incredible concept. You can get around the world for the cost of transportation and beer while living with locals and really experience the indigenous lifestyle, while participating in programs that promote the regional economy. In all, it’s sustainable tourism at its best.
After meeting the Aloombra Lavender beast, I was gravely concerned about our Wwoof host. I’m glad to tell you that my reservations were completely unfounded. Greg is awesome.
The home at Broadwater Headland is a total hippie house with different people coming and going at all times. I love it, as I get to meet loads of people from around the country.
The main project here is dune regeneration, which I am particularly interested in having grown up vacationing every summer in north Florida in the United States. 
Here, dune regeneration consists of removing the Bituo bush that was introduced to the area by mining companies in the past. The tree grows quickly so was used to stop the erosion in places that were mined. The tree became a pest, much like kudzu. It takes over the indigenous plants and kills them. So, this is one hell of a job and won’t be complete in many years, if ever. I’m glad to be associated with a group who is making the effort to do this work. It’s an interesting contrast to the Florida dune regeneration projects that consist of building the dunes up and is needed as a result of erosion due to over-development and hurricanes.
– Carrie
Tags: Australia, byron bay, Carrie, Travel, WWoof
carriel313
We are two french mates travelling in australia for a year. Here we are in the area of byron Bay and are looking for some woofing. Weactually though that woofing was only about farm and discivering your projrct we are very interested. as you said in your introduction, travelling by living with locals is much more better than only go from place to place lookinf for the bars around
I hope you will answer soon
Hi Tomas! Thanks so much for your comment. Woofing was a fantastic experience for us. I’m already planning a trip back to Australia do some more Woofing in a few years. I’m not sure how involved you are in the process, you’re supposed to join the Australia Wwoof organization. The url is http://www.wwoof.com.au and sign up. It should give you all the information you need. There are TONS of hosts in the Byron Bay area, but many are full due to the busy tourist season. Just read the host’s description to see if it sounds like a good place. Some people seem more interested in free labor, while other hosts are interested in cultural exchange with the Wwoofers.
Best of luck to you and let me know if you have any other questions!
Carrie
[…] Where did she WWOOF? In a town in Australia near Byron Bay. Her host was a “super liberal…Aussie hippie”, a former sculptor who makes his living playing the stock market and also, of course, working on his land. The landscape sounds rather interesting, to say the least: “You can see for kilometers to the park and the sea in either direction. From the home, you take a trail down to the beach over HUGE white sand dunes to the gold sand coast. Once you’re there, you reach the black sedimentary rocks with erosion holes created from an ancient forest.” […]