To reach the ranch, it is recommended that you land directly in Brisbane without going through Sydney.  

Brisbane, which is none other than the capital of Queensland, will seduce you with its average temperature of 25 degrees and its big city feel.

It is recommended to arrive on a Thursday morning no later than noon (program starts 2 or 3 times per month). You will begin with 4 days in Brisbane to rest after your journey and get your ranch training off to a great start! On Monday morning, a shuttle will be arranged to the training ranch.

Upon your arrival at the ranch for training, our partner will give you a proper welcome and handle some of the administrative tasks related to your stay in Australia. This includes opening your bank account, obtaining your Medicare card, analyzing your expectations and professional experience, and applying for your Tax File Number (TFN ). Afterward, you can relax and get to know the other participants over a good meal. But the rest will be short-lived, as your training starts that afternoon, so it will be time to roll up your sleeves!

Here are the conditions for participating in the "ranch work in Australia" program:

• Ideally, you have a driver's license (car). Ranches are often isolated, so a driver's license is very useful. If you don't have a license, you can either ride a horse or you have a good level of skill in country motocross.
• You have an intermediate level of English (B1) . It is possible to take English courses beforehand in Brisbane or elsewhere in Australia to reach the required intermediate level.
• You have already worked (student job, etc.) in any sector
• You're not afraid to get your hands dirty!
• You are motivated, hardworking and versatile.
• You must weigh no more than 100 kilos (if you ride a horse) and you are preferably a non-smoker (many farmers fear fires)

During your ranch work program in Australia, you will have the choice of working:

With cattle, sheep, pigs, camels, ponies, racehorses, on motorcycles or tractors, as pickers, in riding centers, rounding up herds, either in large ranches or smaller family properties.

Examples of jobs outside the home

Gathering herds on horseback or motorcycle, raising cattle and sheep, maintaining fences, spraying, gardening, grooming ponies and horses, maintaining agricultural machinery, sowing and harvesting, crops and many other tasks.

Examples of jobs inside

Teaching and babysitting, cleaning, cooking, animal care. Also, the possibility of working in a rural pub.

The jobs offered are paid, and placement on a ranch is guaranteed for anyone who successfully completes the training (the success rate is 99%). Most of the jobs you will apply for are among those available for a second or third Working Holiday Visa. The support provided by our local partner is guaranteed for four months or one year, depending on the chosen option.

If you decide to embark on this great adventure with a friend, no worries, it's definitely possible! However, for a guaranteed placement of two people on a ranch, it's best if you have similar skills and profiles.

Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty!

Most job offers are for 38-hour workweeks (on average). Some jobs offer more hours, and some employers may also offer overtime. However, since most of these jobs are outdoors and in rural areas, you should expect to work long hours, often from evening to morning , and sometimes in difficult conditions (cold, rain, etc.).

This option doesn't include fruit or vegetable picking jobs (choose our paid jobs in Australia ). These jobs pay less because they don't require specific skills. There are also no jobs in cities or on the coast.

Prepare yourself well for our ranch work program in Australia

It is essential to leave with good medical insurance that covers you in case of hospitalization, visits to a doctor, etc. 

We feel it is equally essential to get a tetanus booster if you haven't had one in the last 10 years, given that you will be in contact with animals.

No other vaccinations are required to participate in the ranch stay in Australia.

You will need a valid passport and an Australian working holiday visa .

You must therefore be between 18 and 30 years old (35 years old for the French) and be of or French nationality (or of another nationality of a country that has signed the working holiday visa agreement with Australia, see the list of countries here ).

Ranch work program in Australia available year-round . You will arrive in Brisbane on a Thursday morning (between 6am and 11am ). If you arrive earlier, we can add extra nights.

The ranch work program in Australia is very popular and fills up quickly (around ten places per date, approximately three dates per month). Don't delay in booking if you don't want to miss out!

1. Basic 4-month program including 1 work placement of 88 days (to obtain the right to a 2nd Working Holiday Visa): € 5799

2. or 12-month program including 2 or 3 placements: € 5999

3. You are already in Australia: €2699 (no transfers, no hostel stays or activities in Brisbane, no administrative assistance). You have a vehicle: €2499

Included in our Australian ranch work program :

• Australian Working Holiday Visa fees and support from L&T
• Return flights to Brisbane + airport taxes
• Transfer upon arrival if arriving Thursday morning (If arriving on another day – you will take a taxi or Uber or a shuttle bus upon arrival in Brisbane and L&T will reimburse you upon receipt you provide to us)
• The first 4 nights are in a hostel (meals not included), with the possibility of booking additional nights in the same Brisbane hostel if you arrive before Thursday (the day the program starts)
• Various activities are organised during the stay in Brisbane: kayaking, climbing, etc.
• Assistance with opening a bank account, obtaining a Social Security number, Medicare (health insurance), etc., in Brisbane
• The transfer from the Brisbane hostel the following Monday morning to the ranch where the training will take place
• One week of training by rangers , including accommodation and meals
• The transfer back to Brisbane at the end of the training week
• Ranch placement(s) after training. Save up to $40,000 per year working on ranches ($25.41 min. per hour, room and board included). A paid job placement is guaranteed upon completion of the 5-day training. This job may not be immediately available; you may have to wait 1 or 2 weeks before starting work. Placement in additional jobs (2 or 3 in total) is possible if you choose the 12-month program.
• Assistance to help and advise you for 4 months or up to 12 months on site depending on the program chosen.
• Assistance is provided to organize your journey between the training ranch and your first job from Brisbane (the journey between Brisbane and the training ranch is covered both ways, but not the journey from Brisbane to your first job)
• Information, program registration, flight booking, processing of your Working Holiday Visa application, confirmations and delivery of your travel documents in a Drive folder with video feedback, L&T follow-up and support throughout your stay

Not included in our Australian ranch work program:

• Optional cancellation insurance (4%)
• Medical insurance, more info here : 6 months: €250, 1 year €484. Subscribe here .
• Job assistance for the remainder of your stay: €699

Note: It is possible to book a one-way ticket if you plan to apply for a second Working Holiday Visa, or for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa after your year in Australia, or if you plan to visit Asia. A discount on your chosen package will then be applied based on the fare obtained (approximately €500).

Please also note the comments from our partner:

“Every job and every employer is different, so you should check with the farmer offering the job.
They always pay the appropriate wage for the work. This could be a national rate, a pastoral rate, a stable hand rate, etc.
There are rates for young people under 20: at 19, 90% of the adult rate ($25.41 per hour), at 18, 80%.
Accommodation is always provided, but it may be charged ($150/week), often it isn't.
Food is either included and provided or you pay for it, depending on the ranch.
Super and Work Cover insurance are always included.
If they have a driver's license, they may be allowed to use farm vehicles for travel off the property, for example, to run errands.”

This is a truly unique program that will allow you to:

• to discover the interior of Australia, often called the outback
• to pursue your passion if it's horseback riding, ranches, animals
• to work and earn money for a few months or a year ( minimum wage of $25.41 per hour, accommodation and food included )
• to complete your 88 days to qualify for a second (or even a third) Working Holiday Visa

Tip: why not start your work in Australia with a few weeks of English courses in Sydney or another city (Brisbane, etc.) followed by this ranch-based arrangement.

Since ranches are often far from everything, you won't have the opportunity to spend much. You can save up to $10,000 in 3 months , whereas in the city you'll earn more per hour ($27.60 per hour, but you'll have to pay for your own accommodation and food; you can only save $2,000 in 3 months).

Discover our ranch stay program in the USA .

Read also our article Ranch stay to learn English and practice horse riding .