Spring 2003.
Mature travellers are lending a helping hand to Australia's farming families and in return receive free board, country hospitality and a taste of the outback. We meet two people who have tapped into a network of host families across the country.

Outback Helpers
Adam Johnson was looking for an inexpensive outback holiday, but came away with so much more.

"We retired a few years ago and started getting the 'itch' to go travelling. After our trip around the entire coast of Australia, my wife Margit and I wanted to spend some time inland.

We hoped to stay on an outback property, but this seemed to be only possible by paying for a farm stay. Our discussions about this finally led to this thought: perhaps in exchange for giving farmers a helping hand in some way, we might be able to camp on the property for a while.

"The idea was put on the backburner, but not forgotten. We continued to travel Australia, doing our usual thing: camping in national parks, or free bush camps beside a waterhole or river, with the occasional use of caravan parks. During this time we still hankered to stay on a property," he said.

The start of Outback Helpers
"At the start of 2002, while planning our next trip, we happened to get hold of two consecutive copies of OUTback Magazine," Adam said. "Browsing through these, fascinated by anything concerning the outback, I read a letter from a woman who had volunteered to help on a station near Alice Springs that had been flooded.

"The next issue contained a letter from a station owner in WA, commending the woman for helping out, and wishing that others would be interested in doing the same. Not to be outdone, I emailed the station owners, Greg & Jenny Watters of Mt Clere Station, WA, with an offer to become a helper. I told them of our constant desire to spend some time on a station. Our offer was quickly accepted. The Watters simply asked, "when are you arriving?"

"Margit and I decided to alter our travel plans and go to Mt Clere at the end of May. Our time there was very enjoyable and we chatted at some length with the Watters about how arrangements like this can be so beneficial for all concerned.

"This led to the genesis of a new idea. What about creating a register of people willing to become outback helpers? And thus the Outback Helpers scheme was born as a strictly non-profit network, to link people like us with station owners in need of some help," he said.

Who are the Helpers?
"It was decided to target the many retirees and pensioners who travel in their caravans or motor homes and so on, constantly crisscrossing the country" he said. "They might be only too happy to spend a little of their travelling time helping out in return for board - maybe even supplement their income a little. Of course anyone of any age is welcome to join, and there is no cost involved.

"Outback Helpers are people willing to become temporary grandparents, gardeners or teachers aides. Give the house a good clean, cook a few meals, perhaps do some trade work. The list is endless. The aim is to ease the pressure off the family for a while. It gives them the chance for a break, maybe even the opportunity to go on a weekend away.

"Our target group are a pretty resourceful and experienced lot, and having travelled a lot, can contribute some good anecdotes over a beer or whatever. Our experience from having met so many travelling retirees is that most don't want to subside into slothful inactivity just because they are not in the paid workforce," Adam said.

Our first station
"Our first experience as helpers on a station was on the way to Mt Clere," Adam said. "This was a property on the Nullarbor, just getting to it from the Eyre Highway was an adventure.

"We followed directions looking for a road north, and having found it, we sat there looking at it with a jaundiced eye. Two wheel tracks disappearing under water across a paddock did not look like much of road to us. However, being the intrepid travellers we are, and locking the front hubs in, off we went. Our explicit directions were, follow the road to the dog fence, turn left, go through the first gate and keep going. After six hours of slipping and sliding, covering 150km, we made it. No 4WD needed, and quite pleased with ourselves.

"The station was a surprising place. As we drove into the homestead, it looked like a small village. Huge main house, two cottages, numerous outbuildings, staff quarters, stockyards, horse yards, and 4WD vehicles everywhere. We enjoyed our stay immensely, and were treated almost like family by both owners and staff alike. I was involved in building maintenance, while Margit was sewing and gardening. Now having experienced the life, we can recommend it to our 'helpers' quite happily," he said.

Growing interest
"The Outback Helpers Scheme now has in excess of 100 helpers with us, and 30 host stations. At least three people contact me each week for information," Adam said.
"We distribute flyers for both host stations and helpers to any premises willing to display them, including shopping centres, caravan parks, camping supply shops and stock and station agents.

"The recent drought, bushfires and floods have opened a lot of people's eyes to the tough life people face living on the land. This is a time when many farmers will gladly appreciate a helping hand.

"We invite all those intrepid nomadic retirees out there to join us, and spend from a few days to a few weeks of your holiday helping out on a station. You'll have a holiday like no other, experiencing for yourself what outback life is really like."

Cost to join:
No fee

Length of placement:
Varies from a few days to several weeks, as negotiated with the host

Number of host farms: 30

The experience:
General household help and basic farm duties as directed by hosts in return for board or caravan space. In some cases payment may be offered.

Adam & Margit Johnson,
PO Box 290. Venus Bay Vic. 3956
Tel: (03) 5663 7822
Email: admani@dcsi.net.au

Greg & Jenny Watters,
Mt Clere Station, via Meekatharra WA 6642.
Tel: (08) 9981 2943
Email: g.jwatters@bigpond.com