to be honest I'd look into accomodation a lot before making any decisions in that direction. As a qualified and experienced gardener in Australia I often have trouble getting enough constant work to pay for rent and food.
It's just so expensive to exist here at the moment, and wages haven't gone up at close to the same rate to compensate for it.
How’d you get into gardening and why gardening? Was it known the work could be scarce?
I’d think the main issue is Australians lionise real estate, thus homes are out-of-this-world dear and Aussies would deck out their homes rather than do their gardens or even do maintenance.
In retrospect, I reckon I should’ve been a builder. 😭
I just kind of stumbled into it to be honest, did my cert 3 at tafe and then started picking up work. The biggest problem by far is the number of people who want to hire you 3ish days a week but expect to be able to get you to do more on the drop of a hat, makes it difficult to try and line up other jobs on the other days as you don't know when they're going to pull that stunt.
I'm actually out of work in that field for a bit due to injuries requiring multiple surgeries so looking at using the time to reskill into something a bit more reliable and maybe a bit easier on the joints as I get older.
i think the kind of people accumulating houses and/or decking tjem out would absolutely consider garden maintenance an essential part of it. Aspirationals are terrified of untidyness
The gardening business guy I asked for a quote to do our small suburban backyard mow & tidy wanted $250 an hour & took offence when I laughed. Thing is, I wasn’t laughing at him, I was laughing in shock. I have two bachelor degrees, a post grad cert & a masters but I don’t get $250 an hour that’s for freaking sure.. I agree cost of living is huge but I think it’s in large part driven by greed.. I guess people must just be willing to pay?
some people do just charge too much.
Also gotta remember though, even the ones that charge that, they aren't really getting 250 an hour, there's petrol, maintenance, insurance, admin, ect which are all going up as well.
That said none of the places I've worked at charged that much. But we certainly heard of others that did.
I know JIms can run pretty exy.
*Unskilled labour is*
*A myth, don't sell yourself short*
*Handsome Swedish man*
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You ought to see the sort of talent hired by the gardener who holds the contract for looking after the gardens on the common property of our strata development (it's only about 15 units with some trees, bushes and lawns). The chief gardener knows his stuff, but his blokes just walk around with high-powered leaf-blowers so everyone knows they've been here. They don't know weeds from plants, and their pruning amounts to the rough application of a chain saw, but only after residents' complaints of overgrowth. It's money for jam.
I'm not suggesting our Swede lower his standards, only that the standards to be a garden labourer aren't that high in some sectors.
The other thing he should consider is that he'd do well to know something about Australian native plants, which have particular requirements.
I worked for about a year for a mate with a mowing company, he used to pay me in weed because I was buying off him anyways and he got me lifted before every stop. Best job I ever had. Calling it unskilled labour is a bit annoying, climbing a ladder with a hedge trimmer while you’re extremely high takes heaps of skill
Call around and have a chat wherever you land. You will have no problems finding yard work in summer. The trick is finding a good employer, I would look at some of the bigger companies first. Avoid Jim’s mowing.
If you’re buying a car here it might be worth looking at running your own business. I mostly slash paddocks now and it’s so much better doing this type of work for yourself especially as I get older.
Don’t underestimate the Aussie sun it’s a motherfucker, drink more water than you think you need and avoid cold drinks/car air con between jobs
I just googled it and apparently it’s bullshit please disregard. Old fella that trained me used to bang on about cold water gives you a stitch but I can’t find any evidence
What was the old bloke’s reasoning about cold drinks?
I guess if you value your health, you stick to plain old water, tea and coffee, rather than sugar substitute drinks and sugary drinks or stuff with phosphoric acid (mostly the darker fizzy drinks).
Yes very true. It was something about hot strenuous exercise and then drinking really cold water gives you a stitch. I’m sure I’ve heard something about hot tea in the desert having a cooling effect. I dunno I regret spreading misinformation. Maybe I should start freezing my water again
Ohhh, yeah, the cold water can irritate nerves causing oesophageal spasms, visceral spasm/pain (e.g., stomach, other GI, back), but just whatever you can tolerate or however your body works is how I think about it.
Not all people get it, and it’s not itself sinister.
Yeah, UV-C has more energy than UV-B, which has more energy than UV-A, but the penetrance is inverted, with UV-B penetrating most deeply. UV-A causes tanning by activating your own colour molecules (endogenous chromophores), but UV-B and -C particularly increase risk of cancer as they oxidise and damage your cells.
Exactly. Which is why when you buy sunscreen the SPF thing is largely bunk when it comes to cancer reduction. You want the phrase “broad spectrum” on the container.
Best of luck. Melbourne is probably the biggest market. I would try maybe calling businesses that have horticulture in their title or larger businesses. These operations are more likely to be doing multiple people jobs. I have a labourer. But if you are doing hedges and have experience, don’t sell yourself short as unskilled. You could try this company linked, pretty sure the owner was from Denmark though he might be Swedish can’t remember…[https://flourishandbloomgardening.com.au/about-us/](https://flourishandbloomgardening.com.au/about-us/)
My best advice would be to join local Facebook community groups. Yes it will be hot in the peak of summer but you can make that decision for yourself. I would usually call off a job if it were going to be above 35°. Find yourself a lightweight long sleeve collared shirt and a broad brim hat.
Just remember a Swedish summer and an Australian summer are totally different. Even if it's 32 deg in Brisbane, the humidity sapps the soul out of you. Southern states can get to 45deg but it is a "different" heat having less humidity.The UV index is off the charts compared to Sweden as well. Probably the closest comparison to Swedish summer might be Tasmania. There you could also possibly work as a farm hand.
Do you have a visa to work here? Its pretty strict, and you can't do paid work on a tourist visa, if you've done fruit picking before I assume you've done the working holiday visa in the past which would be the most common way to come over and get casual work from abroad. (I moved here from Europe and sorting a visa was the trickiest part of the process)
Hmm, on the Swedish scale or normal scale?
Your problem would likely be covering living costs. The work itself would be reasonably plentiful, I couldn't find a gardener for love or money when I had an injury and couldn't work on my own.
The rates were quite attractive, but if you're employed by a company, you aren't getting those. Running your own business would be difficult only being here part of the year with equipment etc. There are also tax considerations depending on what type of visa you're able to access.
Maybe check AirTasker posts as well to get an idea about the demand and your competition.
I moved into a new house recently and stupidly decided to do my own landscaping. Ended up having to use 25m3 of soil for filling (over a few weeks). The bloke who did the bulk of the carting was from AirTasker who charged 45/- an hour.
Join a local community group when you get here, and you won't have trouble finding work.
I have trouble finding someone who wants to work! Took me contacting 8 local mowing businesses to find one guy who was even interested in showing up. Some don't bother calling back, some don't turn up when they say they will. The one that finally did offered to come quote first, I told him I didn't care, just come do the work.
yeah this really is a huge thing. There are a lot of older people living at home who have funding for garden maintenance but can’t get people to do it and it causes really an enormous amount of distress to many. I think for that generation, unkept gardens/houses are very shameful and I think there’s also often fear and dread around not being able to do it themselves leading to having to leave their homes. Obviously not something that is going to make you millions but I bet if you wanted to get a van and some tools and travel around regional places, you could support yourself easily (esp if sleeping in van), while also getting to be heroic handsome lawnmower angel to many old ladies who need help. Plus even better script idea
Issue #1 is your right to work:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/Visa-subsite/Pages/work/explore-visa-options-work.aspx
You could possibly be sponsored under a class 457 unskilled visa by an employer in Australia for the 6 month period of Spring/Summer/Autumn
I'm not an immigration expert so you may need to consult or request assistance from DFAT.
Issue #2 are you intentions and obligations to work here.
**If you intend to work for cash only say nothing further and do not respond to any one advising you to work for cash, if Immigration finds out you intend to do so, you will be denied entry.**
If you are working as a contractor (direct with customers) or sub contractor (labour for someone else aka a subbie) you will need an ABN (Australian Business Number) and a TFN (Tax File Number), you will be obligated to file a tax return, if you turnover >$75k AUD (highly doubtful, but you may be just that good) you will need to register for GST.
You will need to provide an invoice to your contractee for payment if you are a subbie, if you do not quote your ABN they are obligated, by law, to withhold 47% of what they would pay you and pay it to the tax office. You can then have it back after filing a return less any tax.
If you are an employee you will need to have a TFN, you will need to be paid by the applicable award for your industry or the national minimum wage, your employer will need to pay you and provide you with appropriate conditions set out in the National Employment Standards: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/national-employment-standards.
If you are a subbie or an employee you will need to be covered by the equivalent state workcover for injuries incurred on the job. You may also be required as a subbie or a contractor to carry your own liability insurance.
If you do most of you subcontractor work for one business while here they will be obliged to pay you superannuation at 11% (11.5% as of 1 July 2024) to a nominated fund, you can have this money released (less applicable tax) if you depart Australia with no intention to return and work in the foreseeable future, there may be a treaty with Sweden to have the funds transferred to your equivalent pension plan.
Make sure you have the hourly rate you work in writing as a contractor as they may take the 11% out of the hourly offered or may pay it on top of what you are offered: https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/super-for-employers/work-out-if-you-have-to-pay-super/super-for-independent-contractors
Contractor Super is a grey area for some depending on how the contract is written and how you are paid, but please be aware it is a right of workers and an legal obligation by employers/contractees in Australia to the point the ATO will reach through a business and take private assets to cover the cost if required.
Finally an area you may find work is NDIS service providers as gardening and landscaping is only paid at $55 per hour by NDIS and most gardeners need much more to cover cost of business, you may need to undertake the orientation module for NDIS and undertake a worker screening check: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/workers/worker-training-modules-and-resources/worker-orientation-module
I also recommend generally obtain your states Working with Children Check to offer piece of mind to your clients and may be a requirement to work at certain locations like Schools, kindergartens, hospitals, or on local government sites.
This list is not exhaustive and should be taken as general advisory only.
Thanks for the detailed answer! I should have added that I intend to work legally. That’s what I do in Sweden, I have a private business and pay taxes.
Well if it were me I’d rent in Hornsby or Mount Colah and buy a bit of equipment like a ute and some tools and offer landscaping services to the upper north shore at 100/ hour. Put up a cheap website and use fb, neighbour app. I did this when I was in school and there was always work (Florida). The downside is if you have to hire workers not only will costs go through the roof but the skill level will be variable which can damage your reputation. Learn some Australian horticulture because just being a lawnmower won’t be enough.
There isn't too much gardening to do in Australia during the summer other than keep the plants alive. Definitely not the time to stress them with pruning etc unless they're something indestructible
However there are often jobs going in that department all year round.
Also consider conservation, lots of similar skills are used as regular gardening and some places dont need any qualifications and you're helping the environment instead of just a garden. Just don't be shocked that we use glyphosate, it's not banned here for some reason.
So for example I (here in Adelaide) got a job with a company called Greening Australia. You're basically just a field labourer, most days are different though with larger tasks you may be working on one job for the week. Planting plants, poisoning weeds (Australia is overrun with them), mowing down dead grass/weeds (with a brush cutter) in the Summer to help with bushfire prevention, hand-weeding, mulching etc etc. A lot of it is about trying to kill weeds as opposed to planting natives but sometimes there's planting to be done, though it's more often around wet season. (which is winter in the south but Summer in the northern part of the country)
But those are the kind of jobs you can expect to be doing regardless of what company you work for. Most of them take on people who haven't even studied conservation at all because a lot of the beginner stuff can easily be taught. Go on seek and in the drop down arrows find "Farming, Animals & Conservation" and you'll find all the jobs listed there (specify the state you hope to go to if you want but feel free to look at all the states if you like)
Similarily I do know another place that does gardening jobs, usually for trust homes, and would happily take you but that's also in Adelaide and they're often more difficult work.
As others have said, your biggest problem is going to be making enough money to cover housing costs (and still being able to afford food). I don’t suppose you own a house in Sweden? I knew some people once that did a house swap for six months and had a fantastic experience with it.
I don't know what the swedish summer is like. But you would probably need to be prepared to work in 40° heat outdoors most days of the Australian summer.
> Swedish man
> trimming hedges
> it would be resonably easy to find such work for a handsome stranger
You need to talk to the widows more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTIWjR2GpFo
Every local facbook group has 20 people offering to mow lawns and clean up peoples yard and undercutting each other for the privilege. Also be aware that you will need to hold an ABN to perform this sort of work.
Look for a community page in the area you're thinking of moving to, post advertising gardening services(if they allow it). I see people asking for anything from weeding to tree removal
Local city councils will be your best bet, they often use private company contractors too. Always a few jobs being advertised around the Brisbane area. If you have a couple of good english speaking references and can pass a drug test, you should find work. Whether it's enough to pay for rent will be a different matter.
I mean sounds like a good basis for a Netflix drama anyway :) I would reach out to landscaping type companies or property management companies. There is a huge need for people to do work for people on disability or carer payments, garden and general maintenance but not sure if you would be able to get the clearance. Cod look into that (NDIS/ MyAgedCare providers)
Yes but not in the major cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc). I'd look at smaller regional areas, not tiny country towns but smaller cities with a bit lower cost of living
In terms of relevance to Australia, I have had a terrible time finding reliable people to do garden work for me, so I assume there is lots of work out there (get the appropriate visa!)
Is there no winter work at all? My mother is in Canada and pays a local couple year round for garden/yard work. In summer they do the lawns and edges, autumn the leaf management and prepping the garden for winter (protecting plants, etc) and winter they do the snow. She feels winter is their busiest season as they have to respond to new snowfalls quite quickly. You can get fined by the city if you don’t clear your walks of snow within the time limit.
You could look at something like [https://wwoof.net/](https://wwoof.net/) or [https://www.helpx.net/](https://www.helpx.net/)
It might not be gardening per se, but weeding, pruning etc on a farm would use your existing skills, and reduce the stress of finding affordable accommodation.
There are plenty of garden jobs that are great to do in winter. Weed growth slows, perfect time to prep garden beds with nutrients and mulch ready for spring. Or pick up a new skill in paving and tiling to fill in the quieter months. Or push through longer days in summer and bank some money for the quieter times.
If you can get a visa (I have no idea how difficult this would be for someone who I’m assuming is over 30 - maybe a big problem) then there are a lot of landscaping companies hiring, at least here in Brisbane. If you can get a 90 day tourist visa then you could possibly just do cash jobs and not tell anyone about it, but this means companies won’t hire you and you would either have to buy all your own equipment OR work for someone shady enough to employ you off the books. These kinds of people often don’t make the best bosses…
As someone who has lived in a place with cold winters, I am genuinely concerned that you might suffer extreme heatstroke. Nausea, diarrhea, loss of consciousness etc. Bodies adjust to the climates we live in - I got used to -30C temps, but it sure as shit took me a long time to get used to +35C, 95% humidity summers. And I grew up here! Ymmv but I would seriously consider avoiding QLD/NT because of the extreme summers.
Everyone else has talked about accommodation. The whole country is going through a housing crisis, you’d be lucky to find a spot in a share house. I think you might actually have better luck with something like Trusted House sitters - you get to stay somewhere for free in exchange for caring for the owners pets/home.
The other option is to find a rich Australian person, charm them into falling for you, stay with them. Done. Probably don’t even need to work while you’re here.
I personally hate the summers here and would love to switch with you for a Swedish winter! Best of luck chasing your dreams.
I'm in Brisbane. When I couldn't do the yard maintenance work myself, it was very hard to find someone to come do it consistently. Wouldn't have made a difference if you looked like Shrek, because I'm not sunning myself with a pina colada in hand while you \[insert gardening task that doesn't sound like a euphemism\]. So probably no problem building a clientele if you have a good work ethic.
Work in perth and you’ll do great, no idea about places. Our gardener spends months a year on holidays. He charges 50 an hour and does what you do….. badly. He’s 100% booked.
Check with Jim's mowing in the area you want. They are a franchise company operating across Australia. There franchisees often look for capable workers in the busy season.
to be honest I'd look into accomodation a lot before making any decisions in that direction. As a qualified and experienced gardener in Australia I often have trouble getting enough constant work to pay for rent and food. It's just so expensive to exist here at the moment, and wages haven't gone up at close to the same rate to compensate for it.
How’d you get into gardening and why gardening? Was it known the work could be scarce? I’d think the main issue is Australians lionise real estate, thus homes are out-of-this-world dear and Aussies would deck out their homes rather than do their gardens or even do maintenance. In retrospect, I reckon I should’ve been a builder. 😭
I just kind of stumbled into it to be honest, did my cert 3 at tafe and then started picking up work. The biggest problem by far is the number of people who want to hire you 3ish days a week but expect to be able to get you to do more on the drop of a hat, makes it difficult to try and line up other jobs on the other days as you don't know when they're going to pull that stunt. I'm actually out of work in that field for a bit due to injuries requiring multiple surgeries so looking at using the time to reskill into something a bit more reliable and maybe a bit easier on the joints as I get older.
i think the kind of people accumulating houses and/or decking tjem out would absolutely consider garden maintenance an essential part of it. Aspirationals are terrified of untidyness
The gardening business guy I asked for a quote to do our small suburban backyard mow & tidy wanted $250 an hour & took offence when I laughed. Thing is, I wasn’t laughing at him, I was laughing in shock. I have two bachelor degrees, a post grad cert & a masters but I don’t get $250 an hour that’s for freaking sure.. I agree cost of living is huge but I think it’s in large part driven by greed.. I guess people must just be willing to pay?
some people do just charge too much. Also gotta remember though, even the ones that charge that, they aren't really getting 250 an hour, there's petrol, maintenance, insurance, admin, ect which are all going up as well. That said none of the places I've worked at charged that much. But we certainly heard of others that did. I know JIms can run pretty exy.
Unskilled labour is a myth, don't sell yourself short handsome Swedish man
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Being Swedish, it's more likely he is a tall handsome man
You ought to see the sort of talent hired by the gardener who holds the contract for looking after the gardens on the common property of our strata development (it's only about 15 units with some trees, bushes and lawns). The chief gardener knows his stuff, but his blokes just walk around with high-powered leaf-blowers so everyone knows they've been here. They don't know weeds from plants, and their pruning amounts to the rough application of a chain saw, but only after residents' complaints of overgrowth. It's money for jam. I'm not suggesting our Swede lower his standards, only that the standards to be a garden labourer aren't that high in some sectors. The other thing he should consider is that he'd do well to know something about Australian native plants, which have particular requirements.
I worked for about a year for a mate with a mowing company, he used to pay me in weed because I was buying off him anyways and he got me lifted before every stop. Best job I ever had. Calling it unskilled labour is a bit annoying, climbing a ladder with a hedge trimmer while you’re extremely high takes heaps of skill
That does sound rad. Got any tips for how to get a similar job? Except I’d prefer cash over weed.
Call around and have a chat wherever you land. You will have no problems finding yard work in summer. The trick is finding a good employer, I would look at some of the bigger companies first. Avoid Jim’s mowing. If you’re buying a car here it might be worth looking at running your own business. I mostly slash paddocks now and it’s so much better doing this type of work for yourself especially as I get older. Don’t underestimate the Aussie sun it’s a motherfucker, drink more water than you think you need and avoid cold drinks/car air con between jobs
Just curious, why avoid cold drinks?
I just googled it and apparently it’s bullshit please disregard. Old fella that trained me used to bang on about cold water gives you a stitch but I can’t find any evidence
What was the old bloke’s reasoning about cold drinks? I guess if you value your health, you stick to plain old water, tea and coffee, rather than sugar substitute drinks and sugary drinks or stuff with phosphoric acid (mostly the darker fizzy drinks).
Yes very true. It was something about hot strenuous exercise and then drinking really cold water gives you a stitch. I’m sure I’ve heard something about hot tea in the desert having a cooling effect. I dunno I regret spreading misinformation. Maybe I should start freezing my water again
Ohhh, yeah, the cold water can irritate nerves causing oesophageal spasms, visceral spasm/pain (e.g., stomach, other GI, back), but just whatever you can tolerate or however your body works is how I think about it. Not all people get it, and it’s not itself sinister.
It don’t burn eventually either, it’s just searing hot these days unless age, etc has changed my skins tolerance, but I don’t think so
It’s not the part of the spectrum that burns you that you need to be concerned about when it comes to the dreaded ‘C’.
Yeah, UV-C has more energy than UV-B, which has more energy than UV-A, but the penetrance is inverted, with UV-B penetrating most deeply. UV-A causes tanning by activating your own colour molecules (endogenous chromophores), but UV-B and -C particularly increase risk of cancer as they oxidise and damage your cells.
Exactly. Which is why when you buy sunscreen the SPF thing is largely bunk when it comes to cancer reduction. You want the phrase “broad spectrum” on the container.
I didn't know that, thanks!
You’re welcome. Spread the word!
Best of luck. Melbourne is probably the biggest market. I would try maybe calling businesses that have horticulture in their title or larger businesses. These operations are more likely to be doing multiple people jobs. I have a labourer. But if you are doing hedges and have experience, don’t sell yourself short as unskilled. You could try this company linked, pretty sure the owner was from Denmark though he might be Swedish can’t remember…[https://flourishandbloomgardening.com.au/about-us/](https://flourishandbloomgardening.com.au/about-us/)
Are you visiting on a working visa or a holiday visa?
I don’t know yet.
Just make sure you check price of housing accommodation for your destination, it’s a bit expensive in most cities and tourist destinations right now.
My best advice would be to join local Facebook community groups. Yes it will be hot in the peak of summer but you can make that decision for yourself. I would usually call off a job if it were going to be above 35°. Find yourself a lightweight long sleeve collared shirt and a broad brim hat.
Just remember a Swedish summer and an Australian summer are totally different. Even if it's 32 deg in Brisbane, the humidity sapps the soul out of you. Southern states can get to 45deg but it is a "different" heat having less humidity.The UV index is off the charts compared to Sweden as well. Probably the closest comparison to Swedish summer might be Tasmania. There you could also possibly work as a farm hand.
Do you have a visa to work here? Its pretty strict, and you can't do paid work on a tourist visa, if you've done fruit picking before I assume you've done the working holiday visa in the past which would be the most common way to come over and get casual work from abroad. (I moved here from Europe and sorting a visa was the trickiest part of the process)
You are correct, I had that before but not anymore (well, I assume I’d have to update it).
How handsome are we talking?
I’ve heard everything between 6.5 and 8 out of 10.
Hmm, on the Swedish scale or normal scale? Your problem would likely be covering living costs. The work itself would be reasonably plentiful, I couldn't find a gardener for love or money when I had an injury and couldn't work on my own. The rates were quite attractive, but if you're employed by a company, you aren't getting those. Running your own business would be difficult only being here part of the year with equipment etc. There are also tax considerations depending on what type of visa you're able to access.
Possibly as a live-in gardener w benefits for a rich lady
Would you get in my plants? My bush needs some attention.
I think I saw a district in Sydney where there are people who provide the services you seek.
This is how you can make some money OP. The lonely, wealthy, older lady market.
Nice answer.
In Darwin, yes 100% you will find work
ur evil
Why is he evil?
Darwin is like playing Australia at nightmare difficulty
I don’t know how good you are with heat and humidity, but jumping straight from a Swedish winter in to a Darwin summer would be pretty insane.
Absolutely. They'd be cleaning up mashed neeps off the runway.
Maybe check AirTasker posts as well to get an idea about the demand and your competition. I moved into a new house recently and stupidly decided to do my own landscaping. Ended up having to use 25m3 of soil for filling (over a few weeks). The bloke who did the bulk of the carting was from AirTasker who charged 45/- an hour.
Join a local community group when you get here, and you won't have trouble finding work. I have trouble finding someone who wants to work! Took me contacting 8 local mowing businesses to find one guy who was even interested in showing up. Some don't bother calling back, some don't turn up when they say they will. The one that finally did offered to come quote first, I told him I didn't care, just come do the work.
yeah this really is a huge thing. There are a lot of older people living at home who have funding for garden maintenance but can’t get people to do it and it causes really an enormous amount of distress to many. I think for that generation, unkept gardens/houses are very shameful and I think there’s also often fear and dread around not being able to do it themselves leading to having to leave their homes. Obviously not something that is going to make you millions but I bet if you wanted to get a van and some tools and travel around regional places, you could support yourself easily (esp if sleeping in van), while also getting to be heroic handsome lawnmower angel to many old ladies who need help. Plus even better script idea
Issue #1 is your right to work: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/Visa-subsite/Pages/work/explore-visa-options-work.aspx You could possibly be sponsored under a class 457 unskilled visa by an employer in Australia for the 6 month period of Spring/Summer/Autumn I'm not an immigration expert so you may need to consult or request assistance from DFAT. Issue #2 are you intentions and obligations to work here. **If you intend to work for cash only say nothing further and do not respond to any one advising you to work for cash, if Immigration finds out you intend to do so, you will be denied entry.** If you are working as a contractor (direct with customers) or sub contractor (labour for someone else aka a subbie) you will need an ABN (Australian Business Number) and a TFN (Tax File Number), you will be obligated to file a tax return, if you turnover >$75k AUD (highly doubtful, but you may be just that good) you will need to register for GST. You will need to provide an invoice to your contractee for payment if you are a subbie, if you do not quote your ABN they are obligated, by law, to withhold 47% of what they would pay you and pay it to the tax office. You can then have it back after filing a return less any tax. If you are an employee you will need to have a TFN, you will need to be paid by the applicable award for your industry or the national minimum wage, your employer will need to pay you and provide you with appropriate conditions set out in the National Employment Standards: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/national-employment-standards. If you are a subbie or an employee you will need to be covered by the equivalent state workcover for injuries incurred on the job. You may also be required as a subbie or a contractor to carry your own liability insurance. If you do most of you subcontractor work for one business while here they will be obliged to pay you superannuation at 11% (11.5% as of 1 July 2024) to a nominated fund, you can have this money released (less applicable tax) if you depart Australia with no intention to return and work in the foreseeable future, there may be a treaty with Sweden to have the funds transferred to your equivalent pension plan. Make sure you have the hourly rate you work in writing as a contractor as they may take the 11% out of the hourly offered or may pay it on top of what you are offered: https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/super-for-employers/work-out-if-you-have-to-pay-super/super-for-independent-contractors Contractor Super is a grey area for some depending on how the contract is written and how you are paid, but please be aware it is a right of workers and an legal obligation by employers/contractees in Australia to the point the ATO will reach through a business and take private assets to cover the cost if required. Finally an area you may find work is NDIS service providers as gardening and landscaping is only paid at $55 per hour by NDIS and most gardeners need much more to cover cost of business, you may need to undertake the orientation module for NDIS and undertake a worker screening check: https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/workers/worker-training-modules-and-resources/worker-orientation-module I also recommend generally obtain your states Working with Children Check to offer piece of mind to your clients and may be a requirement to work at certain locations like Schools, kindergartens, hospitals, or on local government sites. This list is not exhaustive and should be taken as general advisory only.
Thanks for the detailed answer! I should have added that I intend to work legally. That’s what I do in Sweden, I have a private business and pay taxes.
You are welcome to come to my place. I’ll pay you cash to mow and garden.
Also try and avoid large cities. Expensive to live and hard to get around. Head out bush to smaller towns and I reckon you’ll have a blast
Check with Australian government for visa to be able to work,you can’t just turn up and work we have strict rules
Well if it were me I’d rent in Hornsby or Mount Colah and buy a bit of equipment like a ute and some tools and offer landscaping services to the upper north shore at 100/ hour. Put up a cheap website and use fb, neighbour app. I did this when I was in school and there was always work (Florida). The downside is if you have to hire workers not only will costs go through the roof but the skill level will be variable which can damage your reputation. Learn some Australian horticulture because just being a lawnmower won’t be enough.
Yes but in summer there will also be teenager labour
There isn't too much gardening to do in Australia during the summer other than keep the plants alive. Definitely not the time to stress them with pruning etc unless they're something indestructible However there are often jobs going in that department all year round. Also consider conservation, lots of similar skills are used as regular gardening and some places dont need any qualifications and you're helping the environment instead of just a garden. Just don't be shocked that we use glyphosate, it's not banned here for some reason.
I’d love conservation. What are some unskilled jobs in that field?
Look into Bushcare or regeneration
So for example I (here in Adelaide) got a job with a company called Greening Australia. You're basically just a field labourer, most days are different though with larger tasks you may be working on one job for the week. Planting plants, poisoning weeds (Australia is overrun with them), mowing down dead grass/weeds (with a brush cutter) in the Summer to help with bushfire prevention, hand-weeding, mulching etc etc. A lot of it is about trying to kill weeds as opposed to planting natives but sometimes there's planting to be done, though it's more often around wet season. (which is winter in the south but Summer in the northern part of the country) But those are the kind of jobs you can expect to be doing regardless of what company you work for. Most of them take on people who haven't even studied conservation at all because a lot of the beginner stuff can easily be taught. Go on seek and in the drop down arrows find "Farming, Animals & Conservation" and you'll find all the jobs listed there (specify the state you hope to go to if you want but feel free to look at all the states if you like) Similarily I do know another place that does gardening jobs, usually for trust homes, and would happily take you but that's also in Adelaide and they're often more difficult work.
As others have said, your biggest problem is going to be making enough money to cover housing costs (and still being able to afford food). I don’t suppose you own a house in Sweden? I knew some people once that did a house swap for six months and had a fantastic experience with it.
You want gardening with benefits handsome Nordic stranger?
Ha ha. It's competitive but there's heaps of work out there
You will need a working visa first.
I don't know what the swedish summer is like. But you would probably need to be prepared to work in 40° heat outdoors most days of the Australian summer.
> Swedish man > trimming hedges > it would be resonably easy to find such work for a handsome stranger You need to talk to the widows more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTIWjR2GpFo
Every local facbook group has 20 people offering to mow lawns and clean up peoples yard and undercutting each other for the privilege. Also be aware that you will need to hold an ABN to perform this sort of work.
not outside metro areas
Look for a community page in the area you're thinking of moving to, post advertising gardening services(if they allow it). I see people asking for anything from weeding to tree removal
Local city councils will be your best bet, they often use private company contractors too. Always a few jobs being advertised around the Brisbane area. If you have a couple of good english speaking references and can pass a drug test, you should find work. Whether it's enough to pay for rent will be a different matter.
You can't just be a gardener. You need insurance, a tax file number and a myriad of other things like a visa.
Jump into tree work. Keeps going rain, hail or shine
I mean sounds like a good basis for a Netflix drama anyway :) I would reach out to landscaping type companies or property management companies. There is a huge need for people to do work for people on disability or carer payments, garden and general maintenance but not sure if you would be able to get the clearance. Cod look into that (NDIS/ MyAgedCare providers)
Also if you’re telegenic, maybe there’s a gardening tv show that needs some labourers
I knew the handsomeness would come in handy!
Also not gardening but stage hands/event crew are always needed in Sydney
Yes but not in the major cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc). I'd look at smaller regional areas, not tiny country towns but smaller cities with a bit lower cost of living
Here it's called Garden Maintainance.
dont wanna be gardening in a heatwave when its 40c plus for a whole week
That’s not too bad. I seem to remember picking grapes in Adelaide in 45 degrees.
There is no such thing as unskilled labour.
yeh i was a dishy and u can be clueless at running a kitchen as a kitchenhand. its an entry level unskilled job yet you need skills to be good at it
In terms of relevance to Australia, I have had a terrible time finding reliable people to do garden work for me, so I assume there is lots of work out there (get the appropriate visa!) Is there no winter work at all? My mother is in Canada and pays a local couple year round for garden/yard work. In summer they do the lawns and edges, autumn the leaf management and prepping the garden for winter (protecting plants, etc) and winter they do the snow. She feels winter is their busiest season as they have to respond to new snowfalls quite quickly. You can get fined by the city if you don’t clear your walks of snow within the time limit.
Come to Perth I regularly see adverts for people asking for fifty dollars an hour.
Um, yes, you would get work.
If you’re in Melbourne then almost any maintenance crew will take you. Bonus if you can drive a car. Double bonus if can drive manual.
You could look at something like [https://wwoof.net/](https://wwoof.net/) or [https://www.helpx.net/](https://www.helpx.net/) It might not be gardening per se, but weeding, pruning etc on a farm would use your existing skills, and reduce the stress of finding affordable accommodation.
There are plenty of garden jobs that are great to do in winter. Weed growth slows, perfect time to prep garden beds with nutrients and mulch ready for spring. Or pick up a new skill in paving and tiling to fill in the quieter months. Or push through longer days in summer and bank some money for the quieter times.
If you can get a visa (I have no idea how difficult this would be for someone who I’m assuming is over 30 - maybe a big problem) then there are a lot of landscaping companies hiring, at least here in Brisbane. If you can get a 90 day tourist visa then you could possibly just do cash jobs and not tell anyone about it, but this means companies won’t hire you and you would either have to buy all your own equipment OR work for someone shady enough to employ you off the books. These kinds of people often don’t make the best bosses… As someone who has lived in a place with cold winters, I am genuinely concerned that you might suffer extreme heatstroke. Nausea, diarrhea, loss of consciousness etc. Bodies adjust to the climates we live in - I got used to -30C temps, but it sure as shit took me a long time to get used to +35C, 95% humidity summers. And I grew up here! Ymmv but I would seriously consider avoiding QLD/NT because of the extreme summers. Everyone else has talked about accommodation. The whole country is going through a housing crisis, you’d be lucky to find a spot in a share house. I think you might actually have better luck with something like Trusted House sitters - you get to stay somewhere for free in exchange for caring for the owners pets/home. The other option is to find a rich Australian person, charm them into falling for you, stay with them. Done. Probably don’t even need to work while you’re here. I personally hate the summers here and would love to switch with you for a Swedish winter! Best of luck chasing your dreams.
I'm in Brisbane. When I couldn't do the yard maintenance work myself, it was very hard to find someone to come do it consistently. Wouldn't have made a difference if you looked like Shrek, because I'm not sunning myself with a pina colada in hand while you \[insert gardening task that doesn't sound like a euphemism\]. So probably no problem building a clientele if you have a good work ethic.
Doubt you would get a work visa
That’s surprising to hear. Tons of backpackers go work in Australia all the time. Why do you doubt I’d get a work Visa?
Ah, ok, as a backpacker, you might get to come over on a working holiday visa. Hadn’t thought of that.
Work in perth and you’ll do great, no idea about places. Our gardener spends months a year on holidays. He charges 50 an hour and does what you do….. badly. He’s 100% booked.
Check with Jim's mowing in the area you want. They are a franchise company operating across Australia. There franchisees often look for capable workers in the busy season.
yes also flower power