From Coding to Cutting Pumpkins: Official Start of Australian Working Holiday

Note: This post is translated by AI. If you find any unnatural phrasing or errors, please feel free to contact me via email or other channels. Your feedback is appreciated!

Still Anxious Too Quickly

The leisurely feeling disappeared after the first week, and started to get a little anxious about not finding a job.

I decided to come to Australia temporarily, and didn't have much time to look up information. I was very unfamiliar with everything about how to make a living here, and there were also many things hadn't thought clearly yet, like do I want to collect visa days? What jobs do I want to do? Where do I want to work?

software engineer's experience is useless for the work that can be done in WH (Working Holiday). Feeling that past experience is like a dream, as if back to seven years ago when I switched to software engineer, feeling doubtful about past life, and unfamiliar with the future.

Dead Loop of Car, Job, Renting

Watched some WH YouTubers, originally made up my mind to work on construction sites, but couldn't find a job at all and didn't know where to look. Besides, construction sites require buying a car and tools first, which costs a lot.

To collect visa days, most jobs also suggest having a car, or can't get there without a car.

I did want to buy a car as soon as I landed, but I hit a wall twice running to the TMR (Transport and Main Roads).

I have to rent a house or work, then take the proof of address to apply for a CRN or directly exchange for an Australian driver's license.

I am staying at a friend's place temporarily, so there is no legal proof of address to apply.

Then rent a house first? But Australia is really too big. afraid that after renting, find the workplace is super far. Therefore fell into a dead loop of "No job, don't know where to live → No address, can't buy a car → No car, can't go to many workplaces".

Finding a Job

In the following two weeks, I first cast a wide net on FB, various groups or Seek, and also directly looked for Career pages of hotels or inns on Google Maps to submit resumes, but there was no news.

Luckily, when I went to Japan to listen to Ado's concert, I met a Taiwanese. His younger brother happened to be in Gold Coast, and his brother happened to have a Japanese friend who had a vacancy in a meat factory in the city that could also collect visa days.

The plot should start to go smoothly here, but the meat factory was full so I didn't get in. But that Japanese friend was really enthusiastic. He recommended me another fruit and vegetable factory he had worked in. I got a reply one week after submitting, successfully getting the first job in Australia!

I had already given up on this job during this week, originally planned to run to places further north like Cairns or Townsville to find a job.

Although didn't want to work in farms and meat factories at first, but to have stable hours and collect visa days, still have to choose these. Catering industry in the city has too few hours, arguably might be tough even for rent.

I am going to Japan next year. Actually I don't need to collect visa days, but I want to keep options for myself, so that I still have a chance to come back to Australia.

Not Being a Goody-Two-Shoes

In Leaving Taiwan for Two Years: Heading to Australia and Japan, mentioned "My life before this followed a conveyor belt". Partly because my family background didn't allow me to fall off the conveyor belt. I had no money and no time to retake exams. I also didn't have the margin to find a job only after graduating from university. Without working part-time during university would wait to starve to death, so only went to work part-time as an insurance agent in junior year, and then switched to software engineer.

Walking on the conveyor belt will make many conservative choices, and often dare not to dream. Always have to have some basic planning to make choices and take the next step.

But this doesn't work in WH. Here plans can't keep up with changes. Job opportunities for backpackers are fleeting. Compared to the part individuals can work hard on and experience, it depends more on luck and connections. Is it just coincidentally a backpacker leaving or just finished recruiting? Is there anyone known who can help recommend? Even is my resume in the first few letters when HR or employer just happens to open the mailbox.

Actually it's quite similar to the tech industry, but I knew more people who could refer me before. Coming here is starting from zero.

In this short one-month process of finding a job, everything being ready and step-by-step doesn't work. Seeing an opportunity must rush, hesitation leads to defeat. Wait until having choices then make choices, before getting anything don't need to think about how to choose.

Australians and backpackers I met here also have such personalities. I guess many people were not like this originally, but there are really too many backpackers in Australia, must rush first then talk.

Maybe not limited to Australia either. In the past I often limited myself and didn't try many opportunities, or wasted time doing excessive preparation.

I needed the stability of the conveyor belt before, but now I have grown to have the ability to take risks. Environment and ability are different, I can use different methods to break through.

What I Do in the Fruit and Vegetable Factory

The factory I stay in will process vegetables and fruits transported from farms through the assembly line then package and ship. Main customers are some supermarkets or wholesalers.

Probably have these assembly lines:

pumpkin room: Peel, slice, de-seed pumpkins, sometimes also cut beetroots, lemons and ginger
onion line: Peel onions, cut head and tail then package
dicing room: Dice (like cabbage dice and onion dice)
trim room: Slice (cabbage, Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, green pepper, potato etc.)
steam room: Haven't been there, overtime is fierce
packing room (Package and ship fruits and vegetables processed by other rooms)

I am staying in pumpkin room, mainly processing Jarrahdale (Large pumpkin), Jap (Small pumpkin), Butternut, but there will also be beetroots, lemons and ginger etc. to process.

There are 3-5 people working on the assembly line. Compared to other rooms need more strength so all will be boys.

The basic process of processing pumpkin is first peeling through peeler, then de-seeding, and because peeler is inserting pumpkin to rotate and peel, top and bottom will have unpeeled skin, finally use a small knife to cut off the top and bottom skin.

Peeler probably looks like this, but the machine in the factory is a huge one, and the razor is a fixed rod, back there will be a conveyor belt to catch peeled skin.

Peeler is what I think is the most tiring in the pumpkin room. Pumpkin will be inserted first to rotate, then have to hold the razor steady and grasp the right angle to approach the pumpkin then peel from head to tail. I still can't hold it very well currently. Razor approaching will be easily knocked away. Ideally razor stays there, pumpkin peels after rolling a circle.

De-seeding is using a scraper to chop in and cut out a semicircle, making the pumpkin become that piece on the right.

Work time is usually 7 am to 3 pm, but occasionally rushing orders will start work early at 5 am. Off work time also depends on order status and supervisor's mood. Every morning each room will have types and quantities of fruits and vegetables to do today. Pumpkin is tired but usually get off work on time or even early. Sometimes even if quantity is not done will let people go.

The day writing this article was, beetroot 800 kg, 1/4 Jarra 400 kg, then all doing Jap.

Actually very boring at work. Just holding razor, scraper or small knife in hand, hand up knife down hand up knife down, chopping from beetroot all the way to small pumpkin.

Currently working for more than a week, hand has been hurting since the first day till now. Because holding knife to cut for eight hours, grasping pumpkin steady also needs grip strength. Don't know if will get used to it. Also accidentally cut index finger.

Why on Earth Am I Here

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." — Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche

Actually coming to WH can't earn the salary I had as a software engineer in Taiwan before, and it is heavy physical work (the kind that will have sequelae if done for too long).

When cutting pumpkins here until hands are very sore, inevitably will doubt life a bit. Why did I come here, to be an assembly line worker in a factory?

Simple Beauty

Working eight hours in the factory, off work is off work. I don't need to continue thinking about how to cut pumpkins after work. I was an insurance agent for one and a half years and a software engineer for six and a half years. When being an agent there was no off work time, always thinking about developing customers. When being a software engineer, was always FOMOing technology after work. Experience this simple feeling again after eight years.

When feeling the simple beauty, a voice in my heart still whispers asking me "Are you escaping". People around are getting married and starting careers, I am still cutting pumpkins here.

But could I be better if I continue to be a software engineer in Taiwan? No, I just know that I can no longer continue to grow, and also realize staying in the original environment is just chronic suicide. My current thinking is still the same as written in Labor Environment and Software Career Bottleneck.

And assembly line is repeating doing the same thing. Boring is very boring, but feeling of not connecting to the internet for eight hours a day is also quite good. Won't be overly anxious by watching social media. Amount of information absorbed daily won't be overloaded. Moreover most of the time cutting pumpkins doesn't need to use brain, so I will think about my own things. Like this article was thought out when cutting pumpkins. coming to computer is just typing out what I thought.

Coming to WH is really can have a not bad income, have a lot of time, and also can get more stimulation. (But other assembly lines or jobs are not necessarily, also a bit depending on luck).

Left blank for brain and time for contemplation, this is a habit I would want to continue to keep later.

Thanks for Every Encounter

The most important thing in WH is really "people". Someone helps introduce jobs, someone shares information, someone has a car can help give a ride or someone can complain, work hard together etc.

Suffered a lot at the beginning because didn't know many people, but after slowly knowing some people, received a lot of help.

Friend who let me stay for a month, friend's younger brother who happened to study here, his Japanese friend, Taiwanese in Gold Coast for two years took me to buy special offers, avoid me stepping on landmines working, German who looked for me to play cards in backpacker hostel, Taiwanese and Japanese met in factory shared many groups and information to me, also let me be more familiar with tricks here, Japanese met in dormitory would share Japanese rice with me and ask me to exercise, people willing to give me a ride to supermarket.

Each of these encounters reminds me of the good between people.

And everyone represents a way of living. I would ask people I meet what they did before, thoughts for later whenever I catch a chance. Even met a technician from Taiwan when renting a car, I also took the chance to ask him how long he has been here, why wanted to come, how stayed down and why wanted to stay down. Also thank him for being quite willing to share (maybe also because I will buy a car from him later).

Multi-national Exchange in Library

After hearing English conversation activity on broadcast when going to Gold Coast library with friends, I went to almost every session before finding a job.

Australian libraries seem to hold many activities. Like City of Gold Coast find What’s on under Library can see different libraries hold English exchange activities, and almost every day.

Participants are not only backpackers, but also many immigrants. Met retired Portuguese who has immigrated for 40 years, library guard immigrated from Jordan, Colombian who feels English is difficult, Mongolian designer who married here and opened a company, Indian software engineer bringing kids. The majority are Japanese and South Koreans. quite a few Taiwanese. Only met one Chinese.

Portuguese and Jordanian shared the sorrow of immigration with us. Portuguese has left for 40 years, so when she went back Portugal was not the look in her memory. Very familiar but yet very strange. She is already 70 years old this year. Family and friends are also slowly moving towards the end of life. She also didn't see the last face of her brother. And Jordanian came here to escape war. He misses Jordanian food very much, but he can't go back.

After knowing them I deeply felt how important it is to come out once. This is what I wrote in Unable to Feel the Good of Taiwan. I want to experience life in different countries in person, to fall in love with Taiwan again or choose to settle elsewhere.

If I continue to stay in Taiwan, I will only know Taiwan's problems, but if I know each country's own problems, I might be more relieved, and choose a place I can relatively accept, a place I am willing to call "home".

Really hope I came out earlier, but coming out too early might not be able to have current realization.

Quite interesting is I really want to go to Japan, but a large part of Japanese here want to leave Japan, and all people who want to leave have the same reason — low salary. But apart from salary, I found they all still love Japan very much.

The Terrible Part

Although seemed to say a lot of good words before, still have to report the terrible part for balance.

Because fruit and vegetable factory is Full Time work, minimum hourly wage is 24.95 $/hr, paid once every two weeks, guaranteed 1600 AUD. As the one introduced me here is a girl, and girls mostly go to Packing Room, so I thought I would also do packaging work here, but boys are often sent to Pumpkin Room. Peeling pumpkins, de-seeding these two are not easy jobs. Rest time after work and holidays simply can't let my hands recover, so basically maintain in a sore state. Maybe will get used to it later, but I guess will keep sore.

And working hours of this factory are very unstable. Scheduled 3 o'clock but still depends on supervisor's mood to decide what time to get off work. I get off work early quite often currently. Because salary has guarantee, so getting off work early is considered good. But like Onion Line or Steam Room usually will work overtime until 5 o'clock or even 7 o'clock (average working hours 10-12 hours). Then do they earn a lot? Not really. Because hours are calculated by total not by days. Only after hours exceed 76 hours within two weeks will use overtime rate. So factory will let them work crazy overtime then directly give them a day off. Hours working overtime normally will be diluted by 8 hours of that day off. Hours using overtime pay become less. Counted as quite a mean move.

Then is I live in the factory boss's century-old house. Weekly rent is 160 $/wk.

Considering the condition of this house it is too expensive. Even didn't have hot water in the first week I moved in. Walls are even just blinds. Very hot when sun shines in during the day, very cold when cold wind pours in at night. Then no independent room. Landlord is not very attentive in responding to tenant problems either. Friends warned me about Chinese landlords, but my landlord is Australian. Also heard other backpackers being emotionally blackmailed or maliciously raised rent by Australian landlords. Looks like bad landlords don't distinguish nationality. Heard Japanese laws relatively protect tenants. Will experience next year when going there.

Impression after chatting with locals and some immigrants is, Australian political environment is also not good, but unlike Taiwan's Blue-Green malicious struggle and Communist Party invasion. Here often blame this and that and change policies frequently. Like immigration and entry regulations also change once every few years. Recently just happened to be the period they blame immigrants for stealing Australians' jobs and speculating on housing. So staying in Australia became very difficult. Visa review became very strict. But in previous years issued visas widely due to lack of labor. My own thought is Australians are really Chill. Many jobs are not because of lack of people but because locals don't want to do.

Australian public institutions, insurance and so on are also very expensive, speed is not fast either. Like my driving license for one year costs 92 AUD (longer validity will be more expensive), still have to wait for ordinary mail to arrive within two weeks.

No Answer But Have Direction

After knowing more and more people's lifestyles and plans, although no change to my current situation, my vision has become broader.

I no longer feel life only has a few roads in front of eyes to walk, but know there are many roads, just I don't know yet.

Expectations before departure were, come here to "find different life rhythm" and "explore various possibilities", also hope to have time to "write" and "write software I identify with".

My current thought is still will continue to write. Now have job and time, I should be able to produce more.

As for software, I seem not very motivated. Partly I am also thinking the previous angle of crazily delving into technology is not the only way. As AI becomes stronger and stronger, the essence of programming will be more highlighted. If not top-tier software services, in most cases writing better code if can't solve problems better, then there is no meaning.

I currently still yearn for Japan more. Still hold a passer-by mentality towards Australia (if anyone is interested I can share why again). I think I will need to strengthen Japanese ability more for future communication, also continue to observe what can do in Japan.

Finally, I found successively readers would send letters or leave messages on Substack, Twitter to me. Although I reply very slowly, actually I am very happy to receive readers' letters. Be it asking questions, suggestions or simply sharing reading thoughts are all good. Welcome to write! If hoping for a reply as soon as possible, can say "Urgent" at the beginning!