• Life On Land
Available from Mar 2025

Aussie Wildlife Homestay

location
1 - 8 weeks  ·  Age 17 - 50+

rating  Outstanding 4.9  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Enjoy up close and personal time with Australian wildlife & domestic animals
  • Feeding and watering the Australian wildlife in care including bottle feeding the younger animals
  • Treatments for farm animals (horses, pigs, goats, pigs, cats, etc)

Highlights

  • Enjoy up close and personal time with Australian wildlife & domestic animals
  • Feeding and watering the Australian wildlife in care including bottle feeding the younger animals
  • Treatments for farm animals (horses, pigs, goats, pigs, cats, etc)
  • Animal rescues, visits to the vet for animals’ treatment or the dairy to pick up some calves and horse transport.
  • Stay in rural Australia with real Aussies


  • Especially good for

    Age 17+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    This dedicated wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group raises and cares for injured and orphaned wildlife. the animals are released back into their natural environment.

    The Project
    This private and licensed carer undertakes wildlife and domestic animal rescue, rehabilitation, permanent care and facilitates the re-homing and adoption of these animals.

    Since it receives no recurrent funding from governments, the shelters relies on Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers to provide ...

    About the program

    The Project
    This private and licensed carer undertakes wildlife and domestic animal rescue, rehabilitation, permanent care and facilitates the re-homing and adoption of these animals.

    Since it receives no recurrent funding from governments, the shelters relies on Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers to provide hands on and financial assistance to keep it operating. 

    The Location

    Located in a small rural community in the east part of the Riverina on a working farm. The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia, just near the Victorian border. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop into one of the most productive and agriculturally diverse areas of Australia. Bordered on the south by the state of Victoria and on the east by the Great Dividing Range, the Riverina covers those areas of New South Wales in the Murray and Murrumbidgee drainage zones to their confluence in the west. This is a farm-style homestay, living and working hands on with the project hosts on a daily basis. 

    Hands-on with animals? Every day. Comforts of home level: medium. Program starts on a Wednesday.

    Our Volunteers

    Volunteers are involved in the care of both native wildlife and domestic animals and their release. A typical day involves daily feeding and watering routines including bottle feeding the younger animals, throwing pellets to the older kangaroos, intensive care, cleaning enclosures, building cages & enclosures, building and mending fences, playing with the animals, exercising animals undergoing rehabilitation, wild animal rescue and release, domestic animal rescue, care & rehabilitation, domestic animal re-homing & adoption.

    Our Animals

    Animals include Red Neck Wallabies, Bare Nose Wombats, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Birds (Cockies, Galahs, Budgies), Chickens, an Alpaca, Sheep, Cattle, Goats, Dogs, Cats and a Pig.


    Conditions Onsite
    Weather

    Cooler in the Winter months with mild to sunny weather in Summer. 

    Bring a Telstra sim card so you have access to the internet. 


    Please Note:
    The second instalment of your project fees is due within 1 week after you paid the deposit on Volunteer World. This is a total of $495 AUD and comes off your balance. The balance is due 90 days prior to travel. For all further information about the fees, please scroll down to the section "Program Fees“.



    Typical day

    Daily activities start at around 7am and may consist of the following:

    • preparing animal food
    • feeding animals including bottle feeding young animals
    • toileting young animals after feeds
    • domestic animals and wildlife onsite
    • exercising young animals
    • assisting in rescue calls
    • assisting in emergency medical ...

    Typical day

    Daily activities start at around 7am and may consist of the following:

    • preparing animal food
    • feeding animals including bottle feeding young animals
    • toileting young animals after feeds
    • domestic animals and wildlife onsite
    • exercising young animals
    • assisting in rescue calls
    • assisting in emergency medical treatment
    • vet visits
    • cleaning animal enclosures
    • building / repairing animal enclosures & fences
    • keeping the grounds clean and tidy
    • keeping the volunteer accommodation clean and tidy
    Work is broken up into morning, afternoon & night feeds and duties. 

    *Be prepared that all animals do not survive their injuries.


    Free-time activities

    Arrange your free time with the project host. There will be some trips into the local town, Holbrook, Albury or Wagga Wagga where there is a selection of supermarkets, small shops and pharmacies which are all well stocked. As you are staying on a farm, there's plenty of farm animals to talk to! You ...

    Free-time activities

    Arrange your free time with the project host. There will be some trips into the local town, Holbrook, Albury or Wagga Wagga where there is a selection of supermarkets, small shops and pharmacies which are all well stocked. As you are staying on a farm, there's plenty of farm animals to talk to! You are only a few hours from Melbourne and Sydney so take in the sights of a big city or hit the coast for some rest and relaxation after your stay at the shelter.


    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 17 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 17 years old on the program start date.

    Language Skills

    You need to speak English (fluently)

    Required Documents

    Proof of travel Insurance docs and Proof of vaccinations

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    Excellent English comprehension skills and the ability to understand precise instructions for the safety of the animals. You must be fit and have the ability and willingness to work in the heat of Summer or the cold of Winter.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 07:00 - 20:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers

    What's included in this project?

    • Pre-departure support
    • Project Information Pack
    • Return transfers to and from Albury
    • On the job training
    • Accommodation
    • Meals
    • 24-hour in-country support
    • 24-hour O2E emergency phone
    • Certificate of Participation, if requested
    What's not included in this project?

    • Flights
    • Travel Insurance
    • Personal Spending
    • Visas

    Airport Pickup at Albury Airport

    Pick up from Albury airport

    Accommodation

    Bedroom, single or double bed.

    Food & Beverages

    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided but all volunteers pitch in to help with preparation, cooking and cleaning.

    Internet Access

    Limited access at the project site

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Albury Airport (ABX) in Albury. We assist you to find cheap flights to Australia. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Australia provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Australia you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Australia. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    Wednesdays, all year.

    To get there, fly to Melbourne or Sydney, Australia. Take a bus, train or plane to Albury. We will organise your pick up from Albury.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program fees

    1 week (min. stay) 719€
    2 weeks 1,438€
    3 weeks 2,158€
    4 weeks 2,876€
    6 weeks 3,595€
    8 weeks (max. stay) 5,754€
    Average fees 719€/week

    Program fees

    719€ per week 1 - 8 weeks Age 17 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    1 - 8 weeks

    Deposit

    The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


    Final Payment

    Your final payment will be agreed with Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers

    Outstanding 4.9 rating (211 reviews)

    Non-profit - founded in 2011

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Very high response rate

    Coordinated by

    Tracy

    Spoken languages: English

    About the project

    Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers is a non-profit organisation that was founded for the purpose of providing resources and financial assistance to animal welfare and conservation

    Meet your organization

    The O2E Founders are animal lovers and committed volunteers. They founded and established the organisation in Melbourne, Australia, having seen firsthand that volunteer recruitment agencies were not always aware if the projects they supported had the best interests of animals and environment in mind. Instead, unethical and harmful behaviour including elephant riding, unsustainable tree nursery projects and the consumption of scarce community resources by the presence of volunteers were often the result. Local wildlife communities and the animals’ environments were also clearly disadvantaged. For this reason, we created our Oceans 2 Earth Ethical Standards and the Wildlife Code and measure all potential projects by these policies prior to partnering with them.

    Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers offers volunteering and adventure travel experiences for ethically minded animal and conservation lovers looking for the trip of a lifetime.

    In creating Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers, the O2E founders challenge and engage individuals to contribute to meaningful animal welfare and conservation projects. As wildlife carers and avid animal welfare and rights campaigners, they uphold a vision to promote ethical volunteering as an advisable travel alternative.

    We believe the way to solve the issues of animal mistreatment and environmental destruction and degradation is to provide people with the opportunity to contribute and interact so that they may develop their own personal culture of responsibility and global conservation. People exposed first hand to challenging bio diverse environmental issues are more likely to draw on those experiences and continue to make a positive impact once they arrive home. 

    Oceans 2 Earth recognise that individuals really can make a difference. However small the work effort is from one person, if you combine the actions of many people as a whole, the result can become quite significant. By bringing like-minded and ethically conscious animal lovers together, Oceans 2 Earth believe that there is no limit to what we can achieve. 

    Our Mission

    Promote environmental sustainability and to be accountable for our impact on the environment.

    Take action and find solutions to improve the natural, bio-diverse way of life for all. Promote the ethical treatment and natural living ecology of all animals.

    Expose and educate volunteers to the plight of animals ill-affected by conflict or interaction with man, encouraging them to take action and find solutions to these global issues. 

    211 reviews · rating4.9

    Ida Stilbo rating5

    2024 at Aussie Wildlife Homestay

    I had the best time staying with Peter and Caroline! In my 3 weeks stay I got to experience the Aussie Wildlife on close hand. I spend lots of time with the roos and wombats both feeding, playing and cuddling. There are also plenty of other animals to talk to during the day. The rooms and house were ...
    Laura Garcia Diaz rating5

    2022 at Aussie Wildlife Homestay

    The company did their job well. I was supposed to travel 3 years ago, before Covid. When things finally settled, I got back in touch and everything went on ...
    Oceans 2 Earth is a great organization for anyone looking to volunteer and have some fun while doing it. The program is very well organized and it is clear how you are making an impact. Helen, Amy, and Tim are all great group leaders. You are able to see all sorts of different marine life while ...
    Charlotte Pierce rating5

    2024 at Great Barrier Reef Marine Conservation

    O2E has been great. O2E has been such a great experience, all the staff were so friendly and helpful. I loved learning about how we can observe and conserve the ...
    Amylyn Mortimer rating5

    2024 at Great Barrier Reef Marine Conservation

    Helen, Amy and Timmy were awesome! I learned a lot and enjoyed meeting and becoming friends with the members of our group. Fitzroy and Green island are absolutely beautiful. There’s a lot of down time in the afternoon to freely snorkel or walk around the islands. They were very inclusive of my ...
    Sienna Scouter rating5

    2024 at Great Barrier Reef Marine Conservation

    Helen, Amy, and Sam were wonderful project leaders. They always showed up with lots of enthusiasm and were excited to teach us throughout the day. Overall, the snorkeling activities were enjoyable and the surveys were ...

    Location


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