Hands-on tourists
By Jennifer Dowdeswell, Get Up & Go travel magazine *
For travellers, volunteering along the way can give a sense of purpose to a journey as well as allowing them to become part of a community that needs a helping hand. Jennifer Dowdeswell meets a couple that 'got with the program'.
The ARC project (visiting volunteers Assisting Rural Communities) was launched by Volunteering WA during National Volunteer Week in 2006. The project encourages people who travel to remote areas of Western Australia to volunteer their services whilst in one place for an extended period of time, which is often the case as travellers are leisurely making their way around Australia. Without this extra help these small towns are stretched for resources, particularly during the busy tourist season.
John and Willemina Watts were introduced to the ARC project at the Perth Caravan and Camping Show and have since participated in a number of volunteer projects in Sandstone (660km north of Perth). John and Willemina retired from the workforce a number of years ago and felt they needed a life change. They currently aim to spend about four months of the year in isolated towns where they can do volunteer work including nature conservation.
Willemina says volunteering while travelling gives the pair a sense of purpose and removes them from the general tourist crowd because they are learning all the time and becoming part of each community they visit.
"You've just got to see our faces because there's always a big grin on them. We feel like we're paying our dues and at the same time we're getting to know people and make wonderful contacts. It makes us feel whole," she said.
While in Sandstone their tasks involved conservation work at an old museum, cataloguing an historic photo collection and painting an old bulldozer.
They recommend to anyone who is healthy, naturally enthusiastic and without a big ego to consider becoming a 'hands-on' tourist and volunteer while on holidays.
"Lots of people think they have nothing to bring to a project because they may not know anything about the technical side of things but if they have a big heart and a pair of healthy hands they can get a bunch of work done."
The Western Willy Wagtails motorhome club has adopted the town of Sandstone as their volunteering destination which will provide much-needed ongoing support for this small regional town. Hopefully more caravan and motorhome clubs will follow their lead and adopt other towns around the state, spreading the positive effects of the ARC Project.
The town of Northampton has also benefited from the project after a visit from Rob, a traveller who completed a variety of tasks in the community. The work in Northampton involved repairs and painting of various historical parts of the town including an outdoor mining machinery display which was in need of some de-rusting, oiling and repainting.
Carole Teakle supervised the historical aspects of the project and was delighted with the results of Rob's work.
"Rob really helped us out here, particularly with some of those jobs that required some physical strength," she said.
"There's always plenty of work around here for anyone who is staying for a few days and looking for something to do."
Elizabeth Cox, consultant to the ARC Project, said the benefit to the community is enormous and each individual volunteer has an unforgettable experience often meeting people they will be friends with for life.
"I think Rob and the other volunteers have done a fantastic job and the beauty of this exercise is that they also have an opportunity to meet the locals and have a good time," she said.
Volunteering WA is the peak body for volunteering in Western Australia, taking a leadership role in promoting, lobbying and conducting research on all matters concerned with volunteering. As a result, Volunteering WA has developed the ARC Project.
The ARC Project has jobs available in a variety of regional Western Australian towns. A range of positions is available n Carnarvon, guides are required in Denham and there is still plenty of work to be carried out in Northampton. The Malleefowl Preservation Society needs volunteers to help locate unique malleefowl nesting sites and the Stop the Toad
Foundation is appealing to people travelling through the Kimberley region to help their fi ght against the spread of cane toads to Western Australia.
Travel Tips
How to get there
Skywest flies from Perth and Darwin to many regional WA towns while Qantas offers services from Perth to a few of the major centres. From the East Coast, Virgin Blue and Qantas both fly regularly to Perth and Broome. Charter flights to smaller regional towns are also available. Hire a car or motorhome or BYO; driving from Perth to Denham will take about six hours. Transwa offers regular bus and coach services throughout the state for reasonable prices.
When to go
The peak season for North West WA is March to October.
Where to stay
Depending on the style of holiday you are after there are a variety of accommodation options in the North West from caravan and camping sites through to hotels and resorts.
Further information
Phone Volunteering WA on (08) 9482 4333 or 1300 30 10 18, or email arc@volunteer.org.au
* Reprinted courtesy of Get Up & Go travel magazine. Visit www.getupandgo.com.au
The Centre for Volunteering [ABN 28 002 416 024]
Level 2, 228 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033 | E: info@volunteering.com.au
www.volunteering.com.au