Post: #1

So yesterday at work.... I got really really pissed.

To make a long story short I'm the oil field there are a lot of guys who are in leadership positions would can't lead themselves out of paper bag. So it pains me coming from a background with a lot of leadership experience and training. Normally I dont care... Because I get paid very well. But today pissed me off. Most guys would start looking for another job domestically. I have already saved up enough money to leave and travel. But of coarse I'm not going to do so. However if I do I will be looking g to continue working where ever I go.


So today I applied for the work and holiday visa to Australia. If I get it I will work my ass off for a few months and then bounce for a year. However I will be using my time in OZ to try to land a job in the energy sector(field job). I have to specialties that are eligible for the specialized worker visa, so I will parlay it into that visa ultimately.

This a rough draft but I want the option available in case I want to leave. I also just wanted to log my experience since I have been trying found someone who has done the same.

Americans are eligible for the on line application if u hold a current passport.

I applied online and it cost me $450. The application took roughly 15 mins. I will keep you guys updated.

BTW, if any of you guys know of jobs that compare to the US oilfield jobs there I'm all ears. I'm open to suggestions.

Post: #2

they have minig jobs that pay well, but talking from my ozzie mates they are not easy to get. min wage is like $17hr, most likely you'd get something around that

Post: #3

Its mining that pays there huh? I don't know much about it... But I heard its dangerous. Much like what they say about my job. Lol

There is also some new shale plays that are development. SO we will see....

Post: #4

You're coming to Australia? For real?



Bring your brother with you.

Post: #5

As a rig hand? Maybe try applying to contractors in QLD that drill coal seam gas wells. This year has been a little slow but there a jobs out there.

Post: #6

(06-03-2014 09:59 PM)Deluge Wrote:  You're coming to Australia? For real?



Bring your brother with you.

That's right u know each other. Lol

I'm sure he'll be there.

Post: #7

Afarang: yes minimum wage is $17/hr but this is for the most menial jobs. Think garbage man or cashier at a cafe.

You get over 20/hr working at a supermarket...

For a guy with his skills he is looking at 50/hr+ surely.

Post: #8

An entry level position in the wider mining industry will get you $130K+, usually on a 4 weeks on/1 week off roster.

Within the industry, oil and gas tends to pay more - a LOT more if offshore. Working on an offshore rig might get you $300K a year.

Karratha is the 'hub' of oil and gas in North West WA. Theres a surprising amount of pussy on offer for such a small town, especially considering the quality of 'women' in the surrounding towns. It's a true hidden diamond in the rough. There's fuck all accomodation in the town though - you can pay $1000 a week for a caravan in someones backyard, if you can get anything at all, so most people stay in the company dongas and fly out on their off week. Keep in mind it's just as close to fly from Karratha to SE Asia than it is to fly to Perth, so you could do worse than arrange Bali or Thailand to be your "fly out" location, as flights are paid for by the company.

Post: #9

Can you guys refer me to some companies ... I'm not the average forum talk guy. I'll hop on a fr&"&g plane and fly down there ASAP. What's up with hydraulic fracking off shore, that's my ain. In on land now, but I'm down for whatever.

Post: #10

Could some Aussie dudes here make a similar datasheet about making money in OZ like the Oil Sands thread?

It would be of huge interest. I have always been interested about giving Australia a shot because it's so easy to get a working visa. But I don't really have any guidelines to follow like you can find in the Oil Sands thread. I need information.

I'm specifically interested about opportunities in the mining industry in the Western Australia.
Or other places where you have chances of making big bucks as a blue collar dude.

Somebody should do this.

Post: #11

(06-04-2014 04:21 AM)Chaos Wrote:  Could some Aussie dudes here make a similar datasheet about making money in OZ like the Oil Sands thread?

It would be of huge interest. I have always been interested about giving Australia a shot because it's so easy to get a working visa. But I don't really have any guidelines to follow like you can find in the Oil Sands thread. I need information.

I'm specifically interested about opportunities in the mining industry in the Western Australia.
Or other places where you have chances of making big bucks as a blue collar dude.

Somebody should do this.

There is one, but I'm not sure how much info is in it.

/thread-20378.html

I spend a fair bit of time in mining centres so I soak up a bit of the knowledge and culture of it, but I don't actually work in the mining industry, so what info I do have is not first hand.

Post: #12

Haha if u look at that thread... I said I would be applying for a work and holiday eventually, and here I am.

Post: #13

WEll I got the visa granted notification... but i gotta sleep... i will update later. Im stoked!!!!

Post: #14

I wrote a post about getting work in the australian mining towns in the other thread by afarang.

It will be hard to get into the good jobs in the mining companies on a WHV but you can still make very decent money there. I went their without any work experience and with pretty bad english skills and was still able to save 10 grand monthly after I did understand how these places work.

LOL at calling Karratha a hidden diamond regarding women. I havent been there for a bit more than a year and I am aware that the place is turning from a remote mining camp to a normal city... But this is hard to believe. When I have been there last time it was the worst places I have ever seen. Most guys go there for several months without getting laid and get boners when seeing a 7 or 8 every other day in the streets.

Also the work situation got much harder during the last 2-3 years. I know quiet a few people who are struggling to get jobs there at all. You might be better of in smaller and remote places as Onslow and Newman or wherever they are in the process of building new towns around the mining camps.

Post: #15

(06-05-2014 12:36 AM)libertad1312 Wrote:  I wrote a post about getting work in the australian mining towns in the other thread by afarang.

It will be hard to get into the good jobs in the mining companies on a WHV but you can still make very decent money there. I went their without any work experience and with pretty bad english skills and was still able to save 10 grand monthly after I did understand how these places work.

LOL at calling Karratha a hidden diamond regarding women. I havent been there for a bit more than a year and I am aware that the place is turning from a remote mining camp to a normal city... But this is hard to believe. When I have been there last time it was the worst places I have ever seen. Most guys go there for several months without getting laid and get boners when seeing a 7 or 8 every other day in the streets.

Also the work situation got much harder during the last 2-3 years. I know quiet a few people who are struggling to get jobs there at all. You might be better of in smaller and remote places as Onslow and Newman or wherever they are in the process of building new towns around the mining camps.

Good info bro! Could you name some more towns and companies. What's the pay like. I'm seeing if it compares to ND. I think u make more in OZ.


If possible I would like to find out about the oil scene. More specifically hydraulic frack. This is what I'm currently doing.

A funny story, I was planning to come with a coworker, to Brisban in a week and a half. We'll now that I have this visa, my year starts as soon as I come. The only other option is to cancel, get a tourist visa then reapply for whv. Not happening. So we changed our plans. We'll my boss said to me... Dang if u guys go they may recruit u for frac. He said Halliburton is big the right now. It was more in jest, but a quick google search... Shows that there is work there.

Anyone know about the situation down there?

Post: #16

The 4 main operator companies in Brisbane are Santos, Origin Energy, QGC/BG Group and Arrow Energy. For frac work i only know of Halliburton doing work, maybe Schlumberger has some frac units too. Check rigzone.com and seek.com.au

Post: #17

(06-05-2014 12:36 AM)libertad1312 Wrote:  LOL at calling Karratha a hidden diamond regarding women. I havent been there for a bit more than a year and I am aware that the place is turning from a remote mining camp to a normal city... But this is hard to believe. When I have been there last time it was the worst places I have ever seen. Most guys go there for several months without getting laid and get boners when seeing a 7 or 8 every other day in the streets.

I couldn't believe it either, but I shit you not, I've witnessed it with my own eyes. It makes a bit of sense considering how much money is in peoples pockets up there. So it's probably not that good for gaming because a good percentage of them are kept women, but there are plenty of women around. problem is - if you want it, you're going to pay for it.

Post: #18

I'll throw in what I know - which is not a lot compared to some others - but hopefully it will help. My information will be centered on Queensland as I know little about WA and offshore.

The coal boom is starting to wind down and the liquid natural gas industry starting to crank up. You want Mackay or Mt Isa for mining and Gladstone for LNG. There have been restructures and redundancies in the mines west of Mackay but they're still operating of course. Unless you have in-demand skills, you have a snowball's chance in Hell of actually scoring a job by applying from overseas. Most unskilled workers obtain other employment in the mining towns first before searching for their mining job (the kicker being that mining towns are expensive to live in) and networking.

If you plan to work on-site you'll need your generics and inductions which may be company-specific (you won't be allowed on site without them) If you have an in-demand skills you may have these paid for you, otherwise you'll have to fund them yourself. At a guess (I haven't checked prices for a while) just under a grand would do it.

Get as many operator tickets as you can: preferably MC but failing that, HC or HR), dozer, loader, backhoe etc etc The more tickets you have the more valuable you are. A driller's offsider position is a good option if you are physically fit and don't have much in the way of qualifications - it may also lead into drilling and shot-firing opportunities down the track - but it's fucking hard work.

You have a greater chance of getting a job with a contractor than with a company itself. This is a link to the Queensland Resources Council Careers/Job Links - https://www.qrc.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=686 - but don't limit your search to that. There are many others that are based in places like Townsville, Rockhampton (Golding for example) and Mackay etc etc.

Bechtel do a lot of the recruitment around Gladstone for the LNG projects (another poster above mentioned a few of the major LNG companies)

There are a lot of self-entitled dickheads who think they will waltz into a trainee dumptruck operator job and be on $100K a year and look it as easy money. It's possible for someone with the gift of the gab, but many fail.

Another option - especially if you have hospitality skills - is to look at the companies that run the mining camps such as a Compass Group and MAC. They often have chef, kitchenhand, housekeeping vacancies etc and while the hourly rate isn't spectacular, the hours you put in adds up and you're in the right spot to talk with those who may be able to help you get a better job on-site (pubs are also good)

As I said there are probably others on this forum who know shitloads more than I do, but this is a bit of a start.

(Edit: And as for game, the percentages are always skewed heavily in favour of women in these towns. A lot of the dogs will happily spread their legs for whatever comes their way, but there is also a small but distinct subset of incredibly beautiful women - $$$ attract beautiful women like a six-week old carcass attracts flies. Many of their partners will be away for weeks on end so they may be open to a good dicking on the side, however their bitch shields will be up to thermonuclear levels and there will be a typical 'What's in it for me?' attitude)

Post: #19

(06-05-2014 12:54 AM)elabayarde Wrote:  

(06-05-2014 12:36 AM)libertad1312 Wrote:  I wrote a post about getting work in the australian mining towns in the other thread by afarang.

It will be hard to get into the good jobs in the mining companies on a WHV but you can still make very decent money there. I went their without any work experience and with pretty bad english skills and was still able to save 10 grand monthly after I did understand how these places work.

LOL at calling Karratha a hidden diamond regarding women. I havent been there for a bit more than a year and I am aware that the place is turning from a remote mining camp to a normal city... But this is hard to believe. When I have been there last time it was the worst places I have ever seen. Most guys go there for several months without getting laid and get boners when seeing a 7 or 8 every other day in the streets.

Also the work situation got much harder during the last 2-3 years. I know quiet a few people who are struggling to get jobs there at all. You might be better of in smaller and remote places as Onslow and Newman or wherever they are in the process of building new towns around the mining camps.

Good info bro! Could you name some more towns and companies. What's the pay like. I'm seeing if it compares to ND. I think u make more in OZ.


If possible I would like to find out about the oil scene. More specifically hydraulic frack. This is what I'm currently doing.

A funny story, I was planning to come with a coworker, to Brisban in a week and a half. We'll now that I have this visa, my year starts as soon as I come. The only other option is to cancel, get a tourist visa then reapply for whv. Not happening. So we changed our plans. We'll my boss said to me... Dang if u guys go they may recruit u for frac. He said Halliburton is big the right now. It was more in jest, but a quick google search... Shows that there is work there.

Anyone know about the situation down there?

I sent you a PM a while ago bro...

Post: #20

If you are a tradesman, you can probably get a normal job paying $28 an hour.

But depending on your visa, you might first have to get a job picking fruit out on a farm in the middle of the desert for 3 months. But with any luck, it will be filled with young German and Swedish girls doing the same thing.

Post: #21

(06-27-2014 02:28 AM)spalex Wrote:  If you are a tradesman, you can probably get a normal job paying $28 an hour.

But depending on your visa, you might first have to get a job picking fruit out on a farm in the middle of the desert for 3 months. But with any luck, it will be filled with young German and Swedish girls doing the same thing.

Yeah all 417 and 462 visas need to do the three months fruit picking (or similar farm-work) in regional areas.

Many of these 'regional' areas are just far outer suburbs of the larger cities though.

Post: #22

(06-27-2014 09:16 AM)Prof. Ligate Wrote:  

(06-27-2014 02:28 AM)spalex Wrote:  If you are a tradesman, you can probably get a normal job paying $28 an hour.

But depending on your visa, you might first have to get a job picking fruit out on a farm in the middle of the desert for 3 months. But with any luck, it will be filled with young German and Swedish girls doing the same thing.

Yeah all 417 and 462 visas need to do the three months fruit picking (or similar farm-work) in regional areas.

Many of these 'regional' areas are just far outer suburbs of the larger cities though.

If you are lucky you could get work in the far outer regions on a small farm. I have heard of people doing this.
But every one that is making money from backpacking tourists that I have heard of has been 5+ hours out.

Post: #23

(06-27-2014 02:43 PM)spalex Wrote:  

(06-27-2014 09:16 AM)Prof. Ligate Wrote:  

(06-27-2014 02:28 AM)spalex Wrote:  If you are a tradesman, you can probably get a normal job paying $28 an hour.

But depending on your visa, you might first have to get a job picking fruit out on a farm in the middle of the desert for 3 months. But with any luck, it will be filled with young German and Swedish girls doing the same thing.

Yeah all 417 and 462 visas need to do the three months fruit picking (or similar farm-work) in regional areas.

Many of these 'regional' areas are just far outer suburbs of the larger cities though.

If you are lucky you could get work in the far outer regions on a small farm. I have heard of people doing this.
But every one that is making money from backpacking tourists that I have heard of has been 5+ hours out.

Dude some of the biggest farms in the country are in the far outer suburbs, not just small farms. About 30 mins north of Brisbane and you're in a prime strawberry-growing region, another 20 mins north and its pineapples. I've known a heap of backpackers making money off these gigs.