General Assistance Work

We do have limited placements for students happy to help out wherever needed.
General assistants help our front of house team with office work such as filing, kitchen work such as defrosting the fridge or washing the dishes, shop work such as labelling stock, and accommodation work such as cleaning cottages and doing the laundry.

We only take students who are recommended by their teacher because they have a genuine interest in a career in eco-tourism or similar, whose parents have met with Walkabout Park management and are happy for their child to do the placement, and where the student and school are prepared to commit to a full 2 week (10 day) program of work.

Animal Care Work

We do not usually accept school students to work with the animals.
Most students who approach Walkabout Park to get work experience are wanting to work with the animals.There is a lot of risk working with animals and, being an 80 acre natural bush workplace, there is a lot of risk in the environment. We do not usually offer work experience places to students under the age of 18 as we cannot give them the supervision that we believe that they need.

Exceptions.

We do make exceptions for students who have been brought up working on a farm, who are studying for a Certificate in Primary Industries,  who are recommended by their teacher because they have a genuine interest and experience in caring for animals other than pets, whose parents have met with Walkabout Park management and are happy for their child to do the placement, and where the student and school are prepared to commit to a full 2 week (10 day) program of work.

Nature of animal work.

We do not have a ‘cut down’ program for school students. Any student accepted onto the program needs to be able and willing to work 8 hour shifts alongside the ranger team doing what the rangers do and in all weather conditions. Much of the work involves food preparation and cleanng. There is not much hands-on animal work. It comes as a surprise to many people that working for animals often does not mean working with animals.

Minimum 10 day block placements

We do not accept 5-day-block placements, or one-day-per-week placements.
You do need to work block (back to back) shifts so that you can practice what you learn the previous day. Also, 5 days is not enough to make a placement at Walkabout Park worthwhile for either you or for the park. We therefore require students, parents and the school to agree to a minimum of 10 days over a 2 or 3 week period. Some students do a placement in the last week of the school term and the first week of the school holidays. Please discuss this with your school as you do need to ensure that your school insurance will cover you for the entire period of your placement.

How to apply

Students must apply to us themselves.
We do not accept applications from parents on behalf of their children. The students must apply to us themselves, with their parents’ permission.

We do require a written application telling us all about you and why you want to get your work experience at Walkabout Park. Your application should show that you have researched Walkabout Park and have a good idea of the type of work you will be involved in, and it should explain why work experience at Walkabout Park is important for you. Please think this through carefully. It is not sufficient to say that you love animals.

Places are very limited, so please don’t be disappointed if you do not get considered for a placement. If you are considered, you and your parents will be invited to an information meeting with the General Manager before a final decision is made about your placement.