When Kate came to Australia from Taiwan in 2019, before the pandemic, she was attracted by advertisements promising an adventure. She imagined the combination of a holiday while earning a wage.
Kate found the reality somewhat different as she was put to work on a lemon and mandarin farm and earning below the minimum wage.
Kate, a backpacker, is now taking her story to Canberra to advocate for an end to the underpayment of workers in the agricultural sector and for better working conditions.
A translator helped Kate explain her experience with SBS News.
"Kate says she was expecting a very exciting three months, as it was advertised or what it's talked about having a fantastic working holiday, when she came here she was thinking she can do the three months then have a great lift here but the reality is that it is super hard work and she had to work a lot."
But it was the living conditions that she was unprepared for - living in a room with seven other people and dumpster diving for food.
Via a translator, Kate issued this advice to other backpackers.
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People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 meters away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
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