Visit www.gemtree.com.au or search for Gemtree on Facebook

1. Brought to you by
ParkWalkin the
www.caravanandmotorhome.com.au 143
EARN WHILE YOU TRAVEL
A job in a caravan park is an easy way to
make your dream holiday last longer
WORDS BY PATRICK WHITELEY, PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATE McMASTER
Tony on
the quad

2. F
or those looking for work
on the road, sometimes the
best bet is getting a job right
where you’re staying. The
caravan industry is a rapidly
increasing area for tourism employment,
and holiday parks offer a wide and
assorted mix of working opportunities.
The Gemtree Caravan Park, 140km
north-east of Alice Springs on the sealed
section of the Plenty Highway, hires
workers especially during the busy
season from April to September. Kate
McMaster from Gemtree Caravan Park
says there are many different types of
jobs on offer.
“We employ people for reception,
our shop, the gallery and as cleaners
and laundry workers. We also have
fossicking tour guides and gemstone
sorters, gardeners and yard workers.
Our staff is all ages and from all walks
of life,” Kate says.
Kate says the operations area
involves the groundskeeping,
maintenance and upkeep of the
property’s accommodation, facilities
and equipment. And maintaining the
trees and grass is a key job.
“Water is a big issue. We have
bore water here and we need to keep
watering the trees to keep them alive,”
Kate says.
The other area is administration,
which involves the reception, marketing
and record keeping of the individual
departments as well as the overall
business operation. Aaron and Kate
McMasters took over management of the
park in mid 2012, with Aaron overseeing
the running of the park and Kate playing
the role of events coordinator.
GOOD WORKERS
Kate says the park employs six RVers
full-time – three couples aged in their
50s and 60s – and is very satisfied
with the arrangement. The McMasters
pay award rates, which is about $20
an hour, plus super and the staff stay
at the park for free. She says vanners
make good workers because they
understand what other caravanners
want and need.
“They know what it’s like to be on the
road for six hours and feel grumpy and
walk into a caravan park,” Kate says.
“Because they understand, they can
make the customers feel welcome and
know what to say.
“Our staff go above and beyond the
call of duty because they get caught up
here in Gemtree culture and become
part of the family.”
www.caravanandmotorhome.com.au144
Aaron cooking in the
camp oven kitchen

3. Robyn and Tony from Tasmania have
been working at Gemtree for six weeks
and are treating the experience like a
working holiday. And the extra cash is a
bonus too.
“We don’t have to work, but fuel is a
huge cost when travelling and with our
work we can set aside money for fuel,”
Robyn says. “We gave up our jobs to
travel and went to Alice Springs from
Tasmania. After a while, Tony wanted to
put down some roots and get a job, so
we ended up here.
“I actually was offered work at a
caravan park in Alice Springs, but
we moved on and found this place
six weeks ago and settled in with this
beautiful family.
“We have got to know Kate, Aaron
and the kids and take on a grand
parenting role.”
SATISFYING JOBS
Robyn’s jobs are varied, from scrubbing
the toilets to selling gems in the gift
shop, and she loves it all.
“The grey nomads ask us about our
lifestyle and are envious of what we are
doing. They want to do what we are
doing,” Robyn says.
“The Red Centre is a lot different to
Tasmania, but it’s a fantastic way of life
in the middle of nowhere. You’re on a
holiday but you’re working.”
While Robyn is involved in the office
and cleaning, Tony takes on the role of
tour guide for the gem stone tours.
Robyn says because of its isolation,
Vanners make good
workers because they
understand what other
caravanners want and need
WORKABOUT
AUSTRALIA
Workabout Australia is an online
resource and planning tool for travel-
ling workers, connecting travellers with
casual, seasonal, part time and perma-
nent work around Australia. Founded in
1996, Workabout Australia has built up a
network of contacts for employment op-
portunities in all states and territories of
Australia. The Workabout Australia Club
has thousands of members who are al-
ready travelling or planning to set off on
their trip of a lifetime, taking advantage of
the many opportunities that are available
for those who want to work.
www.workaboutaustralia.com.au
EARN WHILE YOU TRAVEL
WORK IN CARAVAN PARKS
www.caravanandmotorhome.com.au 145
Fossicking for
precious stones
Gemtree goes pirate
for the day

4. life at the park is self-contained and
social entertainment happens at night.
“At night we work on a volunteer basis
down by the campfire and help serve the
meals. We meet all the campers and we
build up relationships. During the day
we may take them to the gem fields, and
at night we socialise. We are the same
age and have a lot in common so it’s just
fantastic,” Robyn says.
Robyn and Tony plan to work and
stay at Gemtree for three months,
before going back to Tasmania. But
because they love working in the park
so much, they plan to return for a major
ball that is being held later this year.
“There is a big ball we’ve heard
about involving 300 people and a band
around the campfire. It sounds very
special and we really want to be part of
it, so we’re coming back to work. We
are not getting paid. We just want to be
here for it.
“The Red Centre has something
alluring and spiritual about it. It’s so
huge and I feel such an insignificant
part of it. That’s the magic of it.”
Kate says she mainly employs people
through word of mouth and also
advertises in the caravan forums.
She says personality is an important
attribute for anyone working in a
caravan park.
“You need to be able to smile, laugh
and most importantly empathise with
the guests. You can learn the jobs easy
enough, but what you need the most is
personality, and you can tell that with
someone in one minute.
“You can’t say it is 5pm and just
knock off. If there are people checking
in at that time, you need to help them
out, then you finish your work. As staff
we need to make the customers feel
like they are at home and relaxed about
their stay.”
GOOD WORK ETHIC
Kate prefers to hire RVers over
backpackers because they have
a better work ethic and the age
similarities with guests.
“A lot of the young backpackers don’t
relate to the older generation and our
grey nomad staff do relate. They are the
same as the customers and understand.
They don’t have the pressure of the
world on their shoulders because they
have lived life and are mature.
“Aaron and I are relatively young park
owners and it’s comforting for us to
have an older age group as staff.”
Pets are a good example of how the
staff better understand the needs of
Gemtree customers.
“Every second van has a little dog
and we have to respect pets because
they are important to the people who
stay here,” Kate says.
Kate says the Red Centre attracts
thousands of RVers every year, and
the guests are attracted to the natural
landscape and unique history the land
has to offer.
“My son is a third-generation School of
the Air student – my father was involved
in the first classes in the 1950s – and the
staff love to hear about these stories.
“People come here because they
want to learn about Australia and learn
the stories of the bush. Everyone goes
away glowing.”
DO YOU EARN
ON THE ROAD?
Drop us a line at
editorial@candm.com.au and
let us know about your on-the-
road job!
The grey nomads ask us about
our lifestyle and are envious
of what we are doing
EARN WHILE YOU TRAVEL
WORK IN CARAVAN PARKS
www.caravanandmotorhome.com.au146
Park cleaner Hazel