# Experienced/qualified climbers needed in Australia



## Ekka

I don't know what the working visa side of things are but I can say there is always work here.

I need climbers and groundies! And stuff the regulatories I'll pay cash. If your on holidays look us up.

In fact I've been trying to recruit from overseas for over a year now. Good qualified climbers can earn between $200 to $400 a day in Brisbane where I'm at and up to $550 a day in Sydney but it's expensive to live there.

There is a serious shortage of qualified good climbers, the industry is starved of talent. 

I'm at www.palmtreeservices.com.au


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## a_lopa

hi ekka,are you northside or south brissy.i worked for a mob in caboolture years ago,pretty hard going with the heat an all


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## Ekka

I'm located southside in Springwood but we cover the whole of Brissy.

Yeah, it's hot, it's humid, you sweat like a pig. And predominantly you'd be cutting cocos palms and eucalypts.

I take 2 maybe 3 shirts to work a day, 5 litres of water and a towel. You gotta be tough, and mental muscle is the go, perhaps that's why it so tough to get good people? But ????, I'm friggin 42, what's up with the young ones? Weak as piss. We need real men.


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## Ryan Willock

Yes, but the world today does NOT want Real men! They want neutered males.


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## DDM

Ryan Willock said:


> Yes, but the world today does NOT want Real men! They want neutered males.



LMAO!


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## treechick

(Ahem) You had my interest for a second there, Ekka... But I guess you are looking for a few good men ??? Hey, I heard something about the ratio of women to men in your parts being some kinda 4:1 ? If that's true, you may want to consider hiring / training women, especially for climbing.


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## clearance

Ekka how about a utility arborist? British/Canadian dual citzen allowed to work over there? What about a guy who wears spurs? Balls to the wall removal, here to log not [email protected]#k the dog kind of guy. Australia is sort of like Canada cept hotter right?


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## a_lopa

australias like australia,i remember being in brisbane 10yr ago there was jobs for climbers everywhere and the pay was good,ill admit the heat knocked me around but boss man had us moving.ekka do you have any elite climbers working, subbing?


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## eyeinstine

treechick said:


> (Ahem) You had my interest for a second there, Ekka... But I guess you are looking for a few good men ??? Hey, I heard something about the ratio of women to men in your parts being some kinda 4:1 ? If that's true, you may want to consider hiring / training women, especially for climbing.




WOW!  

4:1 ratio! Im in the wrong country...... Even a middle aged, slightly over weight, balding guy such as myself should be able to score!  

If i wasnt married.....................


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## Ekka

Give you foregniers an idea. In summer here it consistently hangs around 90f to 105f, the humidity is always around 80% to 95% ... oh and 100% when it rains ... like today, a little drizzle when it's 92f

At night it might go down to 80f

Our pool is currently sitting at 90f and it's not heated!

And then winter comes, its around 75 to 80f and 60% to 80% humidy. Like I say "it's hot, all the time, just a little hotter in summer."

It's very hard to get top gun climbers, I've had some beauties but they eventually piss off, back south where it's cooler and pays more or fart around on their own part time business. Too hot to climb all day every day.

I moved up here from Adelaide 15 years ago, YOU DO NOT CLIMATIZE!

But, as far as the chicks go, they out number men. Brisbane has a lot less "foreigners" than southern states, it's not little Italy or Athens, mainly fair dinkum Aussies.

And yeah, we need men, real tough guys, men are stronger and take more crap, sure you'll get some tough chicks but can they hump log? Some chicks are excellent climbers, but not too tough when humping a 66 around a euc. Don't forget what we are cutting here, a leisurely stroll thru the canopy is a hell of a lot different to belting a mutha euc down in a hurry.

All I can say is come'n check it out. And all barr Kiwi's need working visa's etc ... but there's plenty of cash around if you know what I mean.


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## treechick

Point taken, Ekka. I wouldn't mind popping in on ye just to show you what I got, though ! ; ) Your comment about staying hydrated is a crucial one. Also, it might sound smart-alec but you may wanna pipe down a little on the details about grunt work. I've seen guys show up for their first day at a place, do a quick survey of the (lack of) equipment such as bobcat, loader, ball cart, etc. and turn on their heels and drive away before someone can hand them a waist belt.


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## Koa Man

Ekka said:


> Yeah, it's hot, it's humid, you sweat like a pig. And predominantly you'd be cutting cocos palms and eucalypts.



I think you need to try and recruit in Hawaii. Guys here are pretty much used to heat and humidity and coco palms.


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## Ekka

Yeah, right on Koa Man, if you know any that are holidaying tell them to visit down under.

Hey Treechick, did you say "Point taken, Ekka. I wouldn't mind popping in on ye just to show you what I got, though ! "

Hmmm, I got an idea, just send some pics.


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## treechick

Hi again  I've heard that California introduced Eucs as a lumber source back a hundred years or so ago... another project gone way wrong (wonder if the gov.'t was involved ? LOL). Now there are tree crews in CA that are specific to euc removal. In fact, there's a saying floating around that you're either a "Euc" (tough m.f.) or an "Oak" (term for pruners). Maybe see if California has specific employment web sites for tree folk ? Just food for thought. Will e-mail you pics this evening... isn't that exciting ?!?


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## ozy365

I climb for you part time if you can find me a part time gig as an occupational therapist near by. I understand being an OT in australia makes the immigration easier.


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## Old Monkey

Treechick is right about Californians planting a lot of eucs. They're a menace, large groves where only eucs and poison oak grows. I saw some show where Aussie environmentalists were chaining themselves to big eucs to save them from being cut down. I thought, "hell they can have our eucs! We sure don't want them." I'd love to climb down under. Sounds like I'd be swimming in the trees with that humidity. I actually like climbing and wrecking eucs, the blue gums anyway. Not so crazy about "iron bark eucs," they break to easily. Tell me about spiders though. I always find black widow spiders in eucs. Climbing eucs and palms? We're talking big spiders and snakes aren't we. I'm kind of ruining my manly man image here aren't I... Oh, well.


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## Ekka

Spiders, snakes ha ha ha, have you all been watching the Crocodile Hunter or something?

Now, in trees and palms you *might* get a carpet snake, python, green tree snake or brown tree snake. All are non-venemous but *might* bite. Oooo nasty bite too. Best to leave them alone or cut that bit they're on off in a hurry. It is wise to have a high line in for a quick escape at all times.

The most common thing you get is dirty great big hairy spiders the size of the palm of your hand. Most likely it's the *Grey Huntsman*, also you get the *Wolf Spider*. I have attached the web address for the curious to check out our little friends. 

http://www.qmuseum.qld.gov.au/features/spiders/spidersnest.asp

But there's a couple of other pains in the neck you have, ants, itchy grub, and it might be the stink bug but some ???? bug that burns your skin off when it pisses on you! 

I remember one English climber said " they should send everyone indoors for the day and spray the whole country".

But don't worry, you're a lot bigger than them so they tend to nick off, or flick off real quick.

I remember one day when I was up a Wattle I grabbed a branch and it was all soft and mushy, I turned and had a look and there was this poor old lizard (water dragon) hissing at me and I had it pinned around it's guts. Crikey mate!

http://www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/reptiles/dragon.html


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## treechick

Mornin', Ekk ! I don't mind spiders or snakes (don't like being 'surprised' is all), but I do tend to get infection easy at the bite marks of spiders. Is the Grey Huntsman poisonous ? Wolf spiders more bark than bite (pun intended !), but I've heard that the funnel web spider is the nastiest, deadliest spider in the world... and living on your doorstap, no ? I've heard they're territorial, will put up a fight, but they're ground dwellers for the most part. You ever see one ?
You casually mentioned cash work. That'd probably be the only way I'b be willing to go. I spent 2 years in S. Africa (20 yrs. ago) and it took 9 months to get the paperwork / visas before we could go. Sucked. The O.T. guy's right on the mark. Apply through an employer, and it'd speed things up, too. Let them do the paperwork. Occupational therapist should be able to find a slot ? Me coming over is mostly a pipedream on my part (as you may have suspected). My boyfriend would have a bird.


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## ozy365

Treechick, my wife laughs when I suggest OT and tree work in Australia. I tried to explain it is about a different set of stars and watching the toilet spin the wrong way around in the southern 'sphere. Tree biz is a way outta OT. God knows how I would explain coming into aussie on a professional work visa only to cut and run up a tree. Probably be known as the yank that closed Australia's borders for all time. :angel:


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## treechick

"When you see the southern cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way ... "
I've always loved travel, and ideally you've gotta spend a full year anywhere to really be able to say that you know a place. New Zealand would be a fine choice. I wouldn't mind spending a year in Sri Lanka helping clean up tsunami mess. Doesn't Bora Bora sound like we oughta go check it out ?
Ahhh, but the "kid" thing ! My oldest is in college now, that's not a problem. Middle girl's 14 and would jump at the opportunity for real. Youngest (9 yrs.) would not do well. Some day, maybe ?


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## Ekka

Well, we have some interest in our toxicity. I found this web site, it will get you to everything you want to know about it. 

http://www.pharmacology.unimelb.edu.au/avruweb/creatable.html

Yes, the funnel web is extremely venomous, but I'm not in Sydney so never run into them.  

Whether you go by land, sea and perhaps air; we probably have the worlds deadliest everything. :Eye: 

I bumped into a mate today out quoting and he goes "did ya missus give ya that hicky on ya neck or what"? Na mate, that's where some stink bug pissed on me and burned the skin off. You see, they get caught between your collar and neck, think "oh heck" and defend themselves by pissing acid on ya.  

We got these bastard green ants that give you a nasty bite. One crawled up my leg to the top of my thigh, got scared and thought "oh heck" and bit the living ???? out of me ... fair dinkum I dropped me dacks in the middle of the road and killed the bastard, I had itchy swelling the size of a football for 2 weeks. I was lucky though, he could have gone a little higher!!  

It's not a job ... it's an adventure.


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## a_lopa

im glad im down south ekka


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## darkstar

*ozzzzzzzz*

worked there for a year best time of my life .. i personally would still be there but i got family here ....... any tree climber get a chance i highly reccomend get yer spurs to oz


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## fpyontek

Ekka said:


> Whether you go by land, sea and perhaps air; we probably have the worlds deadliest everything. :Eye:
> 
> It's not a job ... it's an adventure.



Maybe I should stop complaining about working in the cold for three months here in the northeast. The only pest hazards faced here are white faced hornets, nests are rare, and poison ivy, not so rare but I'm not allergic. 

Fred


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## John Paul Sanborn

I'd come for the winter, but that's your summer and I'm a northerner with scandahoovian blood. Like most norther latitude species I wilt in high heat and humidity.


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## iain

ekka, , i luv the idea of shipping to oz, not so sure about the wildlife tho, is it the same in wa my wife has family just south of perth, they think i should get shed loads of work out there,


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## Ekka

Don't know about WA, it's very far and somewhat isolated. To get to the Eastern side of Australia it's about 4500kms, 50 hours non stop driving or 5.5hrs by plane! A lot of it is desert.

From climbers I've had they say it's sandy, windy all the time and a mediterannian style of weather ... hot dry summers, cold wet winters. He said they used to cut down a lot of Washingtonia fan palms.

So if you cant get work there it a long haul to anywhere else. I've just done an on line search for jobs and nothing came up in WA. But there were vacancies in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.


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## a_lopa

there lots of work for climbers in west australia,its hard to comprehend how isolated you are there.


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## iain

a_lopa said:


> there lots of work for climbers in west australia,its hard to comprehend how isolated you are there.




ta v much lads the wife`s relatives are at a place called mandurah, south of perth  as for the weather, here in the uk wet , cold, grey n miserable, typical bank holiday weekend, the right time to dream of a warmer place if only !!


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