Outback Wilderness Conservation & Cultural Preservation

Volunteers contribute their time and effort in applied land conservation management through research and monitoring under the supervision of the Traditional Owners of the land. Volunteers are essential for making this project a successful initiative as they continue the conservation work imperative to protecting these ecosystems.

All financial contributions directly support the organisation and its programs incorporating the land and conservation management of the Western Australian outback. Volunteers obtain skills in applied land and wildlife conservation management and research skills for environmental science and conservation related fields.

Every day is different due to the sheer size of the property. Volunteer work is divided into 3 areas: Focused land conservation work includes the mapping of habitat and key species, setting camera traps, setting sand traps for track i.d. and collecting digital imagery from across the station.

Cultural protection and preservation work includes mapping major sites, especially non-Indigenous sites (bearing in mind Indigenous sites are be sacred), removal of weeds around cultural sites, fixing fences, compiling a digital database of cultural heritage and working with the Traditional Land Owners.

Conservation agriculture may see volunteers involved in fencing, basic animal husbandry and activities aimed at replacing industrial food production with conservation agriculture and maintenance of the facility. Also, there is a small irrigation lease on the property which may be used to create jobs for the local people.

Other activities may include restoring property and station maintenance including repairs to old buildings, infrastructure management / repair, tidying up sites and creating an arid zone garden close to the accommodation.

Some areas are only accessible on foot, therefore, there may be some opportunities to run overnight hikes / camps to explore these areas and in order to build the digital database.

Volunteers are based close to Lake Austin which is situated in between Cue and Mount Magnet. Lake Austin is a 9000-hectare desert Salt Lake and a major breeding site for many water birds. It supports a diverse array of desert mammals, land birds and native plants that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.

The Western Australian outback offers diverse sceneries to enjoy, from lush eucalypt forests to endless stretches of pristine coastline which meets red dirt and dessert lands. During down time volunteers can explore Walga Rock, one of Western Australia’s largest monoliths at1.5 km long and 5 km wide. It is a national treasure with one of the largest galleries of Aboriginal Indigenous rock art paintings, engravings and storylines dating back tens of thousands of years in Western Australia. Also situated on the Austin Downs are many other significant cultural sites and untouched wilderness to enjoy and explore with Traditional Owners.

Fly to Perth Airport, Western Australia.

Volunteers stay at a Perth hostel for one night prior to the journey to the Station. Then there are two options available. Volunteers may take a flight from Perth Airport to Cue or embark on a 7 hour road trip in a deluxe bus. Volunteers are welcome to either fly back or take the deluxe coach back to Perth City.

Re. Travel there and back -apparently there is a direct flight to Mount Magnet however I don’t know how frequent/expensive they are. Another option would be to fly to a coastal town called Geraldton and drive inland from there (3.5 hours) which is a feasible option or its a 7 hours approx car journey from Perth which would be the longest but coolest option.

From April 2025

Volunteers reside on the Outback Station.

Volunteers stay in a Perth hostel in a same sex dorm room for a day either side of the placement.

Meals are provided throughout the day including breakfast, morning tea, lunch and dinner with vegetarian and vegan options. Soft drinks and snacks are available for purchase. Volunteers are responsible for cooking their own meals in the communal kitchen area. Vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians are catered for.