This made the French traveller a perfect candidate for an exchange program like Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF) or Help Exchange (HelpX), which consistently welcome many tourists to the Hunter Valley.

Miss Robert now finds herself at Giants Creek, near Sandy Hollow.

“I’m from a small village, Le Tallud, near the west coast of France,” she said.

“I don’t live on a farm but it’s the countryside.”

After spending a month in Sydney as a tourist, Miss Robert decided to live somewhere different to meet Australian people and improve her English.

Before arriving in the country, she had heard of the WWOOF program through internet research.

However, when she met another traveller in the Blue Mountains who explained HelpX she was inspired to give it a go.

“I decided to try the HelpX program, [which is] the best in my opinion because you can be in a family, in a farm, in a restaurant,” she said.

“It’s food and accommodation against a few hours of work.”

Miss Robert said she appreciates being able to share moments with a local family and their friends, learning from them and about their lives.

“My hosts are the lovely Michelle and Craig Moon who live in a beautiful place called Ellamara,” she told the Hunter Valley News.

“Both the people [and] the place really deserve to be known.

“I also really like the feeling that I contribute [and] help them and leave a part of me somewhere in Australia.

“[Before my trip] I knew that a lot of French people love to come [to] Australia.

“This HelpX is my first job in Australia; I do gardening, cooking and housework.”

Sandy Hollow resident Isis Hallet has been a host for both programs and believes they provide great opportunities for those involved.

“It is an amazing thing,” she said.

“There are quite a few hosts in the area now.”

Miss Robert highly recommends the experience to others.

“It’s the best way to meet amazing people like I did and live the really Australian life,” she said.

“Now I’m looking for an au pair position for six months and I would like to finish my year with a road trip.”

For more information on WWOOF or HelpX and how you can become involved, visit www.wwoof.com.au or www.helpx.net