Maintenance & Grounds — Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island, New South Wales · Two roles available
TypeFull TimeSalary$70,000 – $70,000 /yr AccommodationProvided on-siteMealsProvided
The roles
An established lodge on Lord Howe Island is hiring two Maintenance & Grounds staff. Early September 2026 start. Longer-term preferred. Both roles sit at the same level, and both report to the Maintenance Manager — a carpenter by trade, back for another season, so the tools, systems and rhythm are already in place.
Three of you keep the whole property running: grounds, repairs, waste and water systems, and the daily fixes that keep a remote lodge working.
The package
- $70,000 a year, plus superannuation, plus a bonus. Same package for both roles.
- Room and board at $75 a week — a private staff room with your own ensuite, all meals and snacks from the lodge kitchen, wi-fi, power and water included.
- Uniforms and linens provided — and laundered for you.
- Five days on, two days off. Call-ins on a day off are paid.
- Discounted island airfares for staff — around $450 each way.
- Flight to the island — the lodge covers your initial flight in.
- Work rights: Australian work rights, or sponsorship may be available for the right candidate.
The work
The grounds side: mowing, whipper-snipping, hedge and vegetation work, clearing gutters, sweeping and blowing down paths. The island’s pines drop needles year-round, so there’s a daily rhythm to it.
The maintenance side: general repairs across guest areas and the wider property, supporting the on-site wastewater and grease-trap systems, running rubbish to the island waste facility and keeping the green-waste compost moving.
The guest-facing side: meeting flights for pickups and luggage, setting up for lunches and activities, and the fixes housekeeping flags through the day — they spot most issues first, and the job runs on quick responses and good communication with them. One of the team is always on call with the radio after hours; callouts are usually small, practical guest fixes — a light that won’t work, not a rebuild.
There’s a kitchen garden on the property. If you can bring a garden along, that’s a genuine bonus — not a requirement.
The shape of the year
A salaried role, starting early September 2026. The lodge closes to guests over the winter months, and they’re hiring with the long term in mind — longer-term people are preferred, and staying on through the winter is likely for the right fit. This isn’t a stopgap between other plans.
Who this is for
Trade backgrounds are the ideal — carpentry, plumbing, electrical or mechanical. Proven all-rounders are genuinely considered too: if you’ve kept a remote property, station or farm running and can show it, that counts.
It’s physical, outdoor, hands-on manual work. You’d want to be comfortable with heavy lifting, working at heights for gutter runs, and putting in full days outside in island humidity. Age isn’t the question — stamina is.
It’s also a small, close team. The lodge runs as a work-and-family kind of place — steady people who pull their weight, get on with housekeeping and the wider crew, and treat the job as good work in an extraordinary place do well here. Days give and take a little; the roster holds, and call-ins are paid.
Tickets and licences
- Driver’s licence — required.
- White card — required.
- Chainsaw ticket — preferred.
- Working at heights — preferred.
- Chemical handling — handy.
The more tickets the better — tell us what you hold when you apply.
Coming as a couple?
Couples are well set up here. You’ll share a private room and ensuite, and there’s work on the property for a partner — typically an all-rounder role across the lodge. Tell us about you both when you apply and we’ll talk it through.
About the lodge
A long-established family-run lodge on Lord Howe Island. Nine-month guest season, closed over the winter months.
About the island
Lord Howe Island is a World Heritage-listed island 600 km off the NSW coast. Roughly 350 residents, a 5 km driving strip, lagoon swimming, scuba diving, walking tracks. Bikes are the way around. Starlink internet available. The community is small and close — island life suits people who want to live somewhere extraordinary and commit to it, not people who want quick mainland exits.
One thing to be straight about: staff accommodation is functional rather than fancy. Your room and ensuite are private, but staff rooms sit side by side, and there’s no air conditioning. It’s a real job in a real place. It rewards the people it suits.
How to apply
Apply through Wild Ops at wildops.com.au/find-work — register and we’ll be in touch. Applying as a couple? Say so — partner work is part of the conversation.
About Wild Ops
Wild Ops is a recruitment agency specialising in remote and regional hospitality in Australia. We’ve run remote properties ourselves for the better part of fifteen years — grounds, waste and water systems included — and the lodge has appointed us to run this search. Honest screening, no filler shortlists.
Pay: $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free food
- Housing provided
Work Location: In person
