"There’s just safety in many more aspects than just physical safety in Aus.”

Joel moved over from Johannesburg to the Gold Coast a mere two and a half years ago, on a Working-Holiday Visa. Before making the move, Joel had just finished studying his degree in Biological Science and had been investigating and planning his move to Aus. for at least two years prior.

Not knowing about the imminent Covid-19 lockdown, Joel moved over just two weeks beforehand and was hit with the difficulty of coping with surviving through it all. It took some time, but he managed to land a job (through an ex-SAfrican) working on a chicken farm and saved up enough money to put towards further studies. Joel has since transitioned onto a Student Visa and is studying to qualify as a Diesel Mechanic while working full-time in the IT industry.

For now, Joel is leaving his options open as his real desire is to follow his passion for cultivating carnivorous plants. Due to the strict regulations and by-security laws in terms of importing plants into Australia, it seems to be a difficulty that Joel still has to overcome and so he's left with a big decision to make, regarding where his future lies. He has age on his side and for now, the world is his oyster.