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'I wonder why': Backpackers face backlash over plea to find work

An eccentric backpacking couple venting frustration about not being able to find employment in Australia have faced backlash.

Sebastian Wolfe Pickersgill and Maree Fowler are British backpackers who list their profession as body piercers.

The colourful pair both have body modifications, several tattoos on their face and body, as well as numerous piercings, brightly dyed hair and a very bold fashion sense.

Both boast on their Facebook about enjoying unique experiences such as body suspension, which includes hanging from hooks pierced through their skin and body modification like splitting tongues and stretching ear lobes.

the couple who call themselves 'Wolf and Wonderlust' are looking for work while they backpack around Australia
'Wolf and Wonderlust' are a British couple backpacking around Australia to find employment. Source: Facebook/Sebastian Wolfe Pickersgill

After travelling around Australia for a month, Mr Pickersgrill posted on an Australian Backpackers Facebook page that he and Ms Fowler were “both struggling to find employment at this moment in time”, along with a photo of the pair that showcased a very unique sense of style.

Currently in Perth, the couple asked members of the group if there were any employers “actively seeking working staff or employing anyone under a subclass 417 visa”.

Facebook users responded with mixed advice, and some even criticised the travellers.

“With such a degree of self-mutilation that you both have, you are going to find it hard to find employment,” one person responded.

“I wonder why,” another said.

Several people suggested the two follow their passion and seek work in a creative environment like a tattoo parlour or an art store.

“Don't let anyone limit you and put you in a box,” one responded.

british backpackers struggling to find work Sebastian Wolfe Pickersgill (left) and Maree Fowler (right)
Sebastian Wolfe Pickersgill (left) and Maree Fowler (right) both enjoy body modification, face tattoos (right) and body suspension (left). Source: Facebook/Sebastian Wolfe Pickersgill

Another suggested the couple travel to a state where their unique sense of style might be better suited.

“Would you consider freelance model? I personally think people in Melbourne would appreciate your style better,” someone wrote.

A few others said the body piercers should use their popularity to become influencers online, something Mr Pickersgrill wrote he is considering.

“Do we just start a premium snapchat?” he asked.

Signing off the post “Wolf and Wonderlust”, which is also tattooed on Ms Fowler forehead, the pair didn’t seem too bothered by the comments.

However Wonderlust did have one piece of advice for those who had harsh words.

“Oh F**k off,” she wrote.

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