Hey,
been a very long time since my last post but I've been lurking the boards for a while. I'm in my last year of Uni in Canada and looking at my traveling options for next year. I'm looking into doing a working holiday through New Zealand. I've been looking up various companies that will help set up a visa and can help with jobs and stuff. Just wondering if anyone has gone with a company or done it themselves, any advice or what types of jobs people found. Thanks!

Mike

Hey Mike,

I did 6 months in NZ last year on a WHV. I did look into programs like SWAP, etc. But it's just as easy and less expensive to do it on your own. Your only paying for peace of mind in my opinion. We had no problems with our visas, hostels, opening bank accounts, or finding work. We went from Sept-Feb. I found work in a restaurant ( 1 month), apple orchard (2 months) and winery (1 month). The hardest thing was finding a place to rent for only 4 months. But we did. In Nelson, NZ (which is an awesome little town on the South Island). I'd also consider New Plymouth on the North Island, though work may be harder to come by, or Wanaka on the South Island is really breathtaking as well.

Anyways, I would recommend doing it on your own. It's really not as hard as it sounds. I was surprised that picking up and moving to a new country was as easy as it was!

Ben

Ben2Africa wrote:Anyways, I would recommend doing it on your own. It's really not as hard as it sounds. I was surprised that picking up and moving to a new country was as easy as it was!

Ditto. It cost me about $15 total to get my visa (shipping my passport to the consulate and back). Save your money, do it yourself, and learn how to travel independently ... you'll have to learn sometime.

completely 100% ditto.

i did it as well. really easy to find work. i didn't even have a visa at first, and still got a lot of work doing manual labor (fruit-picking for 1 month, in a vineyard for another month.)

my only caveat is that you get paid absolute rubbish. but it was good for getting in shape, and meeting all sorts of interesting fellow travelers! and i assume if you have a visa it is even easier, and you probably get paid more.

but yeah, the companies would be a waste of time in nz. eliminate the middleman and do it yourself. also, have you considered WWOOFing? free board in exchange for working on organic farms? worth checking out if it is up your alley. me, i wanted to cold hard cash (to fund further travels, skydiving, etc.)

seriously, you can find work very easily, especially at hostels in some prime work regions (like hastings, nelson, blenheim, etc.) just ask around, ask others, and good luck! i had a ton of fun doing it.

excellent news, thanks a lot. I've done the independent travel thing a couple times, I was more concerned about the Visa/ finding work aspect of things but that is good to hear.

How did you go about finding work while you were there? Hostel job boards or any internet sites or just wandering around asking around?

the ogranic farm thing looks interesting, I've looked into it but I do want some cash for the skydiving/ further travel sides of things as well.

Another is, the purpose of the NZ Working Holiday Visa is to provide young people from around the world the opportunity to experience New Zealand through travel and work.

I currently have a work and holiday visa for Australia. Are there options for me to extend my visa for another year in NZ or do I have to apply for another visa?
Does anyone know that how works?
Thanks