New Zealand Alone this Summer 2014

Currently I'm in Christchurch, i did the same as you back in April 2012. Only planned on staying for 6 months with a working holiday visa.
2 years later i'm leaving here and its going to kill me! Theres alot to be said for NZ, be open minded and you will get places.

Work is alot easier come by than home, seasonal stuff especially. ( fruit picking, farming etc.) Christchurch your pretty much gauranteed a job, the city is still on its arse down here.
Accomodation varies, hostels can be got cheap ($20 a night) or alot of ski resorts etc let you work for accom. and food.

Where to see?? ALL OF IT, seriously, its jaw dropping. Get a solid enough car under yer backside and get sight seeing.

Above all else amke sure you have a decent camera......you will use it every day!

Any more questions gimme a pm.

princessruby wrote: »

Hi, my boyfriend and I are thinking of moving to NZ to work and travel too for one year. however I'm 30 and he is 35 can you advise us on visas? any help at all would be really appreciated. Thank you.

Unless the rules have changed, the BUNAC visa is only up to the age of 35 though that may depend on when he turned 35. The same goes for the WHV as that is only up to the age of 30 but you would have no issues with the BUNAC visa.

As was said they have a habit of going quickly so you may need to wait for next pool. I had to get in early for mine (applied before Christmas) as they are usually released in late Jan/Feb. It says they are usually available until June but from talking to people who work there they are usually gone by March! Expensive visa but well worth it if your looking to get here.

Genevieve Tie wrote: »

Hi Brian,

I'm in a similar situation...
I'm packing up here and heading off to NZ in mid July. I'm travelling around with a friend for 3 weeks before she goes home and I try to put down some roots in Wellington. From my research, it seems like a vibrant and compact city with a relatively healthy jobs market. If that fails the next stop is Christchurch.

I've done a bit of research and talked to a few people and they've all recommended booking into a hostel for the first couple of days. I don't know anyone in Wellington, but I've joined meetup.com so i'm not too worried about being stuck for someone to have a few drinks with at the weekend If you're into fitness/sports there are loads of such groups on that site...

I'm editing my cv's at the moment (1 for general jobs and 1 for jobs related to my field of study which is planning and sustainable development) and I found some helpful templates on the recruitment websites.

Anyways, I could write a thesis on all the research i've done!

Pm me if you want to ask questions or offer any advice!

Genevieve

Hi Genevieve your research has done you well. I've lived there [Wellington] for about 3 years now and would highly recommend it. It is great little city with plenty to see and do. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask. I would also recommend staying in a hostel when you first get here (there are quite a few decent ones here and located centrally). I first came out here on my own and I found hostels a great way of meeting new people. Really helped me settle into living in a new city/country.

Wellywood is an awesome city to live in. Yeah it's pretty windy but on the sunny days it's great. It's the NZ home of quality food, coffee and microbrews. There's plenty of nice pubs that serve up great locals brews.. That's something I really miss. The majority of Aussie beers I've tried are fairly pants. The nightlife is hit and miss but each to their own on that one. It's pretty much confined to one area - Courtney Place. Majority of late night bars are pretty much the same but saying that you'll still have good nights if you're with the right people.

I reckon you'll be alright with finding a job. From my experience, the job market isn't as competitive as it is in other countries. Just get onto recruitment agencies and visit sites like seek.co.nz and trademe.co.nz or get out and canvass the bars/cafes/shops with your CV.

For hostels. I can not recommend Worldwide Backpackers enough. It's at the end of The Terrace. It's a 2 min walk to Willis St and just a few minutes more to Courtney. It's not the most glamourous of places but it's comfortable with a decently stocked kitchen. However, it can be loud. I spent about four and half months in it last year from April to August and another five weeks earlier this year. What's makes the place is the people that stayed there. All of my friends I met in Wellington were staying there. It's like a big house with lots of housemates. Winter is a good time to stay there because the majority of people staying there are long termers who are there to work. Summertime attracts a younger crowd who can be loud during the week. So you won't have any problems meeting people there

Carnie,

I did read your post - i'm just looking for a few opinions on this one! Typical fussy female!