Here’s the final installment of my travelogue in New Zealand. I had numerous encounters and traveled extensively, using both walking and various forms of transportation. Take a look at the text where you’ll find my tips and statement of account.
Table of Contents
Preface
For detailed information about the visa application, check out my Work & Travel preparation materials. You have three viable options for starting your journey in New Zealand. Choose between Auckland or Wellington on the North Island and Christchurch on the South Island. The starting point of most people’s journey is typically Auckland, although it may differ based on the airline. Ensure you have a hostel reservation for at least 1 week before your departure, if not 2. This is to ensure all appointments can be accommodated. Moreover, the Kiwis are really as friendly as always stated. I never had a problem with anybody.
Tipps
Hostel & Address
You really don’t need an agency, this was my biggest waste of money €600 during my journey. The only thing you need is a physical address with a mailbox – to pay all your fines and fees. Ask your first hostel if they could provide you with this option, perhaps for a small fee. You will need an address from New Zealand for your bank account opening. Again, ask your hostel if they could provide a proof of address. Depending on your choice of bank, comply for a new account 1 month prior to your departure. This can take a while and you will already need a New Zealand address during the opening process. Don’t save on your first hostel, it’s that important.
I stayed at Attic Backpackers; it's a genuine place. Lylo Lylo is often regarded as the best, but a Haka Lodge is suitable too.
Bank account & Tax number
To earn money in New Zealand you will need an inland bank account. You have 3 major options to choose from: ANZ, my choice, Kiwibank, or ASB. Look at the T&Cs and if there’re any fees. I can confirm that there’re no fees at ANZ and Kiwibank, although I cannot say anything about ABS.
If you want to use a banking app on your phone, you normally have to change your Appstore/Playstore to the region of New Zealand. This can take a while, but you really don’t need an app. You just have to always login over your browser.
After opening an account and receiving a new card, apply for your tax number. Without IRD – Number you cannot begin to work in New Zealand. If you filled out the form it doesn’t take long until you get your login details. If you successfully opened a tax account, you may have to confirm your bank account with a statement. Therefore send money from overseas, or otherwise buy something with your home-country credit card and give it back, afterwards present your New Zealand card for the refund. The second method worked for me without any problems. For the last step, use your New Zealand bank account as your tax reference. You will need this for your tax adjustment at the end of March. Your overpaid taxes will only transfer on your NZ bank account. Don’t forget to apply for the adjustment at the end of March; just logon to MyIR and follow the steps.
Transportation & Accommodation
In my opinion, a car is the best transport option for traveling through New Zealand. Otherwise you cannot get to the last corners of this beautiful country. With May 2023 there’re new regulations for Self – Contained (SC) vehicles; a SC car gives you the freedom to stay overnight in most places around New Zealand. Naturally not on private ground or some region specified. Before May 2023 you only required a working sink with clear- and wastewater tanks and a temporary toilet, now you need a fixed toilet in your car. Because of this, DIY is basically impossible. You can buy a used SC and perhaps got lucky with a low maintenance jackpot, or you have to pay around 11000 NZD for a good car.
Still, you can buy a big vehicle and remove the seats, or a small one with a tent. You have to stay at a campground or motor camp anyway. For these resting grounds calculate 10 to 20 NZD per night. If you’re going to stay at many DOC Campsites, a Campsite Pass is worth it. Unfortunately I saw these bargains too late; you pay 195 NZD for a year or 95 NZD for a month. If you want to stay regularly in huts, you can buy a Backcountry Hut Pass. But there’re always some restrictions. If you prefer a hostel, join Youth Hostels Association (YHA) and/or Budget Backpacker Hostels (BBH).
Besides the car you can use public transport to travel along. I met many backpackers with this type of transport. It’s definitely the cheapest method, but you’re extremely limited. To get from one city to another is easy, but if you want to explore the Fiordland, it’s getting more challenging. Without Hitchhiking you won’t come far. A car simply means freedom in New Zealand.
One of the best apps for all accommodations is WikiCampsNZ. It’s a love hate relationship; on one hand you have access to a vast database, on the other you’re confronted with bad optimization and encounter long loading times and crashes. But without this trusted companion, my travels would have been exhausting.
The huts in New Zealand are non hostet, therefore you have to pack all of your food and trinks. Moreover a gas cooker with a saucepan, for your drinking water is essential. Hosted huts like in the european Alps is really unique and an absoulte luxury. If you enjoy hiking, please support the Alpine Club. It doesn't matter if it's in Austria, Slovenia, Italy, German, Switzland, etc., the hut cultur is really nice.
Flight
Compare flights and afterwards buy the tickets directly from the airline! You will not only save money, you will save nerves and time. Moreover I wouldn’t suggest a return ticket. If you look 1 month before your preferred return flight, perhaps you have to pay €100 more, but you will save on administrative charges and time. I already booked a return flight and the change of departure was infuriating. At first my ticket agency said that I have to pay at least more than €350 for a new return date and after an effort of maybe 10 minutes of own research I found a suitable flight. In the end and after over 1 hour in the waiting cue, I had to only pay €60.
Just buy a one-way and if the time is right, search for the return.
Jobs
Let’s talk about business. TradeMe is going to be your most important platform, not only for jobs. If you arrive outside the harvest season finding work is not going to be easy. There’re thousands of coffee shops in New Zealand, it’s favorable to have some experience in this skill set. If you have a truck license you can work as a log transporter; in high regard currently. Qualified engineers are always needed, but only with a contract time of at least 6 months.
But the best thing you can do is to apply at agencies like AWF, TradeStaff, or Hays; through Hays I got my job. Besides a good CV and sometimes Cover Letter, a working or character reference, not older than 12 months is essential. Look after this before your departure. Because of the time shift it won’t be easier in New Zealand. Before you can start working, you have to pass a drug test. You don’t have to worry about working clothes although, you always receive job specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). If you’re going to work outside, you have a right for sun protection; demand sunblock! Look a bit into the labor law, minimum wage is 22.65 NZD and a holiday pay of 8% - even if you’re only working for a week!
Expenses
Let’s conclude with the most anticipated point; my expenses and earnings. I used Travel Spend to have an overview of my spending. I cannot guarantee if I recorded every expense to the cent correctly, it’s only an overview. In a nutshell I spent around 23,700 NZD or €13,275 flight included. With 9 weeks of work I earned after taxes around 10,000 NZD or €5,600. An expensive pleasure, but every cent spent was really worth it. It was important for me that I’m not going to borrow any money and not be completely broke back in my home country – and I succeeded.
If you have the chance, don’t worry about it and just do it! It really was such a wonderful time and my next Work & Travel is already getting planned.
This is the end of my blog. Hopefully I could provide helpful tips and some entertainment. My 4152 hours in New Zealand are one of a kind and I will conclude with the words of a well-known Hobbit: “I regret to announce — This Is the End. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell."
