My Working Holiday in New Zealand

Wellington CBD

​For those of you who are unaware, I have been on a working holiday visa in New Zealand for the past five and a half months. Nearly the whole time has been spent in the country's capital city, Wellington. I've been working and saving up money, while planning upcoming ideas for the future.

You might be wondering, what is this working holiday visa? 

New Zealand offers a special visa to citizens of more than 40 countries, allowing them to travel and work within the country for a period of one year. There are a couple of catches. You must be within the ages of 18-30 (though the age limit is now 35 for citizens of a few countries), and have enough money to be able to support yourself, and for a return plane ticket. Citizens of the UK and Canada are able to apply for a 23 month version of the visa. Some countries, such as the United States have unlimited application spots. However, many countries have quotas in place, allowing only a limited number of applicants (for instance, only 1000 Chinese citizens can get the visa each year). The visa also allows one to study abroad, though the length of time is usually restricted to six months.

How have I been supporting myself?

After a week and a half of asking around, I managed to land a job working for accommodation at a hostel. Every morning at 10 o'clock, I would change the sheets of people who had checked out, and vacuum the floors.  While the job didn't pay, it helped stem the flow of spending that was eating up my savings. Eventually, I was upgraded to running the reception area on weekend evenings. It's a cushy, easy position that has allowed me to pay zero in rent for the past several months!

The search for a proper paid job took longer than expected. I kept handing out resumes to businesses I was interested in, but to no avail. After quitting a particularly terrible job after just two days (run by racist twats who claimed they refuse to hire black people), my adrenaline kicked into high gear. I reached out to a local camera shop, and SUCCESS! They were looking for new employees. Roughly two months after I arrived in New Zealand, I began working full time at Wellington Photographic Supplies. The job enabled me to save up the money necessary to direct my first short film (something I had been planning to do for quite some time), and save some extra for future travel endeavors.

What's life like living at a hostel?

To be completely honest, working and living at a hostel has taught me that I really don't enjoy living long-term in hostels. The party atmosphere just doesn't connect with me, and the lack of privacy (along with having to share kitchen space with dozens of other people) can be frustrating. However, it has allowed me to save far more money than I would have had I rented a flat. Sometimes, you need to decide what is more important: your life goals, or your comfort. I'm seriously considering doing a working holiday in Australia next, and will not want to stay so long at a backpacker's accommodation. However, for this year, it has only catapulted me closer toward getting done what I've been wanting to do.

And what about New Zealand? It must be a gorgeous country, no?

While Wellington is a lovely city, with beautiful shores and aesthetic hills, it may surprise you to learn that I have yet to explore any of New Zealand and its beautiful nature. I do have an itinerary and a trip planned for the near(ish) future, so stay tuned! There is something about working seven days a week that re-sparks one's desire to get back on the road.