My Work & Travel Experience - An Insight

Cape Reinga, northernmost point of New Zealand

Starting Point - Germany

My best friend had always had the plan to go to Australia for one year after graduating. Even though I wanted to travel a lot in the future, it never crossed my mind to go abroad for a year after school – I don’t know why.

I chose to go to New Zealand. For one thing because my Work & Travel research showed me the beautiful scenery of the country and for another, because I am a huge Tolkien fan (yes, nerd-mode on).

I had never travelled anywhere completely by myself before. But with the help of a Travel organization, it really wasn’t difficult to plan. Actually, I didn’t have much of a plan at all. All I knew was I had to get there safely, I had to find work somehow and I had to catch a flight back at some point. The only reading I did in advance was a little Work & Travel guide for New Zealand that my grandma gifted me. For my graduation, I also got a guidebook to all the Lord of the Rings locations in New Zealand. My nerd-heart was in heaven.

What did I organize?

Thinking back, it doesn’t feel like I did much. But my To-Do-List looked something like this:

• apply for a Working Holiday Visa
  

• fill out some information for the Travel Organization
  

• book the flights with the Travel Organization

• buy a decent backpack

• buy a sleeping bag

• get an international driver’s license

• get a foreign travel health insurance

• exchange some cash for NZ$
  

• write an English CV

• in my case: write a letter of motivation for the opportunity to work on a ranch during my first month in New Zealand

I also bought a map of the country, which hadn’t been necessary since I got one as a welcome gift from the Travel Organization. I printed out all my documents, just for safety, and of course I had to choose what to take with me and pack all my stuff (I had a lot of lists).

It was a phase of nervousness and stress, but lot’s of excitement. Still, it didn’t really dawn on me what I was up to until one evening before my flight, at the end of August.

Taking Off

I flew from Frankfurt to Dubai and from there to Auckland, New Zealand, with a short stop in Sydney for more fuel – it was the longest flight I ever experienced.

Onboard the first plane, my anxiety surfaced. I panicked and I thought I had made a huge mistake. I couldn’t get down any food. In addition, I was sitting in the middle seat between several strangers, which didn’t help my anxiety attack at all – but I sat through it and somehow managed to calm myself down with some music.

Everything that followed afterwards was really worth the struggle it started with. I felt as if revived when I landed in Dubai. I even met another German girl who was with the same Travel Organization as me. We sat together while waiting for boarding time. Despite the length of the second flight, it was surprisingly enjoyable. Time flew by. After stopping in Sydney, the plane wasn’t as crowded anymore and I went to sit with my new friend. We looked out the window and hyped ourselves up when we saw the beaches of New Zealand coming nearer.

At the airport in Auckland, we gathered in a small group of people who had all come with the same Travel Organization. We were taken to a hostel, The Attic Backpackers, where we stayed for the first three days. Getting to know each other, exploring the local convenience stores and visiting information meetings from the Travel organization. Even though I had come on my own, I already had a little group of friends.

    Auckland, North Island

My work experiences

After the first three days, it was already time for me to head to my first job. I had organized a Ranchstay not far from Auckland in advance. So I took a train to Papakura Station, where I was picked up by car and driven to Karaka in the countryside. I stayed at the ranch for a month, working for food and accommodation. Since I love horses, it had been my first choice for a job.

It was still winter in New Zealand – and unfortunately I had underestimated the temperatures. It was rainy, windy and cold. The house wasn’t as thermally insulated as I was used to, either. I really regretted not taking my fluffy socks with me. But I made do with what I had, wearing multiple layers of clothing each day.

Mostly, I worked with the horses. Feeding them, getting them ready for their training and going horseback riding. It was tiring work and I was beyond exhausted in the evenings, but I definitely learned to appreciate food. I had the company of a young woman who worked on the ranch full time. We rode out together in the countryside a few times. I experienced quite a few adventures with the horses, including my little toe being crushed by a hoof during the last week of my stay. I couldn’t really walk for three days, but luckily it healed quickly. I also dropped my phone from the back of a horse, breaking the screen. I carried that broken phone around for the entire remaining time of my trip, since it was still working (just falling apart).

It was spring when I left the ranch and returned to Auckland. I explored the city with fellow travellers and started to look for jobs. I had also decided to buy a Stray Bus Pass, with which I could go around New Zealand for an entire year. The Stray Bus is popular among backpackers and visits various hostels and locations. After one week in Auckland I decided to go up north with my German friend from the airport. I boarded the Stray Bus to go to Paihia, where I stayed for two weeks.

  Hole in the Rock - Tour, Bay of Islands

Still looking for a good job opportunity though, I grew a little nervous since my friend had already decided where to work. But she didn’t hesitate to help me out. Having rejected one job offer to go for another, she simply referred to me. I took the job instead and returned to Auckland.

My new job was partly housework and partly farmwork. In return, I got accommodation and payment. I enjoyed the job a lot, since the local I worked for was really nice and the work was fun. I got to be outside a lot on the fruit farm and I got gifted a lot of grapefruits (free food is heaven for backpackers). On days off I was even taken on a road trip and to barbecues with friends of theirs. The payment was really good as well, meaning after one month of work I quit the job and excitedly continued to travel the country.

My journey

Now here’s the thing; I could write endless pages about the five months of travelling I did. I have to cut it short. So first of all, let me show you my route.

North Island

My North Island Route

South Island

My South Island Route
(As you can see, I didn't plan in advance at the end of my travels. Not very efficient, but exciting.)

I simply went along with the bus route, staying in hostels. Starting in Auckland, I went around the north island first. On January 1^st 2018, I took the ferry from Wellington to Picton on the south island. From there on, I explored the south island. Occasionally, I went to places that weren’t included in the route. I rented a car to explore more remote movie locations. I even hitchhiked (a shy person like me)! My return flight took off from Christchurch.

Many people asked me if I liked the north or the south island better. Due to all the good memories on both islands, I can’t really decide. I picked Wellington as my favourite city, having stayed there for almost a month, celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Eve and making many good friends. Other than that, there were too many beautiful places to list them all.

About travelling New Zealand

The great thing about New Zealand is that it has something to offer for everyone. You like to surf? Go to the coast, there are some popular surf spots. You’re an adrenaline junkie? Go to Queenstown and do some crazy stuff. You want to party? There’s a good amount of clubs and bars in the bigger cities. You want to hike? Go literally anywhere.

 Sunrise at East Cape, North Island.

The people of New Zealand, who call themselves Kiwis, are a super nice and welcoming folk. I remember looking at Google Maps at some point, probably looking just the slightest bit confused, and a stranger immediately came up to me to ask me if I needed help. In general, people in the country are way more relaxed than what I was used to from where I come from. And step by step, I became more relaxed as well – not planning every step of the journey in advance, but just trusting myself in finding a way. I learned a lot about the culture and history of New Zealand, including the Maori culture. The language and the traditions of the indigenous people of New Zealand are very present in the country and really interesting to learn about.

I met a lot of great people from all over the world who I will never forget. I hiked with them, cooked with them, played cards with them, had deep conversations and got a lot of advice and inspiration on the way. Some of them have become my closest friends to this day.

       Hiking with friends, Tongariro National Park, North Island

There were a lot of adventures during my trip – some intentional, some not. In Nelson for instance, I suddenly couldn’t access the money in my bank account due to several unfortunate reasons. I had barely any cash left and I had to do quite a few phone calls to Germany – with a twelve hour time difference. Still, with some help, I managed to receive some money and a few days later, everything went smoothly again. There were a few moments like that when I realized I was in a foreign country on my own and I had to somehow figure things out. But it always worked out in the end. And it really helped me become more confident along the way.

The country’s nature is really diverse. For example, I did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, hiking over the volcanic landscape on the north island. But I also saw glaciers, fjords, sand dunes and rainforests. One of my goals was to see a Kiwi (the bird) in the wild. I succeeded! On Stewart Island I finally saw two of them, after walking around in the dark with an infrared lamp as quiet as possible. I also saw Kea’s chilling on car roofs and rays swimming in the sea. I can’t really describe in short what a nature-lover like me experienced in New Zealand. I fell in love with the entire country and it felt like a home at the end of my journey.

  Emerald lakes, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, North Island

Mistakes & Difficulties

I don't wanna make it seem like it was super easy all the time. Travelling isn't always your typical beach vacation (unless you want to make it one, of course). It's a lot of moving around, carrying your baggage with you the entire time, never being in one place for too long and sharing hostel rooms with up to ten people at a time. So here are some of the hard times I had, learning about travelling.

One thing I remember is that my baggage was way too heavy at times. It made my walks from the bus stops to the hostels a more exhausting experience that it should have been. Even though I started out with an okay-weight, it got more as soon as I started. I had to buy food and carry that around, as well as water. I bought souvenirs, of course. Even though I tried to buy practical souvenirs, like bags, it added up quickly. Meaning that sometimes I would walk around with my big backpack, my smaller day-backpack, a food bag and an additional bag. Yeah, that was too much stuff.

 Me with my baggage in Oamaru, South Island

I already mentioned that I'm shy. Like, I have my extrovert-moments. And I can talk a lot as soon as I get to know people. But no matter how much I love making new friends and being social, there are days when I'm just terrified to walk up to people and talk to them. So yes, that was difficult sometimes. To walk into a crowded hostel kitchen with everyone chatting and you feel like you're the only one who doesn't know anyone. In Auckland I told myself that I had to force myself out of my comfort zone. I asked two girls if I could sit with them - and boom! We spend many activities together. After that, I felt more confident. It got easier every time. I still had my introvert-moments, just being by myself. But really, sometimes I need that as well.

In Wellington I once got to my room very late after celebrating. I had a top bunk, so I threw my phone onto the bed, searching for something in my backpack (as you often do in the dark). Only when I was about to climb into my bed, I realized that someone else was already sleeping in it. So ... I looked for my phone. And I didn't find it. But I didn't want to seem like a creep, searching this bed while someone was sleeping in it. Instead, I went down to the reception, tired and annoyed, to get a different room, abandoning my phone for the night. Luckily, when I went back in the morning, I found an empty bed with my phone placed in it. Phew.

In general, hostel life is the thing you can love and hate the most about travelling. There were some sleepless nights due to noise in the dorms. Your food might disappear from the fridge (even though it rarely happens). You might crave some privacy after a while. But hostels are also the places where you meet people from all over the world. Where you share your stories and stay up late, playing games or watching movies. They're the places where you make friends and travel-buddies.

Why am I talking about this? Because hard times are part of the journey. I don't like to leave them out. To overcome obstacles and never let it stop you from travelling is pretty important in my eyes. I promise, it's easy to laugh about it afterwards and make it into a good story.

      National Park Village, North Island

Conclusion & Retrospective

To make it simple: Work & Travel was the best thing I could have done after graduating. It opened my eyes to a lot of things. I had tons of fun, I learned a lot and I made the best memories possible. I made dreams come true (some of them I didn’t even know I had).

I won’t deny that it can be tough at times. Some things don’t go the way you plan them. And sometimes, it can be scary to be on your own. But it makes you grow as a person. And to be honest, I was never completely alone. The people I met where so kind, always willing to help where they could. I talked to my best friend over the phone and I could have called my family at any time. For the most part though, conversations back to Germany were scheduled, due to the time difference.

The most important question: Should you do it? Absolutely. It doesn’t have to be New Zealand – there are other countries that offer Working Holiday Visas as well. The great thing about it is, you can decide for yourself how long you want to work for in one place and how much you want to travel. There’s no schedule! And looking back, that freedom is probably the thing I loved most.

Any tips from me? I wrote down my thoughts and experiences in a travel diary. I can’t recommend this enough. It’s a treasure to read it months or even years later.

If you have any questions about my experience, feel free to contact me. To stick around and get updates about new posts, follow me on Instagram!