After a hiatus of 2 years, New Zealand announced the reopening of the working holiday scheme for Singaporeans on 19 April 2022.
The working holiday scheme is open to Singaporeans from 18 – 30 years old who have been through at least 2 years of tertiary education. The visa legally permits you to work in New Zealand which is a great option for travelers who want to earn money as they travel. The type of employment is short-term seasonal work in sectors ranging from tourism to agriculture.
Admittedly, the only 2 things I knew about New Zealand before I came here were Kiwi fruit and that the number of sheep was more than the number of people. But now I know a lot more.
My goal for creating this guide is to provide information and inspiration from my own experiences for those who are considering or preparing to embark on a working holiday to New Zealand. I will not dive into detail about everything because there are a few blogs from other Singaporean travelers which have done a good job of that.
In this guide, I will share an chronological account of my journey from application, pre-departure to the 1st month of arrival and a few tips to help you mentally prepare for leaping into this adventure 🙂
Application
I got to know about the working holiday scheme in 2020 as I was searching for opportunities to go overseas before graduation. Frankly, I forgot about the scheme after I started working and only heard about it about 1 week after its reopening through a friend. The good news is that the quota has now been increased from 150 to 300 spots and the duration extended from 6 months to 1 year.
At first, I hesitated about applying because I was unsure about my chances since I was rather late and there was no indication of how competitive it was. It only closes once all slots are filled up and not all applications are guaranteed successful. Nonetheless, something in me knew that I should not miss an amazing opportunity so I went for it. It costs NZD245 (SGD205) to apply and you will have to submit proof of your graduation and X-ray results from a certified clinic (costed SGD112 at Radlink which you have to book an appointment for) after submitting the application online.
Alas, I received the good news about the approval of my application on the end of May. The wait took close to 3 weeks but it was totally worth it!!
On hindsight, I count myself lucky to have gotten it easily. What I heard from other working holiday-ers from countries like Malaysia and China is that it is very competitive and they have to be on standby the second the online portal opens. Some even pay middlemen to help them secure spots. That is why I recommend more Singaporeans to grab this opportunity!
Pre-departure
When to go
Upon obtaining the visa, you can choose any date within the next 1 year to enter New Zealand. However, your passport also has to be valid for at least 3 months on the date of departure. Based on that, I had to arrive in New Zealand before 22 July which gave me about 1.5 months to finish up my work and prepare for everything. Quite a rush which I had not expected, but I took on the challenge!
In the Southern hemisphere, the seasons are the other way round so July falls in the winter. I heard that people do not usually come in the winter months because there are fewer agricultural jobs. Personally, I did not think of that to be an issue and was even hyped for winter. (Maybe because I am from a tropical country) Then again, my decision was mainly due to my passport constraint.
Where to land
The next question was where to land first.
I had to open up a map of New Zealand because I actually knew nothing about its geography. A quick search revealed that the South Island has more beautiful scenery though colder than the North Island. Instantly, I knew which one I preferred. My heart calls me to the mountains!
To get to the South Island, there are direct flights from Singapore to either Christchurch and Queenstown. I was not quite sure of how they differed back then but my intuition pointed me to Christchurch which is the biggest city in the South Island. I booked a flight with Singapore Airlines to Christchurch. It proved to be a good choice for a start. Both cities have their own charm but Queenstown is too touristy for my liking.
What to do
What was I going to do for 1 year?!
The thought of having 1 entire year to plan for is simply too overwhelming. Hence I narrowed my focus to the first month. (Or even the first week is fine too!) Being a spontaneous person, I prefer to look at the big picture rather than go into detailed planning. I supposed I would stay in the South Island at least until the end of year and so limited my scope of planning to the South Island. I searched online for attractions and the results got me really excited. I saved the pictures that made me go “I wanna do that!” and made a vision board.
What to pack
I paid so much attention to packing, it took me 1 whole month to pack everything. The first question was what to bring – luggage or backpack?
The idea of roaming around with just a backpack, especially as a solo traveler, is undoubtedly appealing. I considered that idea for awhile but eventually decided against it because of its impracticality for me. I am not really a minimalist or a full-on outdoor enthusiast. If you want to do ambitious activities like treks that stretch across the country, that is probably the option for you. Though I already expected to come to New Zealand for more of the outdoors and countryside, I also expected to spend time in the cities as well and wanted to bring some pretty clothes and makeup. (Haha, fashion is one of my joys) That is why I chose to divide and conquer with a small luggage + 40L backpack. (Who knew maybe I could store the luggage if I found a place to? But so far, I have not had to store it away.)
The second question was what and how much to pack. You can find many suggested packing lists online for specific seasons. It is not necessary to stick strictly to those. I suppose one common fear while packing is forgetting to bring something. I must have dreamt a couple times about flying back to Singapore from New Zealand because I forgot to bring something. Important documents aside, there is no need to worry too much about other “necessities”. I learned after arriving here that I can easily and cheaply get some of these items from “Op shops” (second-hand shops) which are pretty common in the big cities.
Where to stay
I booked 1 week of accommodation at a backpacker hostel called Urbanz in the Central City of Christchurch. Living in a mixed dormitory is the cheapest option, costing me just NZD245 (SGD205) for a week. I also bought the The Backpacker Group membership for NZD20 (SGD17) which entitles me to 10% discount in selected hostels around New Zealand since I expected to be staying in many hostels.
However, it will also get expensive if you stay in hostels for a prolonged period of time. Another option is volunteering in exchange for stay and meals. This concept has existed among the international traveller community for awhile, the most popular one being WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farm) where travellers can work on farms in exchange for stay and meals. I used a platform called HelpX which is not limited to work on farms but any property where help is needed. Though it is free to set up an account, I paid €20 (SGD29) for a premium account which allows me to read the helpers’ reviews of the host (Important when you choose a host!) You can also use it to message other travellers going to the same destination to find potential companions.
Anyway, the owner of an angora goat farm reached out to me. Imagine my excitement when I saw the pictures of the cute goats! I expressed my interest to stay there for 2 weeks, asked some questions and gave an estimated date of when I would be able to start. There and then, I had a plan for about 3 weeks before I even entered New Zealand!
Administration
Insurance
It is compulsory to get insurance. I bought the Working Holiday Insurance from Orbit Protect at NZD342 (SGD287) for a year.
Bank account
I got started with ANZ bank because I could do an online application for it with my home address back in Singapore. After opening my ANZ Go account, I just had to make an international call to book an appointment in the first week of arrival for verifying my account in person with some documents. This seemed more certain than a random walk-in. The quicker you can get this done, the quicker you can get your IRD number later too.
At this point, you can also transfer money to this account but check the transfer fee that will be incurred.
Money
Bringing too much cash on hand is usually a safety concern for travel. Thankfully I could open a multi-currency account with DBS which allows me to use my local debit card for payment in New Zealand without transactional fees. I just had to exchange a sum from SGD to NZD on the DBS digibank app. One can exchange any amount anytime which is revolutionary. Gone are the days where you fret over running out of money and having to find a money exchanger.
Nonetheless, I still got some cash at the money exchanger just in case. So far, I have not had to use it except when paying the bus driver before I had a bus card and buying from some stalls at community markets.
After you obtain your local bank card from the appointment, you can start to use it if you have money deposited in the account.
Arrival
Finally, the day of the leap came. I got on a flight with mostly Kiwis (what New Zealanders are called) and arrived after nearly 9 hours. I cleared immigration and was randomly chosen by staff for a spot check of my visa. (They did not check the bank statements etc) After picking up my luggage, that was it. I was all by myself, free to do whatever and go wherever!
I must have been quite nervous, but I tried to stay calm. First things first, I got my SIM card at the airport from Spark. A 3 month traveller’s plan costing NZD49 (SGD41) gave me a local number and 10GB data! I suppose there are some better deals than that but I did not source for it. Then I made my way to the bus berth to board a bus to Central City. As I stepped outside the doors, I was greeted by the sight of a rainbow! The bus driver took cash from me and we set off for a bus ride where I watched an unfamiliar landscape unfold.
I could hardly believe when we reached the Central City. How low and sparse all the buildings looked and how few people there were! I crossed the street to the modern-looking accommodation in the midst of the cold and waited for a few hours before I could check in. I thought there might be other people in the mixed 4-bed dormitory but there was none. Great, I had the whole room to myself. But still a bit lonely. Drained from the flight, I put my concerns away and slipped into hibernation…
Settling down (1st week)
The aims for my first week in New Zealand were clear:
- To get used to my new environment
- To settle administrative matters
- To enjoy solo travelling
Getting around
What better way to see the city than walking? At first, I simply explored the vicinity on foot. I cannot drive so getting around anywhere by car is not an option for me. Fret not, I will talk about how I get around the problem of not driving a car. In my opinion, it is not that inconvenient to travel around without a car.
The bus interchange is within walking distance and I bought a metro card there for NZD10 (NZD5 for the card and NZD5 in value). As part of a government initiative, the bus fares are 50% off until March 2023. It is at a fixed fare as cheap as NZD1.30 (SGD1) within a certain zone and transits are free if travelling in the same zone within 2 hours!
Food
Eating out is expensive here! No cheap hawker food like in Singapore. It is essential to get into the habit of cooking if you want to stay here long-term.
I went to one of their big supermarkets called PAK’nSAVE to buy groceries. Be sure to bring your reusable bag as they do not use plastic bags like we do! It was my first time to cook in a shared kitchen at a hostel. They have all the crockeries and cutleries you need so perhaps you only need a lunchbox if you are going to store leftover food or cook in bulk. (Good idea to save time)
My first attempt to cook was a Chinese-style dinner which consisted of microwavable rice (I did not know how to cook rice without a rice cooker), my favourite bok choy (Thankfully I can find it here) and fried egg with canned tomatoes (Prices of tomatoes which were not in season were sky-high) It was an amateur-ish attempt but I am proud to say that my cooking skill has improved leaps and bounds since then. Practice makes perfect!
Administration
I was not expecting to start work yet in the first month so I kept that out of my mind, just making sure to settle the things I would need when I start looking/applying for jobs later.
The trip to the bank was really helpful. The staff helped me to set up my Internet banking account, mobile banking app (both of which require a customer number) and voice recognition for phone call services. I got my bank card and online proof of verification of my bank account. Afterwards, I could submit the proof of verification for my IRD application online. I got my IRD number through email a few days later and could key it into my Internet banking. Thankfully, many of the administrative matters that had to be done in person can now be done online, making it much more convenient.
Cultural difference
As I had only been in countries where Asians were the majority, that was my first time in an environment where I am a minority. I felt a heightened sense of self-consciousness. But at least I am comfortable with English. It is strange but one of the benefits of coming from Singapore, I guess.
Overall, New Zealand is still quite a diverse country. In spite of the predominantly European population, there are also many other ethnicities there. I love how they retain the culture of the natives, the Maori people. For example, some towns are named in Maori language.
One of the culture shocks for me was how everyone greets the bus driver when boarding and thanks the driver when alighting. It is a good custom that I hope we can have at home!
Making new friends
On the following day of my arrival, a roommate arrived. He was a solo traveller from Australia. Although he was just going to be there for 1 day, I was really grateful to have company. The experience of spontaneously exploring a new city with a stranger is a profound one.
Subsequently, another roommate arrived. This is the first fateful encounter I had (I am convinced of fate after a string of fateful encounters along my journey). He was a working holiday-er from France and has been in New Zealand for more than 2 years due to extensions on his visa during the pandemic. We found out that we brought the same book share the same goal to start a coaching business. Neither one of us knew anyone around us who is working on the same goal. Our first conversation went on for hours. I knew instantly that I made the right decision to take the leap.
We were both amazed that we arrived at the same perspectives on life despite coming from different backgrounds. He told me that he was glad he followed his intuition to go to Christchurch even though it was not a logical decision. Till this day, we are still in touch and supporting each other.
Adventures (2nd to 4th week)
Farm stay experience
After the first week, it was time for me to do HelpX at the angora goat farm. Since I do not have a car, the farm owner kindly agreed to pick me up at Christchurch and drive to Oxford which is 20 minutes away. It was my first time venturing into the countryside so I was excited! That was what I came to New Zealand for!
Angora goat farm
My host is both a science teacher at an area school and a farmer. He rears the angora goats for their wool which he exports to Africa. He had a hard time managing the farm with 2 jobs, especially during the pandemic. He has had many international helpers before but I was the first one in a few years! And first Singaporean helper. I was joined by 2 elders Kiwi ladies who were friends going on a caravan trip around the island.
The agreement was this: I would be given a room of my own, free ingredients to make lunch from and cooked dinner to eat in exchange for 4 hours of work a day (which seems to be the standard though it differs from host to host). The house was slightly old, which I expected to be so in most rural areas. For instance, the heating from my room was supplied by a fireplace!
Work would start in the morning and end by noon. Within the house, I helped to feed the dogs, chickens and cat. Sometimes I did other work like cutting weeds and cleaning the house. Within the paddocks, I helped out to feed hay to the goats. There were almost 200 goats in separate paddocks so I had to ride around in a vehicle. The season was not time for shearing wool or rearing of new calves but we had to treat the goats for sore feet. I helped to usher the goats into the enclosure for their treatment. Some goats were really stubborn about moving so we had to drag them! It was dirty at times but it was an interesting experience.
After work, I was free to do whatever I wished. Being the introvert that I am, I always found things to do like reading, writing, playing with the pets or appreciating the beautiful surroundings. After dinner, we sometimes played Scramble together. Since I had no car, I could not venture out. But there was a day when the Kiwi ladies brought me out to town for a garage sale which was really exciting.
Birthday break
After 2 weeks, I left the farm with the Kiwi ladies. One of them kindly let me stay in her son’s house on the hills of Christchurch for a night. The following day happened to be my 25th birthday. One of the items on my vision board for NZ was to take the TranzAlpine, a railway journey across the South Island that is said to be very beautiful during winter. I was planning to take the trip alone but the Kiwi ladies joined me to my delight.
TranzAlpine train journey
It is really nice to have people celebrating your birthday. They sang me a birthday song and bought me a cupcake and TranzAlpine keychain. The train goes all the way to Greymouth at NZD219 (SGD184) but we chose to head to Arthur’s Pass at NZD169 (SGD142) instead as we only wanted to experience part of the journey before returning to Christchurch. Throughout the 2 hours 25 minutes journey, I was in awe at the scenery outside the window. The observatory deck offered a more immersive experience but chilly strong winds were too much.
Upon reaching Arthur’s Pass, we went to our separate accommodations. I booked a night’s stay at a youth hostel called Mountain’s House for NZD35 (SGD29). The town was practically deserted during winter but I was lucky to meet 2 other girls at the hostel whom I went hiking with to Devil Punchbowl Falls (~2 hours). We had booked a coach back to Christchurch the next morning which was cheaper at NZD65 (SGD54). To our surprise, the company called us to inform us of a cancellation as the bus driver was down with COVID. How do we get out of that rural town?!
An unexpected hitchhike
The TranzAlpine did not operate on Saturday that week and there were no other public transport options available. The girls booked a private car shuttler for a few hundred dollars but I was not prepared to shell out that money. I waited until the next morning to contact the Kiwi ladies who found a hitchhike on the road and I quickly joined them at the last minute. Lucky me!
I have heard of the possibility of hitchhiking before but never thought I would get on one. The driver was very friendly and happily took us to Rolleston, a town nearby Christchurch. We paid her some money (still less than the private car) out of appreciation. Then, I parted ways with the Kiwi ladies who had taken care of me like their own. Saying goodbye is always difficult… but I have come to accept that it is part of the journey too.
That was a sentimental day for me. I remember tolling my luggage on the sidewalk of Christchurch to my hostel (called Jailhouse accommodation, a former prison) as I listened to ODESZA’s music. As I watched a bird fly past, I felt deeply liberated. An immense sense of gratitude washed over me, over the fact that all my life had come to that point. It was as if I witnessed the convergence of past, present and future. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
Looking back, it was also a fateful day. It was that day when I stepped into the same space with a special someone for the first time…
Homestay experience
The next part of my journey was to set off for another city. About a week before, I had already contacted a host from Dunedin. She was a 70-years-old Kiwi lady who lived by herself.
Travelling between cities
After 2 nights of rest in Christchurch, I rode the Intercity bus to Dunedin which took 6 hours. This is New Zealand’s most comprehensive bus service between cities. The bus ride was really comfortable and I was treated to a view of the landscape outside!
I booked the ride under a Flexipass which allows you to purchase packages with a certain number of hours in advance. The greater the number of hours you buy at once, the better the rates work out to be. It can sometimes be cheaper than making an isolated booking where pricing is based on demand. Besides, it can be used for the InterIslander ferry between North and South Island. This is a good option for those who do not have a car but the number of hours has to be estimated well. I might have overestimated my hours as I did not expect that I would be able to carpool with friends later on.
House on a city hill
When I reached Dunedin, my host Suzanne was there to pick me up with her granddaughter. She lives in a house up on the steep hills with a big garden. I was the first helper to arrive in over 2 years! She needed help with cleaning up her glasshouse, pantry and fridge.
Suzanne is a very kind host. She shared with me about her family, life experiences and New Zealand culture. She is especially knowledgeable about wildlife, New Zealand history and politics. I also got to share about my stories and Singaporean culture with her. This is what I think a homestay best offers – an authentic exchange.
Despite being past retirement age, she still takes up part-time work as a tour guide in a few attractions. She gave me some recommendations on what to do. After work each morning (She was flexible about hours), she would give me a ride into town and I was free to explore the places of interests on my own until she came to pick me up again a few hours later. She also took me to the beautiful coastlines for a walk and we collected seaweed for her garden compost. Hosts would sometimes let you participate in interesting activities like that.
Job search
During the week, I had time to make my new CV and search for jobs online on Backpacker board. The part-time jobs I did as a teenager were more relevant to the jobs that I was going to apply for than my current profession so I made sure to highlight those in my CV.
You can filter the job list based on area, type and whether it offered accommodation. My selection criteria were the following:
- Where would I want to spend the next 3 months in?
- Where could I get on-site accommodation? (It would be more troublesome to have to look for accommodation elsewhere)
- What type of work would better suit my personality?
- What type of work would I be able to cope with for a start?
Conventionally, working holiday-ers come to New Zealand for agricultural jobs but it was not the harvest season yet. A job as a housekeeper in Lake Tekapo caught my eye. I had wanted to see the famous starry night sky and the lupin flowers there (which peaks in late November) so I sent in my application for that.
I received an email reply from the boss who asked me about my start date and how long I would be able to work for. After a few more email exchanges, I got offered the job! There was no phone interview which was a more casual process than I expected. The deal was sealed after I sent in the requested documents and signed the contract. Of course, I made sure to ask questions to clarify anything I was unclear about before signing anything.
First work (2nd month onwards)
I said my goodbye to Suzanne as it was time to move on to the next part of my journey. I am so grateful to her for her hospitality. Till today, we are still in touch. (In fact, she visited me later on at where I worked to take me on a trip to Mount Cook!)
Once again, I took the intercity bus. I went to Queenstown as a transit point, spending 1 day there. It was beaming with tourists for the ski season. I spontaneously took a helicopter ride to the peak of the snowy mountains! It is not called the adventure capital for no reason. Well, not without costing me a whopping NZD215 (SGD180). Go there at your risk if you are travelling on budget!
What an adrenaline rush! My heart was feeling full from all the adventures and hospitality that I have received but the fatigue from 1 month long of constant travelling started to set in. That was when I really looked forward to settling down in my new workplace for the next 3 months.
Housekeeping at an accomodation
When I reached Tekapo, I was blown away by its pristine beauty. It is a small town with not many shops but a gorgeous lake and mountainous backdrop. My workplace was a modestly-sized accommodation with a homely feel. I met my boss and settled into my room which was one of the guest rooms near the kitchen. How cool to be living among the guests!
A day in the work
I started my first day of work under the guidance of my friendly Kiwi manager. She showed me how to make the beds and clean the rooms. There were no other working holiday-ers but I heard that a coworker from Japan would arrive the day after.
Work starts from 10am which is the checkout time. We had to finish the rooms that guests have checked out of (the number varies depending on the day of the week) and prepare the keys for collection by 2pm which is the check in time. Afterwards, I could have lunch and fold the laundry at my own time and target. On average, my work hours were 4 hours a day! I had the rest of the day to do what I wanted. However, I only had 1 day off per week. That was okay for me since I was not looking to travel to faraway places.
Earnings
At 4 hours a day, I could earn NZD96 (SGD80) per day before tax deduction. Furthermore, my boss agreed to waive the rental fees if I could be on night duty. That would save me roughly NZD744 (SGD624) in monthly rental fees! One thing to note is that the high earnings would be offset by expensive groceries. Nonetheless, I was just glad to be earning money while having lots of time for leisure. What an ideal life for me!
Alright, that sums up everything till a little over the 1st month of my working holiday experience in New Zealand. Hopefully it gives you enough information and inspiration to kickstart your own journey. More of my adventures from then on shall be continued in a future post 🙂
Mental preparation tips
Lastly, I wish to offer a few tips for mentally preparing yourself before travelling here.
1) Leave room for uncertainty
Do not be too stressed or anxious to know every detail or plan everything out in advance. Planning helps but overplanning kills the joy of things.
2) Trust that things will be fine
Choose to trust that things will be fine. Though some things may go wrong, you can always ask for help when needed. (Though it can be uncomfortable for introverts I know) Know that help is available as long as there are humans around you. Besides, new unexpected options may open up along the way.
3) Follow your intuition/inspiration
Your intuition is a very valuable tool for making decisions. While we conventionally use logic to evaluate risk, intuition can also help and in a quicker way. I have followed my intuition in choosing homestays and jobs so far and the decisions have proven to be good. Though intuition is not 100% foolproof, it can certainly be sharpened with more experience.
The other valuable tool for making decisions is inspiration. Ask yourself what you feel like doing instead of what you “should be” doing. Don’t be anxious looking for a job if that is not what you feel like doing yet. (I know some working holiday-ers who are anxious about securing jobs before they even land in NZ) Don’t be pressured to go to places or do activities just because most people say you should do so. Go to where your heart tells you instead.
After all, this travel is YOUR journey!
