Going for the Gap Year

When time is on your side, travel in New Zealand can include encounters and adventures that let you explore Kiwi culture in more detail. Whether you’re taking a break from your career or resting your brain after a few years of hard study, your New Zealand gap year will be a life-enhancing experience.

Working while you play

If you're aged between 18 and 30, it’s very likely you’re eligible for a Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand has a website that tells you how to apply - www.immigration.govt.nz

It’s amazing what you can find to do on a working holiday. Opportunities range from working on environmental projects and fruit picking (on an organic farm - WWOOFing!) to hospitality and IT jobs. New Zealand has a very low unemployment rate, so we could really do with the extra help! Not only will you be earning money, you’ll become part of our society - and that’s huge fun in itself.

Getting what you came for

	Tandem skydivers leap out above Queenstown.
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Between jobs and on your days off, you won’t have to travel far to discover some of New Zealand’s magnificent wilderness areas. There are hikers’ huts throughout our national parks - they cost only a few dollars a night to use. Other epic adventures include the Whanganui River journey, sea kayaking around the Bay of Islands or Marlborough Sounds and biking the Rail Trail through Central Otago.

Mind-broadening experiences

For some of your Kiwi gap year, base yourself in a major city so that you can sample the culture. Auckland mixes the fun of the South Pacific with the energising buzz of urban life; Wellington, our capital city, is arty and interesting; Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city, has great historic architecture; Dunedin is very Scottish-Gothic - a university city with a lively pub scene.

While you’ll encounter elements of Maori culture everywhere you go, some provincial centres are particularly important to New Zealand’s indigenous people. The geothermal city of Rotorua will show you both the real life and polished-for-tourists sides of Maori tikanga, while Gisborne has become a hub of traditional and contemporary Maori art.

Adventures of the culinary kind

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There are two reasons to spend some time in one of our wine growing regions. Firstly, the wine industry employs lots of temporary labour - especially during the autumn picking season. Secondly, our wines are magnificent. Get acquainted with the sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir wines that are winning awards around the world.

Backpacker or flashpacker?

The backpacker style of travel is comfortable and cost effective in New Zealand - there are dorm-style lodges from one end of the country to the other, and some of them are in stunning locations. Backpacker bus services make it easy to move from one place to the next.

If your temporary work pays well, moving up to the ‘flashpacker’ level of accommodation is always attractive. You’ll get a room of your own, but it’ll still be great value for money. Use the Qualmark rating system to guide your choices. Qualmark grades make it easy to judge quality and service levels for accommodation and activities.