About Me
I’ve quit my full-time job of 4 years, packed my belongings into a bag and I am headed to New Zealand for a year to live, work and ride! I love to ride my bike and have decided to take one with me on this adventure. My plan is to get a job to cover life’s expenses, explore New Zealand, meet the locals, ride as much as possible and have time of my life.
Anton said,
June 28, 2010 @ 10:27 pm
Hey Mike!
I’ve just checked out your blog to find out a little about SWAP aside from checking out the official website and I had a few questions if you don’t mind answering. My name is Anton and I am also from Ontario. I am looking to spend some time in NZL from either August/September until December, so about 4 months. I’ve deferred my Masters until January. I was hoping to travel around a bit and work somewhere close to where I could do some surfing for the remaining time. I guess my question is would you recommend registering with SWAP or perhaps applying for the VISA and finding work on our own? We plan on just finding casual work and perhaps those are fairly easy enough to arrange? Also how easy was it to find living arrangements (did you do this beforehand)?
Any sort of input would be greatly appreciated! I hope your travels are going well!
Anton and Danielle
justgiver said,
June 29, 2010 @ 7:38 am
Hello Anton and Danielle,
I would totally recommend going on the program. The information you recieve when you first arrive (the orientation) and the continuing assistance is well worth the $450 you pay when you register with SWAP. If you think about it, the money you would spend the first couple of weeks getting yourself organised would most likely be more than the $450 you pay when you register. You will have access to jobs, accommodation listings, computers, free internet, printers, they assist you in getting the bank account and tax file number sorted and more! Plus you get two nights at a hostel when you first arrive and an airport transfer that will take in the city from the airport.. oh and your working visa is included int hat price…it is well worth it! The members lounge has lots of great information ie country and travelling info, job and accomodation listings, where/how to buy a car, woofing
I wouldnt recommend trying to find a place to live before you get here – you will want to check the place out and the landlord will want a deposit and I wouldnt give money unless i saw the place. Do you know where you want to base yourself? Would you be purchasing a car – it will be a lot eaiser to get to the surf if you have a car? I have to rent a car to get to get out to mountain bike or catch a ride with some locals ive met. How do you plan on getting around NZ – bus, rentals, jump on jump off tour company.
Simon who works at IEP would be able to give you lots of advice about where to surf, as he’s a surfer.
Is this your first time living and working abroad?
hope I answered some of your questions…get back to me if you have any more questions..
cheers…mike
Anton said,
June 30, 2010 @ 3:05 am
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the reply! We’ll definitely consider doing SWAP. In terms of basing myself somewhere, probably anywhere close to surf would be ideal! But it would depend on where we find work. We’re just looking for casual work to make some extra money and then renting a camper van and driving around the country. And yes this is my (and Danielle’s) first time working and living abroad so any pointers would be sweet!
Thanks again!
Anton
justgiver said,
July 4, 2010 @ 8:23 am
Hey Anton,
You should look into Raglan. I hear the surf there is really good and Im sure you would be able to pick up a job there in the summer as that is when hospitality picks up.
You may want to look into buying a van and then selling it when you leave. It could be cheaper than renting one for a couple months, espically if you will be living out of it – save on rent.
Hope you had a good long Canada Day weeked!
Cheers,
Mike
rebecca said,
September 11, 2010 @ 3:54 pm
hi I’m loving your blog i find it so amazing when people quit there job and just go.
I’ve always wanted to experience a working holiday. I love the idea of wanting to combine your passion of travel and biking, and i want to combine my travel and skiing and was wondering if you have heard of any decent ski hills to check out or will my dreams will have to find a new country?
justgiver said,
September 12, 2010 @ 6:33 am
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for reading! I definitely recommend just ‘going for it’ so to speak. I think we all spend too much time thinking about the future and what we will do with the rest of our lives, rather than just living it. If you are looking to move to NZ than look into Mt Ruapheu has two ski fields on it – Whakapapa and Tuora are two ski feilds that are on that mountain – lots of travellers hit that up. It is in the north island. I did some skiing at Whakapapa and it was great. Never made it over to Tuora – it is on the other side, heard it is nice as well.
If you were to hit up Queenstown it has a huge snow season. I would compare it to Banff in Canada. Really touristy! Queenstown is pretty much made up of foreigners that want to spend the season boarding or skiing. There are heaps of smaller clubs that you could look into that would give you more of a ‘kiwi experience’. There is lots of opportunity to work on a ski field in NZ if that is what you want to do. Though.. it cant compare to the mountains out west. Canada has some of the best moutains in the world!
Any other questions just hit me up.
Where are you planning on going? Europe has some amazing terrain.. maybe there?
cheers,
mike
Syd said,
September 26, 2010 @ 12:00 am
Hey mike !
i just read your blog for the first time today, i just got back from a Go Global Expo that had a lot of different booths for working, travelling & studying abroad but SWAP was the one who stood out for me. How much would you say are your expenses every week like food accomodation travel? And also what job did you get when you arrive in NZ, was it hard to find it? Was it easy to meet people & get used to everything? & Just one last question, where did you come from in Canada?
justgiver said,
September 26, 2010 @ 3:11 am
Hey Syd,
thanks for reading! Here is a bit of a break down for you.. apt..which i share with my girlfriend is $275 each, food about $50 each/week, mobile is about $40/month. Now I am based out of auckland and live pretty much right downtown.. if you were to move to one of the suburbs or even flat with a couple other travellers your expenses would be lower. But remember if you live in the burbs you will need to pay for transport into the city.
Travelling I find is really the most expensive thing as you are always paying for your accommodation and food (try to hit up grocery stores vs going out to eat). Then there is daily activites and that depends on what you are looking to do. I would say dont cheap out on anything as you are only here once so try and do it all. There is not point in coming home and regretting not doing a certain activity.
I got lucky and landed a job a couple weeks before i arrived. You can try and prearrange something, but the casual job market is pretty good at the moment so finding work is pretty easy. There are lots of travellers arriving now and most seem to be having a fairly easy time finding work. It is spring in NZ so tourism will be picking up, which means more jobs.
IEP/SWAP made the whole tranistion fairly easy. You will meet heaps of other travellers through the program and the orientation will help you get your mind around what new zealand has to offer. You always have someone to ask questions or get advice from, which is very helpful. I had a pretty easy time setteling into NZ, but i also had my girlfriend here which made it easier for me. The country is very similar to Canada; friendly, kind people that will help you out if you were to ask.
I come from Toronto.. well that is where i worked the past couple years. I am not a born and bred Torontoian. Where are you from?
Hope this helps. Any other questions just hit me up. Any idea when you will be travelling? Are you planning on NZ or someother country?
Cheers,
Mike
Shannon said,
October 27, 2010 @ 1:35 pm
Hi Mike!
First off I just want to say I LOVE reading your blog. Your truly an inspiration. Its been a dream of mine to just pick up and go live in another country. I had some questions regarding SWAP New Zealand.
How much $$ should you have saved up before you decide to leave and how long did it take from when you decided to go to NewZealand to when you were acctually able to get there? I am trying to decided when the best time of yr is to go and planning expenses ect. I want to stay for about 6 months and I really want to work in ski type place as I am in love with boarding as much as you are with biking!
Keep up the great blogs!
Shannon
justgiver said,
October 27, 2010 @ 11:47 pm
Hello Shannon,
Thanks for reading my blog! Im glad you are enjoying it and hopefully you will come to NZ and experience this yourself.
I had about $5000 CDN in my bank account before I came over. I acuatlly have only spent $1000 of it when I first arrived and since I am working I just spend what I make. Worked well! I was planning on heading to NZ for a couple years but it kept being put off because of work – I actually had the money but stuck around one more year in Canada because of my job. In the end it worked out for me as the timing couldn’t have been better. I scored a sweet job upon arrival and everything just fell into place. Try and set a departure date as it is easier to work towards.
I don’t think you would have a problem working at a ski resort as heaps of travelers do that kind of work. I would say check out Wanaka as Ive heard it is pretty sweet! Queenstown awesome, but can be a tourist trap ie Banff. The south island has heaps of smaller ski fields where you could find work. Check out http://snow.co.nz/ I think it list all of the ski fields in NZ.
I recommend staying the full year if possible. Ive been here 8 months and the time has flown. It feels like I just got here yesterday. Try not to plan on returning for something ie school/job/weddings, so if you decide you are loving it and want to stay you can. Since you want to work in the ski fields you would want to be in NZ maybe may-june. I think the ski season starts in June-July. So being here before the start would benefit finding employment since it is a popular job amongst travellers.
Any other questions just hit me up.
Cheers,
Mike
Shefali said,
January 15, 2011 @ 5:56 am
Hello!
First of all I’d like to say that you’re so cool! I love your spontaneity and admire how you decided to take a chance and follow your dreams of travel. I am a 19 (soon 20) year old, currently living in Montreal. I’d like to spend about 3 months (July to August) in NZ, first few weeks in Auckland and the rest in Wellington. I’m worried about funds though. I have the $3300 required so far, plus registration fees, but how much do I really need? I want to work of course, casual job type of thing. I have some friends and family in Wellington, but I don’t want to ask for help unless I need to. How easy is to find a job in Wellington and how much money should I have saved up? The main thing I’m worried about is not being able to find a job. I’m multilingual, do they hire hotel staff from abroad of prefer native city dwelllers? Any ideas? Any feedback and tips would be much appreciated!
Thanks a heaps in advance,
Shefali
justgiver said,
January 17, 2011 @ 7:20 am
Hello Shefali,
thanks for reading! The great thing is.. you can do this too! I am glad you are thinking about coming to NZ. I can almost gauarntee you will love it. I would recommend coming for a longer time if you plan to use a working holiday visa. Also if you can come in the summer you will enjoy it a bit better as it is a lot warmer and sunnier! Winter is nothing like Canada, but it can be very wet. Wellington is known for its windy and wet winter weather.. just something to consider. Casual work is pretty easy to find – though an employer may be put off since you will be in NZ such a short time… again something to consider. Being mutlilingual doesnt really matter here – it may benefit you a little, but not like in Canada.
If you do only plan to come for 3 months I would say that the $3300 will last for most of it, espically if you have a casual job too. But it does depend on what you want to do. do you want to buy a car, get on a tour bus, do a bungee/sky dive ect. These things add up quick. What do you want to get out of NZ?
If you have family & friends, crash on their couch! Def take advantage of free accommodation where you can. I would say when you first arrive to take a tour of both islands… maybe do a Stray bus trip. You can meet other like minded travellers and see a lot of NZ. You may get a better feel of NZ and really know where you want to be based.
Why do you want to go to Auckland and Wellington? Just wondering…
talk soon…mike
Gavin said,
February 19, 2011 @ 7:37 am
Nice blog! Just found it as I was googling for info about hiking Rangitoto.
I saw the URL and instantly thought, it’s a Canadian blog! I’m a kiiwi who has just returned from 2 years living in the Banff National Park. Great to see you’re enjoying my country as much as I enjoyed yours
-Gavin
justgiver said,
February 20, 2011 @ 6:40 am
Thanks bro! Not many have caught on or at least mentioned the Canadian connection to ‘just giver’.. haha. Good on ya! Im glad you had a good 2 years in Canada. Banff is a pretty amazing spot. What were you doing?
Thanks for reading and commenting…cheers
Barbie Husby said,
March 1, 2011 @ 2:29 am
Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and everything. However think of if you added some great graphics or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with images and clips, this website could definitely be one of the greatest in its niche. Very good blog! Top Web Hosting. http://www.hostinginfinite.com
justgiver said,
March 12, 2011 @ 10:37 pm
Hey Bro,
thanks for the tips. Now that i have a go pro and just picked up a video camera from tourism nz Im hoping to get some more photage up. I totally agree with ya.. would benefit the blog to have more multi-media stuff.
Thanks for the tips and reading.
Cheers,
Mike
Zilvinas Juraska said,
March 1, 2011 @ 10:40 am
Hmm it appears like your website ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any tips and hints for inexperienced blog writers? I’d certainly appreciate it.
justgiver said,
March 12, 2011 @ 10:32 pm
Hey Mate,
My advice is just to keep at it! At the start you may not have many views, but dont let that discourage you. Try and keep a solid theme throughout it and having fun with it is the most important thing. If you are not enjoying blogging it will be hard to keep up as it will become a chore. So have fun and keep me posted!
cheers,
mike
paule@DigitalAwol.com said,
March 24, 2011 @ 3:19 am
Hi,
I wonder if you would like a domain http://www.newzealandtravel.net.nz/ and hosting for your Blog? also the possibility of being paid for your posts?
Drop me an email if you are interested
Paul
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LucidDream said,
August 6, 2011 @ 11:02 pm
Hey Mike!!
Really enjoying reading your blog, it’s getting me even more pumped for my trip!
I’m heading over to New Zealand in October and plan on staying the whole year. Unfortunately I can’t make it out until the week the RWC ends. I just finished high school this spring so it will be a HUGE change for me, but I can’t wait!
I hope to spend the first month or so picking my way down the island. Catch a bus to go from town to town, staying where ever catches my interest before finally settling somewhere (Queenstown is the plan, but that can always change if I fall in love with a different town).
I have been researching for 2 years now and know about a lot of the big attractions like jetboating, zorbing, bungy and sky diving, the spots where Narnia was filmed, Milford Sound, the Cadbury Chocolate festival, the natural springs in Rotorua. I know everywhere you go has amazing things to see that aren’t well known. Well kept secrets of the locals. Do you know of any of these??
I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie, however I am HUGE on learning and experiencing other cultures. Living as the locals live. Do you know of any cool things that you would recommend that aren’t widely known about???
I’m really excited for this trip and I want to absorb every last corner of New Zealand.
Thanks a lot!!!
Lauren
justgiver said,
August 7, 2011 @ 4:50 am
Hi Lauren.
Thanks for reading! That is great that you are heading to NZ.. you will love it!
queenstown is great.. it’s a fun place. think of it like whistler/banff of nz. ppl do tend to get trapped there as they get sucked into the party scene. it is an expensive place so bring lots of savings! going with the flow is great way to travel and having the flexibility will allow you to get the most out of your trip.
just talk with the locals when you are travelling. You will find in queenstown there are a lot of travellers.. canadians, americans, brits.. try and chill with locals as they have the inside knowledge. smaller communities will def take you under there wing and show you some unique spots…something to consider when you are choosing where you want to be. Regardless, where ever you end up it will be amazing
you may want to consider doing some wwoofing. you work at kiwi’s farms, houses, restaurtants, vineyards (whatever it is) and get free accommodation and food for your efforts. I havent done any, but have heard some great things about it. There are lots of festivals all over the country so take a look into those.. i did hear that the rodeo down in Nelson area is amazing and it isnt on a lot fo backpackers list of things to do.. i missed it last year but would be keen to see it!
let me know if oyu have any questions and i guess i will see you in oct!
cheers.
mike
LucidDream said,
August 9, 2011 @ 3:06 am
Hey Again!
Everyone keeps saying Queenstown is like Whistler! I hear that often so I’m slowly changing my opinion of it. I want to be able to see the country for its culture so staying in a tourist town may not offer me much there. I’ll visit for sure though!
What were some of your favourite things you got to see and do? I’m sure you’ll have most of them written about on your blog, but do you have a short form of things you would recommend someone to do?? I just don’t want to miss out on anything!
I have definitely looked into wwooofing as an option as I think that would be an awesome experience. I hope to do some couchsurfing as well as I think it would be a good way to meet more people. Have you done any of that on your trip??
Thanks for the tip off on the rodeo, I LOVE those kind of things and have already bookmarked pages on it and marked it on my calendar!!!
Are there any small towns you would recommend visiting that aren’t on most backpacker’s lists? I’l a small town girl, no doubt about that, so picking my way through some is a wonderful idea! I’m more drawn to the south island, have you seen much of the south island??
I know I am just full of questions and I really appreciate your time. I’m sure you understand just how excited I am for this trip, as you were once in this same spot!!
Thanks again and I can’t wait to fly out!
Lauren
justgiver said,
August 10, 2011 @ 2:33 am
Queenstown is pretty touristy and expensive, so you may want to consider callign somewhere else home.
I have really enjoyed being able to ride tracks all over NZ and riding with the locals. Some have been kind enough to share some of their secret spots, which is amazing. The favorite spot i visited not bike related would have to be Blue Duck Lodge on a Stray North Island tour. Amazing place and people. Getting into the back country on some hikes and staying at doc huts is great and I would totally recommend that. Dont just do the ‘great walks’ they recommend as sometimes they are full of ppl in the summer. Head to Raglan and learn to surf.. maybe buy a board and surf all over the country.
As for small towns… i really cant pick one and nothing jumps out in my mind. Take your time when travelling and head to the local pub. That is where you will meet the locals and find the ‘gems’ Ive been through a lot of the sourth island. I really enjoyed teh southern alps because of the stunning scenery and amazing riding. Maybe go on a horse trek… seen a couple travellers photos and that looks like an amazing opportunity. THe west coast is a wild place with some pretty unique individuals and that is where i got to stay with some friends in their house trucks… everyones adventure will be a little different.
Hope this helps. Soon enough you will be in NZ and the dream will become a reality!
Cheers,
Mike
neonomadresearch said,
August 10, 2011 @ 1:36 pm
Dear Mike,
First off apologies for sending such a big post on your blog, I couldn’t find an email address for you on here…
I am a current postgraduate student at Swansea University in the UK undertaking research for my thesis which is about the experiences of long-term travellers.
I have read excerpts of your blog (if only I had time to read it all!) and I am really keen to use it in my analysis. I am particularly interested in individual’s motivations for travel, new experiences and ideas of ‘home’. If you agree to let me use your blog as part of this research your identity is guaranteed to be kept strictly confidential and anonymous. I am purely interested in undertaking a content analysis of the textual narrative that you have presented in the blog in order to draw out meaning and deeper understandings, and of course you are more than welcome to view the research findings.
I would really appreciate your informed consent and assistance to go ahead to use your blog. (There is debate as to whether blogs are private/public so I have chosen to take the ethical approach and ask!)
Thank you very much for your time,
I look forward to hearing from you. (Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me)
Kind regards and happy travelling!
Natalia
justgiver said,
August 11, 2011 @ 12:03 am
HI Natalia,
Im keen to take part.. use what you like and I would love to view your research findings. Thanks for reading my blog. Ill email you so we can have direct contact rather than through the blog. I appreciate you asking for my consent rather than just using it. If you have any questions just hit me up on my email.
Cheers,
Mike
Anisha Nixion said,
August 14, 2011 @ 12:42 am
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Molly T said,
October 7, 2011 @ 4:09 am
Hey Mike!
also whats your favourite place you’ve seen in NZ? THANKS again
You’re blog has been very helpful and interesting to me. I discovered it while researching swap working holidays. I am from the NorthWest Territories, Canada and I am definitely doing a working holiday during my gap year. I am also 90% sure it will be in NewZealand. I plan on going with a good friend of mine, if all goes as planned. I have a few questions for you! How long in advance did you start preparing for your holiday? What kind of jobs did you have to choose from? Do you recommend going with a friend as opposed to alone? Also, I’m not sure if you can answer this one, but would I be able to easily apply for Canadian universities for the following year while still in NewZealand? Sorry for the 20 questions but I’d love to hear a first hand opinion on these subjects! I appreciate any help
Molly
justgiver said,
October 8, 2011 @ 1:10 am
Hi Molly.
Thanks for reading. No doubt you will have a great time if you do come to NZ. It is an amazing country.
Travelling alone or with a friend is good either way! Off the top of my head here are a couple positives for each. Only you can make the decision in the end.
Travelling with a friend allows:
- you to share the experience
- split costs
- you have someone to lean on in rough times
- someone who may take you out of your comfort zone
- there is safety in numbers
Travelling by yourself:
- you do what you want when you want
- become more indpendent
- easier to find work for one person, rather than two
- forced to meet new people since you are travelling a lone
- through SWAP you will meet heaps of people, so dont think that just because you come here a lone you will travel alone.
Now either way you will have a great time. I had a couple friends who said they wanted to come to NZ, but in the end they backed out. So plan on going a lone and if your friend does decide to travel with you GREAT! Make sure you want to do similar things. You may want to work on a farm, where you friend wants to work in a city. If you have similar plans it will make life easier.
There is a wide variety of work available in New Zealand. You can choose from fruit picking, cafe, ski field, hostel work, bar tending, tourism, admin… really there is pretty much everything available here. So you could find work similar to what you do in Canada or just take work as it comes a long. I wouldnt be too stressed on what kind of work you find. Come to NZ with a flexible attitude and you will do fine. I would maybe travel first and see where you want to live – then look for work.
I beleive you could apply for uni from NZ, but I would sort it before you leave. Get the paperwork done now and then all you have to do is apply later on. It is a realy pain in the ass to try and contact anyone in Canada because of the time difference and of the extra costs. So do a little work in Canada, get sorted and then come to NZ to travel. Dont think you will make enough money to pay the following years tuition after travelling. Usually your money here goes to life, activities and the bar. That is travelling. But it does come down to lifestyle and choices.
I have heaps of favourite places in NZ. Overall I just love the south island – it’s all about the mountains and bike tracks for me. So it is paradise. I loved milford sound – the most beautiful spot in NZ. You could score a job working on a boat there easily. But then there is some stuning spots in the North Island too – national park, raglan, bay of islands, east cape… argh. To tough of questions. eheh The amazing thing is that it is such a small country you can easily get around and see it all, which is totally different to Canada since we have a HUGE country.
Let me know if you have anyother questions. I hope Ive helped. When do you plan on arriving?
Cheers,
Mike
Molly T said,
October 8, 2011 @ 3:41 am
thanks for all the great advice
It is really helpful to hear from a first hand account. I think I would be leaving the summer of 2013. How far in advance did you apply with SWAP before you actually went to NZ?
Ashley Harding's Photo Blog said,
October 21, 2011 @ 3:34 am
Hi,
I’ve come across your website through the SWAP forums. I was thinking of going to New Zealand in the next year and I was wondering about one thing. How easy/difficult do you think it would be for someone to get along in New Zealand without having a driver’s license or car? Are there clubs you can sign up for, or buses that take you to some of the locations on your ‘must do list’ like waitomo caves or the tongariro pass?
I’ve lived a long time without getting a driver’s license and I know it’s coming to the point in my life where it may be a hindrance but it is very unlikely that I will be back in Canada for any length of time before heading to New Zealand.
What do you think?
Thanks for writing the blog. It’s nice to have some first hand accounts. I’ll be referring back here as I plan.
Cheers,
Ashley Harding
justgiver said,
October 24, 2011 @ 8:19 pm
Hey Ashley!
It is very easy to get around without having a license. You could use public transport, grab a ride with some other travellers (somebody always wants to split on gas) or buy a adventure travel bus pass ie Stray, KiwiExperience, Magic Bus.. I would go with Stray!! My number 1 choice. Stray will take you to all the popular spots and to some pretty spectacular secret spots as well! They do hit up Waitomo and the crossing as well. Check them out at http://www.straytravel.com/
A lot of travellers use the bus systems to get around, so I dont think you will have a problem.
Thanks for reading and please hit me up if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Mike
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April 18, 2012 @ 4:22 pm
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Vaughan said,
September 12, 2012 @ 9:24 am
Hey Mike, great blog buddy, To all of your followers, Waiheke island is a must place to go to while in Auckland, and if you get the chance , Great barrier island is something else….