Currently in Nz and have 4 months unplanned - ideas?!

Hi,

I arrived in Auckland 17 Jan, the whole trip was pretty last minute and I have been staying with friends for a few weeks now. I am going on Kiwi Exp on Mon 9th Feb, and have been reading up alot on it. Im 19, young free and single and I love a party but im scared the Kiwi Bus might be a bit too much for me but I will see how it goes, I only read bad reports after booking... I am tired of reading quite depressing entrys from middle aged men making young people sound like no-brainers just out to have 'fun'. Well I don't know about others but having fun is not a crime although I do see the point and I don't want to miss the country I came to see.
Once im back around early March I have a good while free. Im presuming I will be low on money so a job is on the cards, does anyone have any good cheap ideas or work suggestions? I go home 30 June 09 so maybe if i work for a while I will get up more funds to do something else.
Thanks
Hayley

Kia ora Hayley,

My name's Ricki, I work at Kiwi Experience. Stoked to hear you're travelling with us. I'm sure you'll have a great time. I see you're looking for work here. I'd recommend stopping in Nelson if it's on your pass. There's normally heaps of fruit picking jobs there at this time of year. The pay's ok for a traveller, it'll get you by, and the work's fairly easy.

If you haven't yet, check out our facebook group: Kiwi Experience - the offical group. I think work in New Zealand has been discussed there before. Sometimes people write on the wall when they plan to start their trip, you might find someone leaving on the same day as you.

I hope you have a great time.

Be well, travel safe, haere ra.
Ricki - Kiwi Experience

"Im 19, young free and single and I love a party"

and you're irish?! You are everything that is great in this world.

...

I shoulda never left....

seriously though. I love a good drinking session and acting like an idiot and partying. but I didn't really enjoy the kiwi bus. it really all depends on the group you get. if you're not gettin' on too well just stay behind and join the next group. Hopefully you find a cool group.

my suggestion. get out of auckland if you haven't already. Then go to Mt. Maunganui or Wellington. I suggest Wellington. Wellington is seriously the greatest city on earth. You can lose track of time once you get there. It's such a compact little city with all the necessities in a nice little area. I spent a little over two months there partying 5 nights a week. my best friends were irish and I was seeing a girl from galway. It was grand. They really tested my liver. There is also tons of work there too mostly in bars or restaurants or hostels.

at some point you'll definitely want to get around to doing the other things as well...bungy, glacier climbing, skydiving, swimming with dolphins in kaikoura, Milford sound.. all that stuff is pretty amazing!

Considering you like to have a good time you'll want to set aside a good amount of time for queenstown as well. Maybe even work there. that place is mad!

Lol your reply made me laugh. Im on kiwi at the moment we are back in auckland from up north and heading south tomorrow, i don't plan to stay in auckland or do anything as we have friends here so i can do everything here later on with them.
I think i will just see how my money goes, it's hard i am enjoying the whole experience and i have met tons of people but everyone is doing different things so finding someone to travel with or stay with etc is hard so i want to stay with the few people going my direction although if i find good work in somewhere i love i will do that. Maybe i will do kiwi in the same time as others not spending too much extra everywhere else as i have only enough money to do the basics anyweay and then pick my favourite place and find work there.
I want to make proper friends not just party goers as i wil find my self back to square one again every morning and after a while that is tiresome!
come back to Nz if you loved it

There's a good chance I'll head back to Wellington in the future. but I'm lookin to make it over to Ireland next...I have to find a wife eventually...haha

I say stop in wellington find a job and find some shared housing somewhere and get away from the hostels. once you get there you will see what I mean. It's just a very lively city. plus after a week you'll be able to walk anywhere within 15 minutes.