I started the draft of this post (well, actually just the post title) some 6 months ago. And then left it on the shelves. Now, 9 months in (already?!), I can only say it’s never too late to start a post while I’m still in New Zealand, right? So here goes my little reflection on the lead-up to my working holiday in New Zealand. To cover the past 9 months might require a couple of posts. For a start, check out my posts on the Routeburn Track & packing for tramps in NZ!
Before New Zealand
The idea
A working holiday, or more generally, woofing and help exchange (or working for accommodation) has been on my radar since I was 16 years old. I’ve read about it in travel journals and books about them being a means to extended travel and experiencing another country, which is less financially straining. I’ve dreamt, but never really had the guts or the conviction to make as big a deviation to my life as a gap year overseas with no concrete productive plan. And so, thoughts remained thoughts, and they got left in an almost forgotten corner as I struggled with the demands of the rat race and adulting.
I went to university, took a Master’s degree, graduated, got my first job, experienced Covid, changed jobs, changed jobs again… I thought I’d be in the 9-to-6 office job life for some time as I climbed the ladder. As I should be doing. As everyone else was doing. But frustration has always been there, and so is a general feeling of being stuck and lost and directionless.
I’m an active Instagram user and guilty of doom scrolling after a long work day. It was there that I saw stories of an acquaintance’s working holiday journey in New Zealand. She shared her leap of faith, new experiences, job hunting, putting herself out of her comfort zone, etc. It reminded me that this was something I’ve always wanted to do as well.
Early on in my first job, I struggled with the lack of structure. A senior at work told me to take it slow and go along with the flow, but I was eager to know where I stood in terms of progress and how the progress bar looked. I wanted something measurable and concrete and was constantly frustrated by the lack of it. Not only that, I didn’t want to waste my time, and I wanted every task to contribute to my linear progress upwards. I remember in my second job, the HR cautioned me against my demand for structure.
The tipping point
A working holiday is viewed as a detour from or side track to our lives (the normal and rightful one). As a generally conforming and studious being, I needed a reason to take the detour. A reason strong enough to convince myself to take the unconventional path. The circumstances were brewing for a change in my life after numerous setbacks and dissatisfaction with my jobs. I was languishing in three different jobs in different industries. I just can’t seem to find sustained joy at work.
My last job was especially demanding, and it was a wake-up call for a change in my life. I was obsessed with work performance and giving too much at work whilst not having enough for people around me and myself. Suffering a burnout and being mentally drained were enough for me to call it a stop.
After jumping into my jobs one after another, I thought perhaps it was time for a break and a rethink of life. As far as I was aware, Singapore only has a working holiday partnership with NZ and Australia. I decided on NZ as I thought NZ was much further and isolated than Australia geographically, making it a less likely destination I’d visit in the future. A bonus was the lower visa fees for NZ WHV compared to Aussie WHV when I applied in 2023.
The in-between
It took almost one year between deciding to go on my working holiday and boarding my flight to New Zealand. In between, I spent time on a couple of things which I thought were worthwhile. One of which was going on a holiday with my mother and sister. We don’t go on family holidays much, and I haven’t been spending quality time with her because of my job obsession. If there was one thing I’d regret not doing enough it will be spending time with her and creating the memories we’ll cherish (well, the holiday left trauma for her as well, but that’s another story), much more so if it was because I’ve been dedicating all my time to work.
The other thing I’ve spent time on was learning new skills, such as creating this blog, creating my website using Jekyll, and dabbling in Python. I also went on a backpacking trip to China and took the overland route back to Singapore, another item on my bucket list which I’ve put off until then. I must also admit that I am lucky and privileged that I could do this without worrying too much about the financials.
Preparation – the logistics/admin
When the working holiday visa is granted, there is a condition for entry into New Zealand within a year of the approval letter. I entered New Zealand about a month before the expiry of the year in June 2024. On my excel sheet, the list of tasks included opening a NZ bank account, getting a IRD number, purchasing an insurance, and prettifying my CV and cover letter.
The community
When I was researching the details and logistics of a working holiday in New Zealand – job hunting, bank account, accommodation, etc.- I discovered a community group on Facebook & Telegram for Singapore-based individuals who have been, are going, or are interested in a working holiday in NZ. It’s called Yang Meh Meh (or YMM in short) which is translated to “Sheep Baa Baa” in English, with “Baa Baa” being the sound that the sheep makes (except in Mandarin, the sound that a sheep makes is “meh meh”). Questions were readily answered by the community, and a search on the chat for past QnAs provides a superb resource for the uninitiated.
They also organise a gathering in Singapore every quarter or so, and I attended one before flying to NZ. At the gathering, I met other Singaporeans who shared similar reasons for their interest in an NZ working holiday. They were seeking a change in their life, work burnout, etc. A couple of individuals also went to the gathering to decide if they should take the leap.
One lady I met at the gathering shared that she booked the flight from Singapore to Auckland with Singapore Airlines using miles. I barely started on the miles game (or have I really started?) and was pretty envious.
Financials
There are a couple of banks which the WHV community uses including BNZ bank, ANZ bank, kiwi bank, etc. I went with ANZ bank as it was the largest banking provider in NZ and that felt like the safest choice in terms of convenient, security, network, etc. While in Singapore, I went online and submitted an application to open a bank account with them. The form was pretty straight forward to fill in and it took around a week for them to get back to me on my account activation appointment details (date, time, branch). The email they sent also contained my account number which was pretty much useless at the moment since the account hasn’t been activated yet.
Apart from the NZ bank account, I also opened an account with Wise for the purpose of transferring initial funds. It was a cheaper way of doing currency conversion from SGD to NZD and sending it through to my NZ bank account. It did take some time (more than a couple of hours if memory serves me right) for the funds to be reflected in my NZ account so some planning is required. Wise had a fee for issuing a physical card which I refused to pay for so I made do without. I transferred an initial funds of NZD$4035 (SGD$3343) into my ANZ account via Wise with the intent of purchasing a car.
As for cash, I didn’t bring any NZ dollars with me from Singapore. I did bring some US dollars and Singapore dollars for emergency use. For obtaining NZ cash, I brought my YouTrip card along since it not only had decent exchange rates but also allowed up to SGD$400 of ATM withdrawal per month without any service charges. As a backup option, I had opened a Revolut account as well just in case I needed to withdraw cash in excess of the YouTrip allowance. Revolut has a free withdrawal limit of NZD$350 (or up to 5 withdrawals) per month. I ended up not using my Revolut card/account at all but I like having backup options.
Finally, I brought along credit cards such as the UOB Kris Flyer card in an attempt to start my miles game. It went fine until a series of fraudulent transactions on my two UOB credit cards (the KrisFlyer, and the Absolute Cashback) got me apprehensive about using UOB cards. I stuck with YouTrip after the episodes.
IRD
The IRD number is your tax number which was required for any employment. I applied for an IRD number after touching down in NZ since the process for that appeared more straightforward. Easy form filling on the web. Within 3 days, my IRD number was in my inbox. Easy as. Much more hassle free than I’d imagined the process to be.
Job hunting
This was the painful part. By the time I started job hunting, the ski fields had already completed their hiring for the season. I realised after-the-fact that applications for the winter season opens around March. Like many others, I had wanted to try to get an office job/contract job as the first choice. That didn’t work out as rejections came through the inbox one after another. Many times it was received the day after I’ve sent out the application. How demoralising.
As the date for departure drew closer, I shifted my target to securing a job. Period. I sent my CV to a fish&chips stall in Queenstown, countless dairy farms, Talleys, ski equipment shop, Milford sound cruise operators, etc. I used portals such as Seek, Fonterra Dairy, pick.nz, and backpacker boards. By the time of departure, I had one phone interview done and no offers in hand.
Cellular plan
Cellular internet connection is a top priority these days. Not just for the entertainment and keep in touch with families/friends but most importantly for way finding in a foreign land. Sure I downloaded offline maps on Google but nothing beats the security of having quick access to answered and ability to make bookings on the go.
A lady who had just returned to Singapore from NZ was selling her NZ SIM card and leftover data plan so I bought it from her. It was a Kogan plan with 3 months left going at NZD$40. The main draw was the ability to be connected once I touch down.
When I touched down in Christchurch and did a quick search online, I realised Kogan run frequent promotions (the one I saw was likely in line with Matariki celebrations) of great value. The only tricky part is getting a SIM card. But I’ve heard you could potentially purchase a Spark SIM card for NZD$2 from the arrival hall — and maybe somehow load the Kogan voucher code?
The flight
I took the less smart way of flying Scoot to Melbourne and then Jetstar to Christchurch. It added up to SGD$600 with the purchase of luggage allowance and a lacklustre in-flight meal. As it was a self-transfer in Melbourne, I had to get an Australia ETA beforehand, clear immigration after touchdown, retrieve my 2 backpacks and 1 duffel bag, sit around and wait for the check-in counter to open, check in for my second flight, and then sit around more before boarding the flight. Not a worthwhile experience for the price. Especially not when biosecurity clearance is required in both Australia and New Zealand.
New Zealand
Spending the first night at Lylo Christchurch
I arrived in New Zealand late at night with my belongings consisting of a 40-litre backpack, a 35-litre backpack and a duffle for everything I couldn’t fit into the backpacks (I’m guessing it’s 15-litre?). My flight was scheduled to land at 12.05 am, so I was glad that affordable hostel accommodation was available within walking distance from Christchurch International Airport.
Immigration clearance was smooth since everything was digital. No need to stand in a long queue waiting to see an officer! However, biosecurity clearance was more tiresome. I had declared my hiking gear (tent and hiking boots), emergency medicines (panadol etc.) and the packet of Muji instant soup my friend had gifted me. There was just one issue. Being the disorganised person I am, I had no pre-planning awareness to get these things into an easy-to-access place for ease of inspection.
As I dug around frantically for the items, with the officer waiting beside me, I realised I couldn’t find my tent pegs! After a deeper search and more tossing things around, I finally found those new pegs. “Oh, you should’ve said it’s new. If it’s new, it’s fine,” said the officer as he put all the items into a screened bag.
Whilst he was ok with my newish camping gear and boots, he did have reservations about the packet of Muji instant soup. After some consideration, he gave it a no-go, citing the dehydrated chicken as the concern.
I arrived at Lylo exhausted from the bio-security screening, travel, and heavy luggage. Moreover, it was 1.40 am on a cold winter night. I was dreading the thought of returning my trolley to the airport. Thankfully, the receptionist told me I could just leave it outside the hostel, and it would be taken care of.
As I walked around to orientate myself, I stumbled upon the lounge area. It was a large and spacious area with vending machines and made for a nice place to chill out in. I bought a Charlie’s Orange juice and gulped down the bottle to rehydrate.
Lylo’s bunks are organised in pods. This was great for privacy, but I found them slightly claustrophobic and generally too compact for my liking. Anyhow, that was my first night in New Zealand!
By the time I woke up past 8.30 am, all of my room mates had departed from the hostel. I had booked a night at Drifter’s downtown, so that was my destination for the day. I packed all my belongings, dressed warmly, and set off from Lylo. As I huffed and puffed to the ATM at Woolworths, I started to question the weight of my backpacks and the decision not to get a suitcase. How I wished for wheels to ease the load… At least, it was a beautiful and fine day.
The second night at Drifter’s Christchurch
I had arrived at the Christchurch bus interchange and spent some time registering for a Metro card. The process was pretty straightforward — fill up some form and provide the payment. They accepted card payment, which was pretty convenient. Drifters was located just a 5-minute walk away from the bus interchange. Short enough, but it’s still a matter of willpower when you have too much to carry. Since it was before check-in time, I stored my backpacks in the hostel and carried a small day pack out.
Lunch was falafel opposite the road at Zak’s Kebab House. It was average – not bad, but nothing to rave about either. I remember still being hungry after the quick bite. Next, I went to Ricarrton and did my first supermarket shopping trip at Woolworths. I got some milk, apples, price-reduced vegetables, quick-sale hummus, feijoa smoothie, an onion and a tomato. Looking at the receipt, I was shocked by the price of tomatoes in New Zealand (granted, it was winter) as it costs NZD$1.26 for one tomato (NZD$11.99/kg)!! Not the prices I was used to, but I will soon get used to.
After depositing my groceries at the hostel and checking in, I strolled along the street to the Riverside Market. It felt like an atas up-scale food court, like something you’d find in Singapore’s Bukit Timah or Downtown region. In hindsight, the prices at the Riverside Market were pretty average and alright. Dinner was Souvlaki at Dimitris Greek Food, and it was so mouth-watering delicious. Still the best food I’ve had in New Zealand thus far and for such great value! The day ended with gelato ice cream at Rollickin Gelato. I tried 4 flavours before deciding on pineapple chocolate, and the crew was nice and patient throughout.
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