Dishin’ with the Diva

The Diva’s Trippin’

Sorry about the long absence; your friendly neighborhood Trip Diva is actually tripping. I’ve been in New Zealand since the beginning of April. I spent about a week in Auckland, then headed north to the Bay of Islands, and I’m currently on a Stray hop-on, hop-off backpacker bus heading down south to the capitol city of Wellington, where I’m hoping to find a job and stay for at least several weeks.

One thing that’s been quite a change for me is not to have a specific plan. I try to not be too much of a slave to the schedule when traveling, since that’s just a path to unhappiness, but I do have at least a rough itinerary in my head. Not this time. I knew I would fly into Auckland and spend a couple of days there, but I didn’t know what I was going to do next. I don’t know what I’ll do once I decide to leave Wellington, either. But that will hopefully be a little ways off yet.

Once I’m semi-settled in a spot, there will be updates and my take on Auckland. But for now, internet access is sporadic at best, and the time to sit at the computer and post is quite limited – and the last thing I want to do most of the time is sit at the computer when I can be sampling the best New Zealand has to offer.

Working Holiday Visas

If you are interested in finding a way to work during longer holiday – legally – a working holiday visa may be an option for you, depending on your nationality, age and destination. It lets you enter the country for a maximum amount of time and find seasonal/temporary work to help fund your travels.

Most working holiday visa programs are geared towards students or recent graduates, so you’re left with few options if you’re over 30. Also, US citizens have fewer options than citizens of Commonwealth countries (the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.).

After doing some research, I discovered that New Zealand does grant working holiday visas to applicants between 31 and 35, but you have to apply through an organization called BUNAC. The application process is surprisingly pain-free, and BUNAC’s fees seem to be quite reasonable.

If you even think you would like to take a working holiday, you should pursue that option as early in your life as possible; sadly, the older you are, the fewer your options. But if you really want one, don’t automatically assume you have no options just because you’re over 30 – if you do some research, you may find something you didn’t expect. And if you can’t get a working holiday visa, you may still be able to apply for a temporary work visa, or find other ways to stretch your travel budget for a longer vacation.