Work & Travel New Zealand
12 months' job support & the best of both islands
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£2,349
2349
Group Size: Avg 6-18
Trip code: ABAD
Duration: Up to 12 months
Ultimate New Zealand Work & Travel is the dream Kiwi working holiday. Kick off with 17 days touring the highlights of both North and South islands, before starting your job hunt. You’ll have 12 months’ access to our massive jobs database and the full support of our amazing local jobs team (who will set you up with everything you need to live and work in NZ), so you’ll find your dream job in no time. With salaries averaging around £10ph and jobs available all over the country, it’s the perfect way to explore beautiful New Zealand without breaking the bank. Best of all, you’ll be starting your adventure with a ready-made travel crew, so as well as building your CV and seeing some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet, you’ll make some friends for life.
Trip highlights
- Live and work anywhere in New Zealand for 12 months
- Enjoy the full support of our jobs team and access to our jobs database
- Build your CV and earn a competitive salary doing a range of awesome jobs
- Explore some of the most beautiful places on Earth on our 17-day tour, including Milford Sound, Lake Taupo, Tekapo and Wanaka
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- 100% Financially Secure
- We have provided financial bonds which guarantee that your money is totally safe with Gap 360 Ltd.
- 16 nights’ accommodation
- 9 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 3 dinners
- Group leader
- Airport transfer on arrival
- All on-trip transport
- NZ bank account, IRD number & SIM card
- Unlimited access to the NZ jobs app
- Work in NZ presentation
- CV building and interview skills
- Unlimited job finding assistance and advice
- Auckland city orientation
- Waiheke Island day trip
- Waitomo glow-worm caves boat tour
- Hobbiton film set tour
- Kerosene creek
- Wai-O-Tapu thermal pools
- Kuirau geothermal park
- Maori cultural experience
- Lake Taupo sunset sailing
- Huka Falls
- Hot springs
- Queenstown city tour
- Canyon jet boating
- Milford Sound cruise
- Lord of the Rings tour
- Wanaka kayaking to Ruby Island
- Mount Cook/Aoraki National Park
- Mt John Hike, Lake Tekapo
- Hot springs star gazing experience
- 24-hour emergency support
- International flights
- Visas
- Insurance
- Return airport transfers
- Most meals
- Snacks and drinks
- Optional activities
Enjoy 17 days touring the highlights of North and South Islands, before spending up to 12 months living and working in New Zealand.
17 day tour
Days 1 - 2: Auckland & Waiheke Island. Welcome to New Zealand! Spend your first day relaxing, getting to know the group and enjoying the nightlife. On day 2, take an orientation tour of amazing Auckland, before the jobs team set you up with all the essentials you’ll need for living and working in New Zealand, Then hop on the ferry to beautiful Waiheke Island where we’ll explore, cool off in the ocean and enjoy a beach BBQ before heading back to Auckland ready for a night out.
Day 3: Waitomo, Hobbiton & Rotorua. Enjoy a spot of magic with a stop at Waitomo’s famous glow-worm caves for a fairy-tale boat trip, lit up by the fluorescent insects. Next, it’s a treat for Tolkien fans as we explore the real life Hobbiton, before continuing on to Rotorua.
Day 4: Get to know Rotorua. Take a dip in the naturally heated waters of Kerosene Creek before heading to Wai-O-Tapu for geysers, volcanic craters and bubbling mud pools. Then have a crack at the skyline luge or try Rotorua’s signature sport – zorbing.
Day 5: Kuirai Park & Maori village. Spend the day in Kuirau Park today with hot springs, mud pools and natural ‘foot spas.’ Spend the afternoon in an authentic Maori village preparing a traditional meal and enjoying authentic performances.
Day 6: Lake Taupo. Check out beautiful Taupo, for lake views and snow-capped mountains. The sunset cruise we’ve got lined up this evening is out of this world.
Day 7: Huka Falls & hot springs. Witness the power of Mother Nature today at Huka Falls before a soak in some natural hot springs – bliss.
Day 8: Back to Auckland. Spend a free afternoon in amazing Auckland and get ready to fly south tomorrow.
Days 9 - 10: Queenstown. Take the short flight to Queenstown before a fun night out with the crew! On day 10 we’ll take you on an orientation tour, before whizzing through a canyon at 80kmh on a jet-boat!
Day 11: Milford Sound. Cruise into the heart of Fjordland, through the dreamy landscapes of Milford Sound. Soak up views of one of the most beautiful places on Earth, before spending a night in Te Anau.
Days 12 - 13: Tolkien landscapes & Wanaka. Take a scenic mountain drive, stopping at some of the filming locations from Lord of the Rings. Explore Wanaka, with a stop at the iconic Wanaka Tree, star of Insta,and a special kayaking expedition out to Ruby Island, the jewel in Wanaka’s crown. Then catch the boat back ready for another night with the gang.
Days 14 - 15: Lake Tekapo & Hooker Valley hike. Enjoy the next couple of days on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Take the famous Hooker Valley Hike and spend an evening soaking in a hot spring in Tekapo’s dark sky reserve – one of the best places in the world for stargazing.
Days 16 - 17: Queenstown & working holiday session. Head back to Queenstown, where we’ll set you up with everything you need for working and living in New Zealand. You’ll get tons of advice on CV building, job finding, interview skills, and more! Then enjoy a farewell dinner with the gang.
Living and working in New Zealand
Once the tour leg of the trip is over, it’s time to start your new life in New Zealand! Our jobs team are available to you throughout the entire duration of your stay, so you’ll always have our support.
The programme includes:
- Two comprehensive work sessions where you’ll find out about looking for jobs, interview techniques, creating a CV for the NZ jobs’ market and more
- Unlimited support from the jobs team after the tour is over
- Access to our online jobs database
- Advice on finding accommodation
- Kiwi bank account and SIM card
- IRD (Inland Revenue Department) Number
- Advice and access to any training courses you need
- Visa information
- Departure advice
For more information on jobs available please download the trip notes.
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Online booking isn't currently available but if you'd like to enquire please use the form below. Alternatively if you'd like to discuss alternate trips or if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to contact us.Most expensive: £1,803 July, 2023
Arrive in Auckland Airport (AKL) on day 1 of your trip. There are no activities on this day so arrive at a time that suits you. We’ll include a transfer from the airport that will take you to your starting accommodation. Check in, dump your stuff and meet the rest of your group, or chill out after your flight. If you decide to arrive before your start date, we’ll still pick you up from the airport and can book you into the hostel from your arrival day. You’ll need to pay for any additional nights of accommodation.
Accommodation
This trip includes 16 nights of hostel accommodation (during the tour section of the trip). All rooms are on a mixed dorm-style basis with shared bathrooms. All hostels have Wi-Fi, kitchen and dining areas and laundry rooms.
Long-term accommodation
After the tour section of the trip (days 1 – 17) is over, you’ll need to arrange your own accommodation while living and working in New Zealand. Many of our travellers rent an apartment with the friends they’ve made during the tour. Alternatively, you may like to extend your stay in a hostel. Many hostels offer cheaper rates for long-term stays. Renting is usually a cheaper option, but hostels offer more flexibility, so it depends on what your priorities are. Our team in New Zealand will give you lots of advice and help you in your search for suitable accommodation.
Meals
This trip includes 9 breakfasts, 2 lunch and 3 dinners (during the tour stage of the trip). You’ll need to buy the rest of your meals, snacks and drinks yourself, but with cooking facilities at all the hostels and access to some great restaurants and bars, you won’t go hungry
Due to Working Holiday Visa (WHV) age restrictions, this trip is only available to 18–30-year-olds. Working Holiday Visas are usually valid for 12 or 23 months. You’ll need to apply for your visa before travelling. We can help organise this for you at an additional cost (speak to your travel adviser for more information), or you can apply online yourself.
To be eligible for a Work Visa, you must:
- Hold a valid passport
- Be aged between 18 and 30 years old
- Have a minimum of NZ$350 a month or NZ$4200 for 12 months to support yourself during your trip
- Have a return ticket or sufficient funds to buy a ticket
- Meet health and character requirements
- Not previously have been approved a permit or visa under a Working Holiday scheme
- Your passport should be valid for a minimum of three months from your date of exit
Find out more about the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa here. Visa requirements are subject to change so make sure you check before you travel.
This trip requires you to show evidence that you have been fully vaccinated against covid-19 (final dose administered a minimum of 14 days prior to the start of the trip).
This trip is designed with your safety and wellbeing in mind. As a result of Covid-19, many of our suppliers and partners around the world are introducing new policies and procedures surrounding health and safety in response to the Coronavirus outbreak. As the state of travel is evolving these new safety measures will adapt over time, and will be different for each trip. Here are some of the changes you may see on your trip:
Arrival safety meetings
Most trips have an arrival meeting on the first day where the guide or local team will run through the trip, the safety protocols, and to answer any questions you may have. Now more than ever it is important you arrive in time for these meetings.
Proof of vaccination or negative covid test
For the safety of all travellers, at the start of some trips you may be required to show evidence that you are fully vaccinated (14 days after your second dose) and/or show evidence of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the tour start date in order to join the programme.
Updated hygiene and safety procedures
Our suppliers and partners have health and safety procedures in place on all of our trips. These protocols will be updated and adapted as a response to the Coronavirus outbreak, dependent on local restrictions and laws.
Transport and accommodation choices
Our suppliers and partners choose the accommodation and transport on our trips very carefully, and you may see a change to what would normally be used as a response to the outbreak. This may involve such changes as enhanced use of private transport or quieter accommodation.
Trained and knowledgeable staff
Our staff in the UK are trained to help you with your trip before you depart and answer any questions you may have. In addition, the local team and guides on our trips are there to help with any health and safety concerns and to ensure our trips run safely and smoothly.
Reduced group sizes
Some trips will run with reduced group sizes to start with. You may find that trips are more intimate and chilled, whilst still being packed with fun and adventure.
Healthcare
Your guide or the local team will be on hand to help you seek medical attention should you require it during your trip. As medical facilities and standards can vary around the world, you should ensure you have adequate travel insurance in place before you depart to cover you for any medical emergencies.
24/7 emergency support
We operate an emergency phone line for our travellers abroad. This is operated by a UK based member of staff 24/7 if you have a genuine emergency or urgent matter that you need attending.
It is important that you take measures to make travelling safer for yourself and others around you. Ensure you frequently wash your hands, cover your face when you sneeze and cough, bring and use your own hand sanitiser and facial coverings/masks, and enable social distancing where necessary. You should also ensure you listen to the instructions and guidance of the local team at all times, and follow all local laws and restrictions.