Backpacking New Zealand

New Zealand is very backpacker friendly, and not just because it is a cheap way to see this beautiful part of the Earth, it is also undoubtedly one of the best ways to meet people from New Zealand itself and other countries, to pick up tips from other travelers, and find out where to obtain the best deals.

The backpacker should find that there are plenty of package deals and the currency exchange rate remains very favorable for European and North American visitors. There are so many places to visit and for those who dislike traveling to the same old places as everyone else, some of the hidden – or less known about – wonders of New Zealand are just as worth a visit as the famous ones. In short, New Zealand is backpacker heaven!

Working around New Zealand
Many backpackers choose to work whilst they are in New Zealand in order to supplement their funds. However, first you must ensure you have the correct visa. If, for example, you are traveling on a short-term visitor visa, you are ordinarily not permitted to work. If you do, this constitutes breach of your visa conditions and you may be deported.

Many backpackers find casual employment in the vineyards in summer and spring, bars (both bar work and waiting work), temporary agency work and so on. Jobs are advertised in the daily newspapers and backpacker and temporary work agencies can also help place you.

Places to Visit
Auckland (North Island)

Most visitors to New Zealand will come in through this city, which is the largest in New Zealand and holds more than one-third of NZ’s total population. It is known as the ‘City of Sails’ for good reason; the amount of boats and yachts sitting in Auckland’s harbors and inlets exceeds those of any other city in the world. Auckland is not only known for its great shopping and dining venues, it also has many wonderful surf beaches within easy reach of the heart of the city.

Wellington (North Island)

In the south of the North Island is the nation’s capital. It is best known for its inhabitants’ devotion to culture and the arts. This is a clean beautiful city and a convenient jumping-off point to South Island.

Bay of Islands

Situated in the northern part of North Island, Bay of Islands is one of the biggest tourist attractions in NZ owing to its sheer idyllic beauty. Tourists can hire a boat or yacht for the day, or join a cruise, and jump off at one of the many secluded islands and swim over to little lakes and lagoons. It is also a good place to go fishing. Particularly popular are the high-speed boat tours through the ‘Hole in the Rock’, a natural rock formation. The towns nearby also have plenty of accommodation and great restaurants.

Ninety-Mile Beach

A huge stretch of beach on North Island’s north-west coast. Most visitors choose to visit Ninety-Mile Beach on the way to or on the way back from Cape Reinga, which is the northernmost tip of New Zealand’s North Island and is the point at which you can watch the spectacular meeting of two oceans, the Pacific and the Tasman Sea.

Lake Taupo

An extraordinarily beautiful area. Visitors go to lounge around in the natural hot springs or parachute from the skies over the picturesque lake area.

Rotorua

Rotorua is a small city lying on the edge of Lake Rotorua on North Island. Surrounding Rotorua is what is labeled a ‘geothermal wonderland’ by tour guides. There are boiling mud poils, geysers and steaming cracks in the earth, all accompanied by a very strong, somewhat acrid, sulfurous smell. Rotorua is a good place to see some traditional Maori culture, either in a museum or at a marae (Maori meeting house).

South Island – the amazing beauty of South Island reminded early European settlers of the fiords of Scandanavia. Hence, the name given to one of its biggest tourist attractions, Fiordland National Park.


Fiordland National Park