Snap Shot

Really ?

Maybe go to Australia first. Larger population density. Maybe more jobs. The downside being more people chasing them.

If you come to NZ first, looking for work, you will probably lose the will to live and that will undermine your confidence for Australia.

If you go to Australia first whilst your confidence is still high then have NZ as a holiday, for a rest and visit a few people if you want to, on your way home.

If you get work in NZ also, then that's all well and good.

Perry Groves

Not bad. just waiting for summer to load

scottishstacey

Thanks guys. Unfortunately I wont be going to new Zealand first because I've already paid for my Australian visa. Need to be there by the 12th of September 2013.

Just have to hope that I can find work out there or I'm kinda screwed lol. I have family in Melbourne and online friends from another forum that I've known for years. some of them have offered me a bed/couch if I need one and some job suggestions like cafes they know etc. going to try and do it without any help but its nice of them to offer and also for you guys to say about meeting up

Im going to book my flight in March or april, don't have enough money to book and pay one right now

MrsFychan

whoops you missed the time line

Personally I would look at taking up some offers, if they are not genuine then they will come up with an excuse but if they are then you will be sorted.

Couchsurfing is a good site and might aid the odd day here and there and obviously there will be back packers hostels.

scottishstacey

haha ooops!!! I'm a muppet

Yeah i'll probably take one or two of the offers, some of them ive been chatting to for years so it'll be nice to finally meet them. Ive never looked properly at couchsurfing but will do. Im a member of the helpx website so there's some cool places I can stay like animal sanctuary type places etc! I'll definitely stay in hostels but hopefully not for too long since it can definitely add up financially plus I don't think I could cope living in one permanently lol

BEVS

We know the daughter of a UK friend of ours who is currently doing a one year working holiday via in Oz by herself & is having a really good time of it.

You'll soon hook up .

scottishstacey

Hey bevs

Yeah I'm sure I'll be fine! I've got plenty backpacker pages on Facebook etc. Just going to book into a hostel for a week and take it from there

scottishstacey

I'm starting to think a year in new Zealand would be a really cool idea after Australia. Or do you think a month or two would be enough to see most things?

Pom_Chch

Well, I've been living here two years now and still feel like I've only scratched the surface when it comes to things to see and do in NZ

I say go for it, you're only young once and all that jazz. You could always get a ticket that you can change so if you do come here for just a couple of months and want to go back then you have the option to do so.

scottishstacey

wow I cant believe that's been 2 years, that's ridiculous!! I get depressed when I find out things like that lol ive wasted so much time!

I'd love to travel most of new Zealand but right now 2 years sounds such a long time. although it obviously isn't since I cant believe you've been over there for that time! I'd really like to spend some time in Auckland, maybe live there for a few months if I was staying for the year. desperate to go to Queenstown too.

My plan at the moment is to just go to Australia on a one way flight but have the money in the account for the return when I'm ready. That way it means I can go onto new Zealand if I want and make my way home from there or if I wanted to go somewhere else like asia. I've looked at one way flights from Australia, new Zealand and asia to the UK and they don't seem to be drastically more expensive than the opposite way.

Pom_Chch

Perfect

Thing is, I've never met anyone who has disliked NZ as a tourist or on a WHV. So much to see and do! My parents have just been out on holiday for three weeks and had a fantastic time, no where near enough time they thought. When we were here the first time around we did a 7 week road trip just on the South Island and could have stayed much longer and then added on the North Island too.

Two years does sound like a long time but the years do seem to fly by. I went backpacking for one year and it just whizzed by in a blur! One minute I was boarding a plane to Rio, the next I was back in London looking for jobs.

Any other advice about where to go and what to do on the South Island feel free to ask

scottishstacey

Same here, ive had several people tell me they prefer NZ to Aus actually. im so excited about Australia but like ive said before - NZ is probably more suited to me with the climate and the lack of things that would like to bite me lol. They should both be good.

If I don't do a full year then i'll try do a month in each island. that would hopefully be enough to see a decent amount. Anytime I mention 2 years infront of my mum she acts a bit funny. I think 1 year will be bad enough for her I think shes worried about me going in the outback.

Wow rio must have been amazing!

Snap Shot

Or meeting someone and declining to come home ! The idea of her becoming a long distance Grandmother makes her go

scottishstacey

Yeah I've been winding her up that maybe I'll bring someone back and have a baby in my backpack lol! I know she's happy for me but I think a year will be a bit much for her, the longest I've been away is 4 months. Maybe Ive just got a high opinion of myself and she'll cope fine lol. I think if I was staying away 2 years she would try and come out for a holiday if she could afford it. People keep winding me up saying I'll meet someone out there but I doubt it! I just use it to wind my mum up

Snap Shot

I say go for it too. You might just be surprised how quickly the time passes once you are in Australia. On leaving Australia you might think, 'is that it, has the time gone already ?'

I travelled around America for three months in 1988. Six weeks working on a summer camp. Followed by five weeks exploring the country travelling on a Greyhound bus.

I will have been here in NZ four years next February and it feels just like.......four years.

I've travelled NZ top to bottom on holiday in 1997. Went camping on the South Island. Queenstown was ok. We had a picnic overlooking Lake Wakatipu. I found Queenstown hellishly expensive, touristy and geared to Asian tourists and outward bound adventure enthusiasts.

In the four years I've been here we've visited Auckland, quite often. (Attempted to settle there on arrival 2011, that's a whole other story.)

We've been to Christchurch, Methven to be precise, for a ski holiday back in August. Must be NZ ! We lived there in in 2011 too. We got around a bit that year. We've been to Arthurs Pass. Akoroa. Gentlemans Bay. New Brighton Beach.

We've had some nice days out here in NZ. For instance yesterday we visited Mount Bruce nature reserve an hour and a half's drive away from Wanganui. We've seen the Bridge to Nowhere. We've driven the Forgotten World Highway. Been to Lake Taupo. Been to Rotorua and sat in a thermal spa. Also walked through the Waimangu Valley looking at the different rock formations, hot pools, geysers, boiling mud.

We were in Martinborough for our holiday this year. We will be visiting another part of the North Island for our holiday next year. We've visited several wineries either for a social with my sister in law and her husband or for a pop concert.

I'd still like to go whale watching in Kaikoura.

However, I'm aware that there's not much left to do that could be done on a holiday or day trip basis.

I'm not one for bungee jumping or white water rafting. So there's not much left in NZ that would interest me really. Three holidays to NZ in 1994, Dec 1996 to Jan 1997 and 2006 plus living here I've just about seen all I want to see.