Hi everyone,
My boyfriend and I are thinking about going on a working holiday to NZ from Ireland around December this year. We have done A LOT of research and still can't decide where to go. We want somewhere hot, with beaches and jobs! We're young (21 & 22), both just finishing up final year and are looking for fun and a bit of adventure, Cork is sooo dull! Can somebody who knows NZ please give us some advice?? We were thinking of Whangarei? We would really appreciate the help!
Whangarei has some amazing scenery around (I love the hiking around Whangarei Heads), but is a bit sleepy as a city (though it might be better when all the yachties are in town?) and the beaches all require a car (afaik).
I'd recommend looking at Mount Maunganui instead (which together with Tauranga across the bridge makes for a pretty large population center, which should be good for jobs), or maybe Gisborne (great beach, but personally I wasn't that much of a fan of the city). Maybe travel around a bit first before deciding on where to settle - personal tastes vary a lot.
Nowhere in New Zealand gets really hot for long, but temperatures should be in the upper twenties most days in January.
Thanks for replying! Neither of us drive so I think Whangarei is out.. i just googled Mount Maunganui it sounds and looks amazing. How is public transport there, do you know? Would it be easy to travel to and from Tauranga daily?
As Sander says, Whangarei has some lovely scenery and is good for bushwalking, but I'm not sure it's somewhere you'd want to live as I seem to remember it had a reputation for being a bit rough, and there's not much going on there. If you head even further up North though, you'd come to the Bay of islands where there are some lovely beaches, it's the hottest part of NZ and there are probably a reasonable amount of jobs because the area gets so many tourists.
Thanks for replying! Neither of us drive so I think Whangarei is out.. i just googled Mount Maunganui it sounds and looks amazing. How is public transport there, do you know? Would it be easy to travel to and from Tauranga daily?
Going by the map and timetables on , there's a bus about every 10 minutes between the two towns. They don't go late though - but you can probably get a couple of cheap bikes or something to take care of transport if you really settle there for a while.
As Sander says, Whangarei has some lovely scenery and is good for bushwalking, but I'm not sure it's somewhere you'd want to live as I seem to remember it had a reputation for being a bit rough, and there's not much going on there. If you head even further up North though, you'd come to the Bay of islands where there are some lovely beaches, it's the hottest part of NZ and there are probably a reasonable amount of jobs because the area gets so many tourists.
Bay of Islands looks perfect too! (Although coming from Ireland, I think any place without buckets of rain will look stunning :P). How are the beaches? Are they easily accessed?
The Bay of islands is stunning - in my opinion one of the prettiest parts of NZ. The beach in Paihia (one of the main towns in the Bay of Islands) is right in the town centre if I remember rightly. I think you'd love it up there! There's also a little town called Russell across the water which is really pretty, and various other towns along the coast which are are supposed to be lovely. They call it 'the winterless north' up there because it never gets that cold.
I'm really torn between Paihia and Mount Maunganui. What are wages like in NZ? We're willing to do anything! I'm experienced in bar work and my boyfriend is an experienced waiter. I'm trying to get an idea of what we will be able to afford in rent.
Wages aren't that high but the cost of living is generally lower - I definitely seem to be more skint here in the UK than I ever was in NZ! Try not to compare with what you're earning in Ireland because it's not an accurate comparison due to cost of living etc. I think as you have experience you shouldn't have an issue picking up work in the busy or touristy places. Have a look at and for an idea of what kind of jobs are around in both places. Rental prices are quite high in Auckland but I would guess much lower in the places you are thinking about. By the way, Auckland has great beaches and a good climate so could be worth you considering.
Wages aren't that high but the cost of living is generally lower - I definitely seem to be more skint here in the UK than I ever was in NZ! Try not to compare with what you're earning in Ireland because it's not an accurate comparison due to cost of living etc. I think as you have experience you shouldn't have an issue picking up work in the busy or touristy places. Have a look at and for an idea of what kind of jobs are around in both places. Rental prices are quite high in Auckland but I would guess much lower in the places you are thinking about. By the way, Auckland has great beaches and a good climate so could be worth you considering.
Ya I thought that. How long ago were you in NZ? Can you tell me a little bit about your trip please? I'm getting nervous now talking about it, I'm worried we won't like it!
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