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WORK |
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Australians don't need to undergo any formalities to work in New
Zealand, but just about everyone else needs a Work Visa: apply at New
Zealand embassies or consulates before you leave home .
But be warned: given persistent unemployment , these are almost
impossible to obtain unless you have an offer of employment from a
prospective employer who can prove there are no New Zealanders available
to take the job. The only significant exception is the Working Holiday
Scheme (details at www.immigration.govt.nz/work/ ), for those aged 18 to
30, which gives you a temporary work permit valid for twelve months.
Four thousand Brits (plus 250 Irish citizens, 400 Canadians, 250 Dutch
and assorted French, Japanese, Koreans and Malaysians) are eligible each
year on a first-come-first-served basis starting on July 1, so apply as
far in advance as you can: you'll need a passport, £30, evidence of a
return ticket to New Zealand (or the funds to pay for it), and the
equivalent of NZ$4200 (sponsorship from a New Zealand citizen is not
accepted in place of this sum). Visitors who choose to work illegally
run the risk of being caught in one of the periodic crackdowns.
Once in New Zealand there are plenty of opportunities for casual paid
work, and in addition there are organized work programmes - both paid
and voluntary. If you are thinking of working, one of the best contacts
is New Zealand Job Search (tel 09/358 4874, jobs@acb.co.nz ) located at
Auckland Central Backpackers, 16 Shortland St, Auckland.
Casual work
One of the main sources of casual work is picking fruit or related
orchard work such as packing or pruning and thinning. The main areas to
consider are Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands for citrus and kiwifruit,
Hastings in Hawke's Bay for apples, pears and peaches, Tauranga and Te
Puke for kiwifruit, and Alexandra and Cromwell in Central Otago for
stonefruit. Most work is available during the autumn picking season ,
which runs roughly from January to May, but this is also when there are
most people looking for work so you can often find something just as
easily in the off-season. In popular working areas, some hostels cater
to short-term workers and these are usually the best places to find out
what's going.
Picking can be hard and heavy work and is usually paid by the quantity
gathered, rather than by the hour. When you're starting off, the poor
returns can be frustrating but with persistence and application you can
soon find yourself pulling in a decent wage. Don't expect to earn a
fortune, but in an eight-hour day you should gross $70-100. Rates do
vary considerably so it's worth asking around, factoring in any meals
and accommodation which are sometimes included.
Finding other types of casual work is more ad hoc, with no recognized
channels other than newspapers, and hostel noticeboards; just keep your
ear to the ground, particularly in popular tourist areas - Rotorua,
Nelson, Queenstown - where people running cafés , bars and hostels often
need extra staff during peak periods. If you have no luck, try your
chances in more out of the way locales, where there'll be fewer
travellers clamouring for work. Bar and restaurant work usually pays
around $8 an hour and tips are negligible. Ski resorts occasionally
employ people during the July to October season, usually in catering
roles. The traditional $8 an hour may be supplemented by a lift pass and
subsidized food and drink, though finding affordable accommodation can
be difficult and may offset a lot of what you gain. Hiring clinics for
ski and snowboard instructors are usually held at the beginning of the
season at a small cost, though if you are experienced it is better to
apply directly to the resort beforehand.
Your earnings will be taxed and your employer will require you to obtain
a tax number: pop along to the nearest tax office with your passport and
they should issue one on the same day. The tax department rakes in
twenty-four per cent of your earnings and you probably won't be able to
reclaim any of this
Working programmes
One way to reduce your travelling costs without transgressing the terms
of your visitor permit is to work for your board , most easily achieved
doing farm work through Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF ). No
money changes hands, but in exchange for four hours work a day, you get
free board and lodging.
The Department of Conservation's Conservation Volunteer Programme (
www.doc.govt.nz/commu/involv/consvol2.htm ) provides an excellent way to
spend time out in the New Zealand bush while putting something back into
the environment. Often you will get into areas most visitors never see
and learn some skills while you're at it. Projects include bat surveys,
kiwi monitoring and nest protection, as well as more rugged tasks like
track maintenance, tree planting and hut repair - all detailed in a
booklet available from DOC offices nationwide or direct from head office
at PO Box 10-420, 59 Boulcott St, Wellington (tel 04/471 0726, fax 471
1082). You can muck in for just a day or up to five days; for longer
outings a small fee (around $60 for the duration, but sometimes as much
as $200) may be levied to cover food and transport. |
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