Tom & Roos(25)

Roos and I both graduated in Eindhoven — me in industrial design, her in communications. Instead of immediately looking for jobs, we booked a one-way ticket to Auckland. The Working Holiday Visa (WHV) for Dutch citizens is simple: you must be between 18 and 30, be able to afford a return flight and have at least NZ$4,200 in your account. Within three days we had our visa.

The first months we traveled around the North Island. We worked in a kiwi orchard in Bay of Plenty (fruit picking, NZ$22 per hour), in a hostel in Rotorua and as baristas in Tauranga. The WHV allows you to work a maximum of six months for the same employer, so you're forced to keep moving. It felt uncertain at first, but that's the charm — you see the whole country.

When we arrived in Queenstown, we knew immediately: this is it. The mountains, the lake, the energy of the town. Roos found work as a marketing coordinator at an adventure tour company and I as a snowboard instructor at Remarkables Ski Area. Seasonal work pays well (NZ$28-35 per hour) and employers are used to WHV holders.

The problem with the WHV is that it expires after twelve months. If you want to stay, you need to find another route. Roos's employer wanted to keep her and was willing to sponsor an Accredited Employer Work Visa. That was the breakthrough. The AEWV gives you three years, and after that you can accumulate points for the Skilled Migrant Category.

Queenstown is expensive — rents are comparable to Auckland (NZ$350-450 per week for a room, NZ$600+ for an apartment). But seasonal work pays well and tips in hospitality are a welcome addition. We initially shared a flat with four other Working Holiday travelers, which was socially fantastic. Now we have our own little apartment in Frankton.

Our advice to young Dutch people: do the WHV. It's the easiest way to discover New Zealand and test whether you want to live there. Start in Auckland, work your way south, and if you fall in love with a place — explore the options to stay. We're proof that a backpacking adventure can turn into an emigration. In two years we'll apply for our residence.