Live, Work & Travel in New Zealand
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Top Sites
Backpackerboard.co.nz – A backpacking website for New Zealand. Includes seasonal job vacancies.
Backpacker Jobs NZ – Search for backpacker jobs in New Zealand.
Apollo Motorhome Holidays – Specialise in campervan and motorhome hire in Australia and New Zealand including the “Cheapa Campa”, aimed at the budget-minded traveller.
Employment in New Zealand
Employers, Agencies & Placement Services
Canstaff – Farm and backpacker jobs agency.
Just Cuts – Qualified hairdressers are wanted to work in 140 salons in Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Apple – Mr Apple NZ Ltd offers fruit picking and packing jobs in the Hawke’s Bay and Nelson areas. The dedicated employment website linked to Mr Apple no longer seems to be available but they state they employ 160 permanent staff and take on an extra 1,500 for the peak season.
Mrs Jones’ Orchard – Cherry pickers and packers wanted beginning mid December and ending in early February. Situated near Cromwell in Central Otago (South Island), accommodation is available.
Quinn Staff Recruiters – Auckland based recruitment agency specialising in office, insurance and travel and tourism jobs.
Parker Bridge Recruitment – Accounting and finance recruitment agency in Auckland.
Providore – Temp hospitality staff.
Spider Personnel – Offer a wide range of NZ based jobs from technical trades to sales and marketing.
Tonix Health Recruitment New Zealand – Specialises in recruiting nurses and other health professionals to RMN, ODP, anaesthetic technicians, mental health, midwives jobs and other vacancies in New Zealand.
YHA New Zealand – Now just a place to stay but they used to offer a volunteer programme. These days they say sorry, we don’t offer working for accommodation. New Zealand law requires you to have an employment contract, be legally entitled to work in New Zealand, and be compensated in line with our minimum wage laws, so we recommend caution in accepting any working for accommodation offer. They may instead have paid work in one of their hostels for those legally entitled to work in New Zealand.
Employment Resources for Finding Work in New Zealand
Advice & Useful Sites for Finding Work
Aranga Backpackers – Fruit picking, packing and general orchard work is available to backpackers in Kerikeri all year round. This hostel will help you find some.
Backpacker Jobs NZ – Search for backpacker jobs in New Zealand.
Backpack New Zealand – This presentable site provides a directory of services and activities for the backpacker, photographs and some work information.
Farm Helpers in New Zealand – Sell a booklet listing over 190 farms throughout New Zealand that are willing to offer food and board in exchange for 4 to 6 hours work a day.
FRENZ International – Whether you are a New Zealander wanting to work in any region of New Zealand, or a qualified overseas worker, that meets immigration requirements, who wants to gain valuable work experience in New Zealand, FRENZ helps with finding jobs in the Kiwi countryside. All jobs come with rent free accommodation provided.
New Zealand Job Search – Good information for those looking to work in New Zealand, including visa eligibility assessment form. There is plenty of information for people looking to migrate to New Zealand including importing pets and buying a house.
New Zealand Jobs – Jobs and career information.
NZ Pocket Guide – An online travel guide for young people travelling on a budget in New Zealand. They’ve a job board and information on working and studying in the country.
The Rotten Apple – Backpacker hostel that can assist with finding fruit picking work.
Seek Communications – Job search and career information.
Working In New Zealand – Jobs in New Zealand for returning New Zealanders and skilled migrants.
Gap Year & Voluntary Work in New Zealand
Unpaid Positions & Adventure
Alpine Holiday Apartments and Campground – A quiet family park in the forest two kilometres from Hanmer Spring. They will provide accommodation and a bike for 14 hours labour each week. The work is mostly cleaning and gardening, with a bit of painting and, if experienced, possibly reception duties too. Couples or friends travelling together are preferred.
Annie’s Nirvana Lodge – In Takaka, a friendly mature non smoker is preferred to clean and help in reception for four hours a day, with one day off a week. Minimum stay is one month.
Astray Motel and Backpackers – Cleaning and bed making are the chores needing doing in Rotorua in exchange for free accommodation. The work is for around three hours a day, with one day off per week, for a minimum of three weeks.
Birdsong Backpackers – Enjoy the experience being part of a team at this small, family run backpackers in Hokitika. Daily cleaning and gardening work buys your accommodation. Two week minimum.
Earthwise Valley – A New Zealand based, charitable, volunteer run, sustainable living project. The volunteer programme will suit people interested in learning about sustainable living, enjoying the outdoors, and living a saner, richer and simpler life.
Global Village Backpackers – We have seen this Greymouth hostel advertising for work exchange staff.
Hekerua Lodge – Two hours’ work a day in Waiheke will invite free accommodation.
Jailhouse Accommodation – Do a three month stretch working for your stay in Christchurch.
LKNZ Backpackers – Stay for a minimum of two weeks doing odd jobs and cleaning and there’s free accommodation in a bike to get around Ohakune in it for you.
Moehau Environment Group – They’re really busy at this volunteer conservation organisation based in remote Northern Coromandel, New Zealand. Each year they host over 50 international volunteers who help out with tasks as varied as accountancy or marketing and planting trees or trapping rats.
National Park Backpackers – A hostel found in a small alpine village in Central North Island, near the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. They could do with a motivated traveller willing to help with the daily housekeeping for four hours a day in exchange for food and a dorm bed. They provide one day off a week and they want someone to stick around for a fortnight, but would prefer longer.
Nelson Beach Hostel – Two hours of cleaning is required to earn a bed here. A minimum stay of one month is required.
Neptunes International Backpackers – A work exchange in Greymouth is possible.
New Zealand Trust for Conservation Volunteers – NZTCV provides information on wildlife, botanical, restoration and other conservation projects found across the length of the land of the long white cloud.
Noah’s Ark Backpackers – Do three hours a day helping with the cleaning and laundry or anything else that needs doing and they will hand over a bike and free accommodation in Greymouth. They ask for a minimum stay of seven days but are happy if you can stay longer.
The Old Countryhouse – Looks for someone kind, friendly and outgoing to work in their reception. Work is for three and a half days per week in Christchurch.
Paradiso Backpacker Hostel – We have seen Nelson’s Paradiso advertising for a night porter to work on a part paid and part for free accommodation basis for three or four nights a week. Applicants were expected to stay for at least a couple of months.
Sequoia Lodge & Backpackers – Looks for friendly people to help in Picton for up to three hours per day, six days a week in return for accommodation, breakfast, choc pudding and ice cream every night, a weekly woofer dinner and other extras. Duties include mainly cleaning but also some driving if you have a valid licence.
Skyway Lodge – Near Auckland Airport, Skyway Lodge will exchange a shared room for three hours’ work a day.
Sunflower Lodge – Looks for happy travellers to work for their accommodation to help keep their New Plymouth hostel clean for two and a half hours a day, six days a week. Hours are two and a half per day, six days per week. Work in reception is sometimes available too.
Surf ‘N’ Snow Backpackers – This Auckland hostel invites backpackers on a tight budget interested in a work exchange to contact them. For those with a working holiday visa they offer working holiday packages that include accommodation and assistance in obtaining an IRD number and opening a bank account.
Tatahi Lodge – You must be able to stay at least three or four weeks to work for your stay in Hahei Beach.
TripInn Hostel – Will divvy up free accommodation in Westport, along with use of the hostel bikes to one or two people able to keep the place clean for a couple of hours each morning. A one week minimum stay is required.
WWOOF New Zealand – WWOOF allows volunteers to stay on organic farms, exchanging labour for a bed for the night.
* Free or Cheap Volunteering *Your family might prefer if you go with a placement agency, but volunteering in New Zealand can be cheaper when travelling independently. Visit our Free or Cheap Volunteer Work Abroad pages to find NGOs and grassroots organisations. |
Living in New Zealand
Real Estate and Resources for Staying Long Term
Bayleys – New Zealand estate agents also covering Fiji and the Pacific.
ENZ – A guide to living and working in New Zealand.
Immigration New Zealand – Visa information.
Realestate.co.nz – Property portal for New Zealand.
Travelling in New Zealand
Accommodation & Getting Around
AA New Zealand Travel Guides – Travel planning guides providing worldwide accommodation options, activities, attractions, transport and the latest events.
A J Hackett Bungy – Bungy jumping in New Zealand from the guys that initiated the madness.
Apollo Motorhome Holidays – Specialise in campervan and motorhome hire in Australia and New Zealand including the “Cheapa Campa”, aimed at the budget-minded traveller.
Auckland Tourism – Official tourist site for Auckland.
Backpacker Bus – New Zealand bus travel discounts and travel passes for backpackers.
Budget Backpacker Hostels – Independently owned and operated self catering budget accommodation.
Escape Campervan Hire – See New Zealand in style in these brand new individually painted camper vans.
Flying Kiwi Adventure Travel – New Zealand adventure travel operators Flying Kiwi offer deals for any budget including adventure, bus, bicycle and wilderness tours. Circumnavigate NZ with this green tour operator’s Flexibility Travel Pass.
KEA Campers Australia and New Zealand – Campervans, motorhomes and 4WD’s to explore Australia and New Zealand at your own pace, experienced multilingual staff and an extensive network of rental depots.
Kiwi Experience – Backpacker bus service. Hop on hop off bus passes. Vloggers, bloggers, photographers, Instagrammers and social media gurus scroll to the bottom navigation for their influencers media kit.
New Zealand – Official NZ tourism site.
NewZealandFrontiers.com – Motor home rentals. The road signs are in English, the roads are long and empty, the countryside is beautiful and they drive on the proper side of the road. Who wouldn’t want to drive around New Zealand?
New Zealand Travelpass – InterCity’s money saving travel passes are for backpackers and independent travellers of all ages offering flexible bus travel around New Zealand, inter island ferry, rail, air travel and accommodation add-ons.
Off the Rails Cycle Tours – A unique New Zealand cycling experience on the Otago Central Rail Trail. Depart from Queenstown or Clyde.
Queenstown Adventure Group New Zealand – Offers adventure 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Information about bungy jumping, jet boating, white water rafting, tandem skydiving and thrilling helicopter flights.
Transfercar – Get your hands around the wheel of a free car or campervan by taking vehicles from where they are to where rental companies want them to be.
Walkabout Motorhome & Campervan Rentals NZ – Luxury or budget campervans and motorhomes.
Other Useful New Zealand Websites
Culture, News…
New Zealand Herald – Newspaper.