New Zealand Working Holidays: Job search and apple picking experience

Out of 6.5 months of our stay in New Zealand, we worked for 5.5 months on an apple farm. That was the only job we had in New Zealand, and in the article below, I would like to share a few facts and experiences related to the job search and working&living on a farm.

 

Due to the high cost of living, most young Czech people coming to New Zealand under the Working Holiday visa scheme is forced to find a job ASAP.

 

One of the main requirements for granting Working Holiday visa is to have a minimum of 4200 NZD (2,816 USD). However, let's face it, the reality is a bit different. Many people simply borrow money from family or transfer the requested amount between partners, to have the required amount on the printed bank statement for a possible immigration check.

 

Moreover, even if you genuinely the owner of 4,000 NZD in your account, you are far from winning. As many travelers experience, later on, the first days in Zealand are critical for your bank account balance. Everything is notably more expensive, and if you are thinking of purchasing a new car right at the beginning, get at least 1,800 NZD ready in your wallet for the first week (per person). We bought our Toyota Estima for NZD 3600 and, after two weeks of traveling on the North Island, we concluded that we must get a job as soon as possible.

 

Where to look for a job?

It depends on what kind of work you are going to pursue. An easy-to-get is work on orchards and everything related to the agriculture. If it attracts you to a bar, shop, services or constructions, take a look in larger cities like Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown, and Christchurch - especially constructions. From our friends' stories, it turned out that getting a construction job for a guy is relatively straightforward. If you are interested, during the winter season, in working at a hotel (chalet) in the snowy mountains above Queenstown, expect tough competition and ask for work in advance. Getting a job as a waitress or a bartender should not be that complicated.

 

Easy to get jobs you will find in orchards, packhouses, on farms and vineyards - there are more than enough farms throughout the country. The work is seasonal, but as you can see in our case, you can stay the whole season for up to 6 months.

 

Find out more information on farming jobs here (agricultural areas, seasons):

http://www.picknz.co.nz/Seasonal-Work/Information/Introduction.htm

http://www.picktheworld.org/location/new-zealand/

This will give you a general idea when and where to go to find seasonal work.

 

The regions with the highest year-round job offer are:

Hawke's Bay, North Island (vineyards, apples, pears, apricots, plums, etc.)

Bay of Plenty, North Island (kiwi, avocado, feijoa)

Nelson and the surrounding area, South Island (Motueka - apples, pears)

Marlborough, South Island (Blenheim - vineyard)

Central Otago, South Island (Cherries - Cromwell, Apples, Apricots)

 

How to apply for a job?

Large companies publish a list of vacancies and contacts on their website. You can use Backpackerboard online services (http://www.backpackerboard.co.nz/), job agencies, or watch Facebook groups closely for some occasional interesting job offers.

 

In fact, the best way is to take a car and go personally around all orchards and packhouses in the area. You give it a try, and you might be lucky. Most travelers are getting their jobs just like that. Farmers are happy to meet with the applicants in person - before offering the position. The great advantage of this sightseeing tour is that you find a lot of family-run farms that you wouldn't otherwise find online. Alternatively, they just might want to fill a vacancy which is not yet published online. Fluctuation in orchards is high. In every Info Center (I-Site) you will find a list of farms in the area with necessary addresses and contacts.

 

In Motueka and its surroundings, I can recommend the following orchards (mostly apple orchards):

Inglis Orchard (Riwaka on the way to Kaiteriteri and in Motueka)

Moana Orchard (5 km away from Motueka on the way to Richmond)

Tyrella Orchard

Frasers Orchard

Three orchards on Umukuri Rd in Brooklyn in Motueka (Anchorage Wines, Fairfield Orchard Limited, Umukuri Orchard, Lee's)

 

Upon signing the contract, your employer will ask for an IRD number and a bank account. Learn how to get them here.

 

How long does the apple season last?

The apple season is divided into three main parts: thinning, picking and pruning.

 

Thinning

The thinning season in Motueka starts at the beginning of December and ends at the end of January/mid-February depending on the size of the orchard. It's a relatively physically unpretentious work. At first, you pass through the trees and remove the newly grown branch shoots that would later overshadow the ripening fruit. Most of the time, however, you will spend on the ladder high up in the crown of trees, spacing out the apples (removing a few apples and making more space for the others to ripe).

In the beginning, we learned the technique on smaller trees at an hourly minimum wage of NZD 14.75 gross (before taxes 17%). Later, we moved on large trees that were paid per piece ranging from 2 to 3 NZD. Three dollars per tree might seem like big money, but the trees were fully-grown and loaded with fruit. During the first days, you will have to work your ass off to get on minimum wage!

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In our orchard, we did not get paid as well as was common elsewhere. Additionally, we were incredibly slow at first, so our daily payout was only 70 NZD/person. Later, we improved at an acceptable 120 NZD per day/person. In 6 business days, after the deductions of taxes and rent, we received 450-500 NZD, while in other orchards was possible to earn 800 - 1000 NZD per week/person.