The New Zealand era was definitely one of our most memorable eras. This was also one of those countries that was high on our bucket list but also very expensive to travel. I suppose our interest in these types of countries explains why our budget is not in great shape at the moment. However, we were determined to find a way to make New Zealand happen…and that’s when we discovered work exchanges.
We lived with a retired Kiwi couple for 2 weeks at their house in North Island and exchanged 4-5 hours of work, 5 days a week for free food and accommodation. It was quite the experience! I will say we weren’t gardening pros (and they could tell) but they were more than happy to teach us. We had the afternoons and weekends off and our hosts were even kind enough to give us a random Tuesday off so that we could go on a day trip to the Northernmost point in New Zealand. Our vlogs will give you a good idea of what we did day to day!
After our work exchange, we headed down to South Island and rented a car with a rooftop tent and a built-in kitchen in the back. We really wanted to do true van life but the costs of renting a converted sprinter van were a bit too high. Since ourvehicle wasn’t self-contained (aka no toilet), we stayed at campsites each night, which gave us access to a kitchen, laundry, restrooms and showers, so no complaints here! I will say, the facilities across New Zealand were really clean!
New Zealand Daily Itinerary
Everything we spent while in New Zealand can be found in our New Zealand Budget Breakdown
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