The Beginning of the Journey: Making Plans

So, I'm sure the question that has been burning on your minds since we launched this blog is: 'Where are you going?'

Originally, the plan for the fall of 2010 of our gap year was to travel to New Zealand and explore the country for a period of four to six months. Upon arrival in Auckland, we would either:

1) Start the journey on the North Island, heading south and exploring as we go, eventually landing ourselves on the South Island towards the second half of the trip

or

2) Immediately head straight to the South Island and work our way back up to Auckland.

(#1 would require us to make the journey back up to the North Island near the end of the trip, while #2 would land us right where we would need to be for the return flight home)

But regardless of which plan we decide upon, our main focus for this trip is to travel throughout both the North and South Islands, along the coast and inland, staying/working/volunteering in hostels as we go (in order to minimize lodging and meal expenses).

However, after doing a bit of research into the visa/permit requirements for staying in New Zealand, we found out a few things:

1) Visitor Visa: We would need a visitor's visa if staying for more than 3 months. Requirements for a visitor's visa: Be in good health (check), be of good character (no crimes, etc.--check), have a passport (will have soon--so check), have proof that we plan to leave NZ (plane tickets--check), and have evidence of funds--NZ$1000 ($714USD) per person, per month or NZ$400 ($285USD) per person per month if accommodation has already been paid for (and this is where the smooth sailing and dreamy thoughts of NZ grind to a halt; this means we would need $3000-$4300USD EACH for our time over there. Doesn't look like a visitor's visa is going to work out. Let's move on to option #2...

2) Visa-free Visitor: Without a visitor's visa, one can still stay in NZ for a maximum of 3 months (as a visa-free visitor). This would cut our stay in NZ about in half. However, there are still entry requirements to go along with the visa-free method (and they aren't too optimistic): Besides the general passport, return ticket, and arrival card, 'sufficient funds to support your stay in New Zealand' are required--once again...at least $714USD per month for maintenance and accommodation, or $285USD per month if the accommodation has been prepaid. Turns out the visa-free visitor option really isn't any better than a visitor's visa. So on to option #3...

3) Working Holiday Visa: It looks like this is going to be what we will end up going with after all, mainly due to the fact that holders of visitor visas may not work in NZ. According to NZ's Immigration Services, volunteering in exchange for room/board (such as what we would be doing at hostels) is actually considered 'working' and therefore is not covered by the volunteering umbrella. Benefits for this type of visa: allows a 12-month stay and grants a multiple entry permit (which would allow us to leave New Zealand, go to say Australia for a bit, and re-enter during the 12-month period). However, there is one main setback with this option: the requirement of a minimum of NZ$4200 ($3000USD) available funds for accommodations for the whole time in NZ. While this is the smallest required amount we've seen yet, it still is a pretty big sum for an unemployed student to come up with. We'll keep you updated with anything new as we continue the long process of research.

Another question I know some are wondering is: 'Why New Zealand?'

Well, for many reasons...It's hard to beat the:

-stunning landscapes/sceneries
-abundance of outdoor activities in basically every biome (an adventurers' dream-come-true!)
-opportunity to conquer Mount Mordor and travel in the footsteps of Frodo! (some of you Lord of the Rings fans will appreciate this)
-no language barrier (though I would like to become bi/multi-lingual)
-no high disease risks (always important)
-relatively safeness (no civil disputes, etc.)

Not many countries offer such great opportunities for young, adventuresome wanderers to explore another region of the world as New Zealand does.

Now you, the readers, what do you think of a trip to New Zealand? Do you believe there is a better, more adventuresome, financially feasible destination for us? Or do you like the plan we've devised thus far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!