Tag: working

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Backpacking

Ski Season Jobs – Working on a Ski Field in New Zealand

Free lift passes, working in the great outdoors, unlimited time to ski the fresh powder?  Get real. Rumours had it that a position for shop staff in Queenstown had people queueing along the street for an interview during the 2010 season.  As well as fruit picking, working a ski season is one of the reasons many backpackers travel to New Zealand.  Don’t be fooled that you can turn up in Queenstown mid season and pick up a job the next day – there’s strict competition for jobs, and it helps if you plan it in advance, and arrive in the area prior to the start of the season.  This guide will give you tips on how to get a season job on the New Zealand ski fields.

There’s a great variety of jobs in during the ski season from customer service reps, or instructors through to cafe staff and chambermaids.  Many of these positions will be filled before you think about applying so how should you go about it?

Timing

At the risk of stating the obvious, remember that New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere.  The winter season generally runs from July to October making it an ideal jump for Nothern Hemisphere season workers.  Applications for some ski jobs open from January or before, and can close as early as March.  Jobs generally start between mid June and early July.  Competition for jobs and (affordable!) accommodation is fierce so it pays to be prepared and start the ball rolling as early as you can, and aim to be in the area as soon as you can.  If you can’t fit into this schedule it could still be worth you making a few calls during the season as some staff may not last the whole season for a number of reasons.

Check out some of the links below for more information on the processes of applying.

Location

Although the South Island is where the majority of jobs are based there are also major ski resorts in the central North Island.  The main employers are :

North Island : Mt Ruapehu for Whakapapa and Turoa resorts (Central North Island)

South Island :

  • Mt Hutt (Methven, west of Christchurch)
  • Cardrona (Wanaka)
  • Treble Cone (Wanaka)
  • Coronet Peak and the Remarkables (Queenstown)
  • Club fields – there are many club fields within a commutable distance from Christchurch

Wanaka is a much smaller town than Queenstown – less people, less commercial, and often preferred by many Kiwis.

Jobs

If you have a speciality such as a snowsports instuctor qualification, can work the piste machines, a snowmaker, or ski patrol member you will have a better chance of being selected and may be able to be more specific.  Note that snowsports instructors are officially listed in the skills shortage category on the New Zealand Immigration website so you could have other advantages for your visa as well!

There are a multitude of jobs available though from lift attendents to customer service and marketing – check out the websites below for a list.

Websites

Check out the following websites for more information specific to the ski areas mentioned :

Mt Ruapehu Jobs
Treble Cone Jobs
Cardrona Jobs
Coronet Peak and Remarkables Jobs

Other general websites that may help :

Natives (UK Based seasonal worker website)

If a winter seasonal job doesn’t suit you why not check out our guides to WOOFing in New Zealand, or seasonal fruit picking jobs? 

If you have any experiences or stories to tell about working a ski season in New Zealand, please let us know the highs and lows using the comments below.

Categories
Backpacking

WWOOFing in New Zealand – Working on an Organic Farm

WWOOfing is a worldwide scheme to allow people to volunteer on an organic farm in return for accommodation and often food.  WWOOfing in Zealand is an ideal opportunity for backpackers, and working holiday visa holders to experience working and living on organic farms, market gardens, sustainable living projects and community projects.

To participate in WOOFing you will be considered as working despite not actually getting money in return for your work so you must have a valid work permit or visa.  You must join the WOOFing organisation before volunteering, and this will give you a list of active projects that you can select from.  At this stage you’ll usually make contact with the relevant hosts to find your suitability to them (and just as importantly find their suitability to you!).

There are a whole host of WOOFing opportunities throughout New Zealand.  Many participants will end up working at organic farms but there is a huge variety of projects from helping a family to build an eco-house to helping feed animals, planting or just helping out on a day to day basis.

Placements

When looking at potential hosts it’s important to consider what you want out of the experience.  Are you studying a related course and want to get experience to boost your CV?  Do you just want to see what it’s like living and working with an organic, sustainable lifestyle, or do you just want to help out in return for some lodging and potentially food?  Would you rather stay with a small family, or hang out with a bunch of fellow travellers?  It’s important to consider what you want, as much as what the hosts offer – they are opening up their homes, and often their businesses to you.  Some tasks offered may be seen as mundane by some such as weeding and planting, whereas other hosts may have very specific requirements such as plumbers or carpenters.

It will help both you and the hosts if you are realistic in what you want out of the experience.  We’ve heard of backpackers having some truly amazing experiences doing work they’d never otherwise have the opportunity of doing elsewhere, but we’ve also heard of the horror stories where they just haven’t got along with their hosts.

Remember to be considerate to your hosts as well – some will be inundated with applications so call ahead in advance to discuss availability.

Application

To participate in WOOFing in New Zealand you must register either online, or at an appropriate office of location.  Some of the bigger hostels such as Base may have job desks where you can register on the spot and get a book detailing the opportunities available, or you may join online if you are on the road.  The WOOFing website will have the most up to date placements available.

Registration costs are (as at October 2010) $40 doing an online application, or $50 if you receive a printed booklet.

At this stage its then up to you to approach hosts you are interested in and take it from there.

Conditions

As you can imagine with such a variety of projects, there’s a variety of conditions as well.  You may be put up in some luxury accommodation if you’re lucky, or you may be living in a rustic rural community.  Expect to get a bit dirty during much of the work and take appropriate clothing.  You may be out of mobile phone reception so if your parent like to give you a call every couple of days, or expect your blog to be updated daily, set their expectations so they don’t get too worried!

Work Hours

Working hours will depend on your project.  Most placements will expect 4-6 hours of work a day, but some may allow you to stack up the work so you work extra hours some days in return for a free day to explore the area.  If this is what you want to do, remember to check what the transport options are like if you are based in a rural area – if you have your own transport you’ll be able to get around easier but some placements may have very little or no public transport available.

Links

You can get more information on WOOFing from the Woofing New Zealand website :

WOOFing New Zealand

Categories
Backpacking

Seasonal Work in New Zealand – Fruit Picking

Seasonal working is what many backpackers will end up doing during their gap year, or working holiday visa duration in New Zealand.  For most people, seasonal working either falls into one of two areas : Fruit Picking, or working on the ski fields.  This guide will detail the fruit picking side of seasonal working.

Fruit Picking jobs in New Zealand

There are a few varieties of ‘fruit picking’ work in New Zealand which fall into the main categories outlined below :

Fruit Picking
This work will usually involve picking fruit from trees or plants and placing them into bags which are then emptied into larger bins.  This type of work is very labour intensive, and can mean picking from a ladder if the fruit you are picking grows on trees or larger bushes.

Fruit Grading
Fruit grading means you will be selecting fruits to go into trays, and will often involve long periods of standing, or shift work.  You may be grading fruit from a conveyor belt so you could be standing for long periods.

Fruit Packing
This type fo fruit work can also involve long periods of standing or shift work and you will be filling trays with fruits.

Stacking
Stacking and strapping means you will be packing fruit into cartons and strapping them down, and comes further down the chain from the previous type of work mentioned.

Machine Operation
As you can imagine there are some machines that are commonly used throughout the fruit picking process.  Many of these roles are likely to require a further certificate such as the ability to drive tractors, or operate a forklift truck.

Quality Control and Supervising
This role is often occupied by people with prior experience in the fruit picking industry and will would involve supervising others in orchards, farms or packing sheds to ensure the quality control processes were being adhered to.

Many of the above roles are advertised on specialist sites, hostel noticeboards and job desks in the bigger hostels.  There are also many hostels in the specific areas that specialise in placing workers in local companies.  Usually you can give them a call before you head to the area and have a chat to see if there is work available, and if you’re lucky you could be earning money within days.  If you get work through a hostel there are usually conditions that you must stay there during the period of the employment.  Whilst this sounds like you are tied in to a specific hostel, it also means you are working and living in the same place as your colleagues so there can be a big comaraderie between people on site.

As you can imagine this type of work is very seasonal as well and different regions have their busy times according to the fruits that are grown and processed in that area

The main areas involved, and their high seasons are roughly :

Northland (North of Auckland) – April to July peak, but year round potential
Waikato / Bay of Plenty (South East of Auckland) – March to May peak, but year round
Hawkes Bay (East of North Island) – February to May peak
Wairarapa (North East of Wellington) – less work here but February to May peak
Abel Tasman (Nelson – North/NW of North Island) – February to April peak
Marlborough (North East of South Island) – year round, but June to August peak
Central Otago (South of South Island – Queenstown area) – December to March peak

Many backpackers initially consider fruit picking to be easy money, but its a commitment to hard graft, and the people who make the most generally have a bit more experience, or put in the real effort to get through the work.  As you gain experience you’ll become better at identifying better fruits and ensuring the quality control is done correctly so you’ll get less surprises at the end of the day.  If you think about the weight of apples and the lifting involved, or getting your hands stuck into some prickly pruning you’ll get a more realistic view.  In saying this, it’s a great way of getting some funds to extend your trip in the land of the great white cloud….  We’ll soon draw up a list of hostels and websites which will help you on your way.

If you have any experience in this industry or have top tips to help others please pass them on through the comments below.