Why Working at a Holiday Park in New Zealand is the Best Idea EVER!

So you’ve landed in New Zealand, your working holiday visa is in hand and you’re eager to explore and earn some money to continue your travels but you have no idea where to start?

Here’s where we tell you that you should head straight for Holiday Parks and/or Campsites…

If you have been following us on our journey through New Zealand then you’ll know that we’ve been busy at work earning $$$ and experiencing everything that New Zealand has to offer at the same time!

When we first landed, we didn’t expect to start working so quickly but we soon found out that New Zealand is expensive… extremely expensive! But don’t let that put you off! If you’re clever about it, you can enjoy all of the attractions whilst making money.

So, here our are top reasons to get a job working on a Holiday Park in New Zealand;

1. Working Hours are SWEET AS.

9 times out of 10 the hours are pretty sweet. We cleaned in the mornings 9:30am-1pm, had a 3 hour break in between where we had lunch, worked on the campervan or even headed out to explore.

Then we’d head back to the office for a 4pm-6pm shift.

2. Days off are during the week

Now this may not seem appealing to you at first… but try having your days off during the weekend and going out to explore to find every other person is doing exactly the same as you.

Having days off during the week are an absolute dream, as all the kids are in school and the adults are at work. Attractions are 10 times more quiet during the week!

3. Accommodation on site at a reduced cost

Yes I know, most farms/vineyards/orchards offer accommodation but you’ll more than likely find that this will be a camp spot where you live in your van… if you have one.

Or if it is actual accommodation its nearly as much as your weekly wage! At the campsite you’ll be looking at $100 per person to live in a cabin. And if you’re lucky like us, it’ll be a self contained cabin. So no need to be using the shared facilities!

4. Everyone who works at the park becomes your family

With everyone working and living on the park you come together like a little family.

When it’s a rainy evening, you’ve just finished work and want to have fun you all can head off to bowling or out for a meal.

And because the other staff will most likely be travellers like you, they’ll appreciate you need your alone time too.

So you’ll have every opportunity to go and explore. Its the perfect balance!

5. Opportunities to talk with fellow travellers

This is one of my favourite ones… as you’re checking guests in you get the opportunity to find out where they have been and where they are going.

They can offer you advice and you can offer them advice! It’s amazing what recommendations you can get that are not in any Lonely Planet or general travel guides!

6. You get to go on Famils

Now i’ve definitely saved the best for last. If you don’t know what a famil is… then we’re about to let you in on a secret.

It’s a fantastic little secret that the parks don’t tend to shout about! It’s a way of rewarding their employees.

Basically once you’ve worked hard and shown you’re there to stay for the long run, they will start sending you out on Famils.

They will send you to all of the activities and attractions in the surrounding areas for FREE. Yes ladies and gentleman…. you get to experience all of those crazy adventures for FREE!

Here is just a small list of what we’ve been able to experience working at the campsite (for free);

– Traditional Maori Village experience (we’ve actually done this twice as there are two different ones!)
– Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland
– White Water Rafting
– OGO (zorbing)
– Skyline Rotorua

So, there you have it! If that hasn’t convinced you that working on a holiday park is the the way forward, then are you even sane!?

What are you waiting for!? If you haven’t already, get applying for that Working Holiday VISA and get yourself a camp life job!