New Zealand

A Singaporean Guide to a NZ Working Holiday

A Singaporean Guide to a NZ Working Holiday

If you think it’s difficult for Singaporeans to travel long-term or work abroad, nothing could be further from the truth. Under New Zealand’s Work Exchange Programme, up to 200 Singaporeans between the ages of 18 and 30 may work and stay in the country for six months on a New Zealand Working Holiday visa. Unlike other schemes that you might have seen, you can arrange it yourself without going through an agency or being tied to one employer.

You could do worse than go on a New Zealand working holiday. It’s perfect if you have just graduated from the Polytechnic or university. Get a change of scenery, live independently, discover your resourcefulness, deal with a foreign culture and see a bit of the world – there won’t be any lack of moments to share with everyone. I speak from personal experience (and I paid for everything – this post isn’t sponsored in any way).

In this guide, I’ve put together a few things that my friends and I learnt to make your journey smoother. Interested? Then read on.

Last updated: Nov 14, 2018 @ 10:57 AM
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Travel Bloggers Share Their Most Memorable Impulse Decisions

Travel Bloggers Share Their Most Memorable Impulse Decisions

Travel springs surprises – that’s a given. Unlike life’s other surprises, however, you’re away from home and you seldom have the time to ponder opportunities that may not come your way again. When you’re not certain if things will work out, it’s not bad advice to go with your instincts.

I got 23 fellow travel bloggers from around the world to talk about the impulse decisions that they made and how they turned out. I’ve also added a couple of my own. Spoiler: Most went well and some of them were life changers!

Photos are courtesy of the respective bloggers.

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Taking the Plunge at Okere Falls

Taking the Plunge at Okere Falls

After a wild ride through the Okere Falls on a raft, our group reached the point where we exited the river.  As six of us hauled the raft onto the bank, I pointed to Trout Pool Falls downstream and asked the guide a seemingly innocent question.

‘What’s beyond those falls?’

‘That’s too dangerous for us. People have died there,’ he cautioned.

One week later, those words rang in my head as I looked down at the Kaituna river. I was standing on the edge of a cliff not far from the danger zone. The water looked tamer there, but would it be forgiving if I jumped in?  [Read on]

Te Anau Bird Sanctuary: Face-to-Face with the Takahe

Te Anau Bird Sanctuary: Face-to-Face with the Takahe

The story of the takahe’s return from near-extinction is a remarkable one. This rare flightless bird was once widespread throughout New Zealand – until habitat loss, deer and stoats took their toll. By the end of World War II, no one had seen a takahe in the wild in nearly half a century.

However, one Dr Geoffrey Orbell, a doctor from Invercargill, persevered with his belief that there were living birds in the Kiwi wilderness. In 1948, deep in the Murchison Mountains near Te Anau, Dr Orbell and his companions rediscovered the birds. It kickstarted efforts to nurse the species back to healthy numbers. It was thus fitting that I came face-to-face with the takahe in Te Anau.

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Baldwin Street: How Steep is the World’s Steepest Street?

Baldwin Street: How Steep is the World’s Steepest Street?

Let’s get the mundane facts about Baldwin Street out of the way first. This 350-metre stretch of road in Dunedin, New Zealand is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s steepest street. Its official maximum gradient is 19 degrees (though there are little bits that are 21 degrees); in other words, the ground rises a metre for every 2.86 metres you cover horizontally. You might be able to find another place or two with a slightly steeper slope, but it isn’t in the records.

The inclusion of roads like Baldwin Street that lead up the rugged slopes of Signal Hill was entirely intentional. In the mid-19th Century, Charles Kettle surveyed Dunedin and designed its city plan based on the widely-admired layout of Edinburgh New Town. Kettle died before the bold plans were realised, but a mining and farming boom ensured that they became reality.

A remarkable location comes with remarkable events, like the Jaffa Race and the Gutbuster (more details below). It’s tempting to grab a GoPro and do something even crazier, so here’s a reminder that one student died and another suffered serious injuries when they rode a wheelie bin down the slope in 2001.

Enough of the dry stuff that you can find on the web. How steep is Baldwin Street in the flesh?

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