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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
I was expecting to be bowled over by Milford Sound, but I wasn’t. The two-hour cruise should have been the highlight of the visit (and my working holiday in New Zealand), but it was a little anti-climatic. My favourite moments turned out to be the ones that were unplanned.
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 […]
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 […]