When to go backpacking in New Zealand?

You may be thinking about backpacking for the very first time. If that's the case, then New Zealand is the perfect place to start.

Combine the fact we are a far-off, exotic, destination, well away from your normal day-to-day and we have the distinction of being generally safe, accessible and easy to handle location. 'No worries, mate.' It's a great place to travel before you tackle some of the more challenging aspects of non-western cultural destinations ... not that we can't give you an exciting adventure, if you’re up to it!

If you have plenty of backpacking experience then New Zealand is the ultimate low-stress destination. A place to really relax and re-energise yourself. There’s heaps to explore in New Zealand , there’re plenty of secrets not yet mentioned in the Lonely Planet, waiting for you to discover. There are locations where you might be the only traveller in town. You can spend time learning about the local culture, while appreciating pristine, prehistoric, natural scenery.

Age is not a factor when it comes to backpacking. 'I have to be between 18 - 35!' is a horrible misconception. In fact over 10% of people using backpacker accommodation in New Zealand are over 40 and more are learning about it every day.

Here are some ideas on when you can fit great time in New Zealand

Pre-Tertiary Schooling -
You’re probably aged 17-19 and travel with money you have saved from a job after school and/or with the assistance of your parents, yeah, bleed them while you can! This is a great chance to break your mother's apron strings for the first time or to take advantage of the break in your studies between school and higher education, you can come back to that at any old time.

It’s your gap year!

Between Jobs
Or, it may be time to travel because you have left school and have not really found the job suitable for you or the boss is yet to realise your real, true worth. Travel now! It will be worth it.

Travel to New Zealand from anywhere between one month and a year. If you are actually 18 then apply for a one-year, Working Holiday Visa.

During Tertiary Schooling
Study break, or OE, call it what you will. You have been studying too long and hard. You deserve a break. You are most likely aged 20-26, have recently finished, or are part-way through your tertiary studies and are again travelling with your own money saved from a job and/or with your parent's assistance. This time of life it is becoming hugely popular to travel, as it’s easy to do. You have no real long-term commitments such as, children or a mortgage, so come to New Zealand now!

Besides, taking a gapping-year is seen by employers as a huge advantage and is almost becoming a must on you C.V. Lets face it, it's an important part of your education.

Also in this group, are those of you who have worked for several years in a job, or job training such as an apprenticeship. You too can take a year out, you have to owe it to yourself. Those of you who are smart, will get two. One for Aussie and one for New Zealand . Go for a couple of years, what the hell. Once you start travelling as a backpacker you will find it hard to stop, two years will fly by. Help yourself to a working holiday visa as well. These are definitely for your age bracket. Just make sure you get the New Zealand Working Holiday visa before you leave.

Time For A Break
You might be aged 26 and over. You are generally in trade or a professional, who after studying for a number of years and then working for a number of years, are financially secure and in a role that is in demand back in your home country. Now that you are all set, you are finding that its not all that's it made up to be, ["is that all there is?"] You are thinking back about the things you missed out on in your all too recent youth and of the thinking that the two weeks package holiday is just not making you fizz anymore. Take a year or so, off, experience the world. Rent the house, sell the car and that's enough to get you to New Zealand . The job can wait, or another will come along when you get back anyway, as the economy is going well enough. If it’s your own business then let the second-in-charge take over for a while, they would love the responsibility. If you do not do it now, there may be the likelihood that you will never do it. Life is short - do it!

Those of you who are older than 26 and under 30 you can also get a working holiday visa so use this if you are a little short of making the house payments. Don't let the fact that you have children put you off either. There are now heaps of people with young ones travelling with them now. New Zealand is well set up for the likes of you and your children will love you for it.

Semi-Retired/Retired
You are at a life stage where you can afford to take some time out. You may even be retired. You are financially independent and perhaps wanting to recapture your youth. You have seen your children or grand-children head off and travel the world with a backpack, so can you and rightly so. If you can do without life's luxuries in order for those dollars to go further, you are in the right mind-set.

Most of the backpacker accommodation in New Zealand is so well set up it has those comforts anyway. Who do you meet in the motel or hotel anyway? The person who checks you in and the doorman. The rest of the people staying there are business travellers or boring. At a backpackers hostel the people are genuine and friendly. The patrons are just as interested in hearing your travel stories as you are theirs. You will be joining one of the fastest-growing groups of people adopting the backpacker travel mentality and they are having huge amounts of fun. Remember age is not a barrier, you don't need to have a backpack to be a backpacker!"