gardening at HelpX farm

Work Exchange New Zealand:

30+ Bonuses I Enjoyed at my South Island HelpX Gigs

Those of you who followed my travels around New Zealand, Australia and Fiji in 2014 already know that I participated in many work exchange gigs at people’s homes (and at two motels, too). Most hosts asked me to work about 4 hours per day in exchange for room and board. At a few other places I worked 2-3 hours for accommodation only, supplying and cooking my own meals in peoples’ kitchens.

During my 3-month stint around North Island in early 2014 I stayed at 7 different hosts’ homes for 1-2 weeks each, spending a total of 10 ½ weeks of my 12 week travels participating in work exchange gigs.

I’ve already written about all the amazing & unexpected ‘bonuses’ I was treated to while staying with those hosts – things I would not have been able to experience if I had not joined those HelpX gigs. Read that post here.

work exchange New Zealand got me on vintage car road trip

Lash on vintage car road trip

More recently I toured NZ’s South Island for 3 months. During this trip I joined 6 HelpX assignments for about one week each, totaling six of my 13 weeks’ travels, nearly half my trip.

All of my hosts gave me my own private bedroom, usually with double bed, all fully made-up for me before my arrival. I generally shared a bathroom with the hosts and was free to use their kitchen facilities, wifi, living room, balconies, gardens and property.

They also provided me with all my meals and snacks in exchange for my work duties (except for places where I worked less and bought my own food supplies). A few hosts even asked me what I preferred to eat then took me shopping to buy the stuff I wanted, if it was different from what they normally ate at home. Wasn’t that sweet?

On top of those arrangements, though, I received many fantastic bonuses that were basically just a result of timing and ‘the luck of the draw’ – aka, the benefits of living with those particular hosts.

This article will give you an idea of what sorts of wonderful extra things you might get to see, do, learn, eat and enjoy whenever you join a work exchange assignment.

Check out all these amazing things I was treated to (for free):

pavlova – photo by Yabby on Flickr CC

Food bonuses

* BBQ house party

* Pavlova – a famous NZ dessert

* Roast lamb dinner

apartment in Oamaru – New Zealand

Accommodation

* A whole apartment to myself for one week – my birthday week!

* Heated mattress

* Rooms with views – big windows with views of sky, trees, gardens, mountains, the sea

* My own carpeted bedrooms, complete with double or twin bed, shelves and cabinets in 7 different homes

* Daily hot showers

* Free wifi access in every home & motel

* Unlimited use of kitchen, home and properties

Kepler Track

Transportation help

* Rides to nearby forest hikes

* Drop-offs at bus stations and hostels

* Ride from Dunedin to Oamaru, with drop off at my next HelpX home

Tunnel Beach – Dunedin – New Zealand

Visits to local attractions & Outdoor Adventures

* Tunnel Beach near Dunedin – see photos here

* Forest hikes along Kepler Track

* Watching Blue Penguins

* Hiking Kepler Track – see photos here

* Personal guided tour of Christchurch, focused on the earthquake damage and reconstruction initiatives

Lash with Vincent & Alison – Motueka NZ

Meeting new people

* Lived with and got to know many local New Zealanders

* Made several new friends with my hosts

* Learn 1st hand how New Zealanders live their daily lives and their views & outlook

Pets

* Played with and walked many lovely dogs

* Befriended several great cats

Doing fun jobs (alas, no photos!)

* Pressing linens with a commercial machine – it’s fun!

* Motel house keeping

* Volunteering at town’s community gardens

penny-farthing bicycle I rode in Oamaru!

Learning Opportunities

* Lessons riding a historic Penny-Farthing bicycle!

* Using an industrial linen pressing machine

* Learned ins & outs of managing motels, including house keeping, bookings, dealing with guests, etc

* Healthy eating & cooking principles from a professional homeopathic doctor

Miscellaneous bonuses

* Free storage of my bags while trekking and doing side trips

* Insider’s perspectives on living through & after the massive earthquakes of 2012-2013 in Christchurch

Conclusions:

I feel quite blessed to have enjoyed all these great ‘extras’ from my various New Zealand hosts. I particularly loved having the chance to hike the Kepler Track, learning how to ride a pennyfarthing bike in Oamaru, getting my very whole entire apartment for one week and getting rides to Tunnel Beach and Oamaru.

So special thanks to Irene & Dave in Te Anau, Sophia in Oamaru and Nannette & Ross in Dunedin. And thanks to all my other hosts for great accommodation, meals and socializing.

You might also enjoy:

50+ Benefits from my North Island HelpX Gigs

Work Exchange Pros & Cons

When Work Exchange Goes Wrong

My Experiences Hitch Hiking in New Zealand

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