Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Tac on September 08, 2008, 09:16:35 AM
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Always wanted to go visit New Zealand but the distance and expense was too great.. and it is a place I'd really wanted to be more than a week or two (read: work vacation not enough).
The other day I see this amazing opportunity of live&work in New Zealand for 1 year. It was perfect. Just perfect perfect perfect.
Call the NZ embassy.. and I'm told the max age to apply is 30. I'll be 31 this December I told them, can an extension be granted, as in I apply before I'm 31 and travel first months of next year? No, im told. You have to be there physically before you turn 31.
FEK.
Application checklist:
Medical Exam (blood test)- Done
Chest X-Ray - Done
Paperwork - FEK! I need my passport processed!!!
Passport Photos- Done
Airline tickets - Found them, not purchased them yet.
Police Report - still have to find out about this!
Application processing time: 3 weeks.
I had applied for my passport Aug 28th.. now I just called them and paid extra to have it rushed. Time is getting very close. If I get it next week and submit this all next week I'd be getting a reply by late October. Cutting it close... but still got me some buffer time.
So that'd leave me with 15 days to get my resume in the CV format of NZ, look for a job and apply, look for an apt over there, find a hotel for the first week and get my stuff here all settled out for a year absence.
:aok :O
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Good luck with that. :aok
Watch out for the cannibals though. :noid
:D
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Good luck with that. :aok
Watch out for the Vulcan-type people though. :noid
:D
Fixed!
Yew have to be kidding me! :) Don't forget to pack your tall rubber boots for those back legs so they don't squirm away. If you forget them, Vulcan can loan you some! :rock
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LOL Rip!
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Awesome, enjoy!
I am doing same thing atm to work in Canada.
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This opportunity to work in NZ is a program provided by the NZ government?
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Good luck!
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I would like to know more about the opportunity??
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If you want to have a job ANYWHERE, just learn to milk cows. Really. Experienced milkers, or wannabees, have an easy time to find a job.
Not much pay, but you get your "adventure".
Was a cattleguy in some places as well ;)
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http://www.bunac.org/
Here you go yanks.
BTW Tac, if you dont get it in time - the bunac scheme is open for up to 35 year olds
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This opportunity to work in NZ is a program provided by the NZ government?
Lots of skills shortages here. Unemployment is relatively low, ie low to the point where the only people left on unemployment benefits are those who'll never get off them.
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I never knew Vulcan was a Kiwi. I'll tap you for some info Vulcan :)
The opportunity is an arrangement between NZ and other countries to allow their nationals to live and work for up to a year. In essence, its a work visa with few hurdles. Literally, the only thing you need is to be healthy, show that you have enough funds to live there and pay return airfare (about $8k USD will do) and not have gone to jail or have problems with the law.
They call it 'working holiday' because its great to visit a place and work full or part time if you want to help pay your trip and not go broke. Aint it neat? :D
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/
is the link.
BUNAC is available for age 35 but here's the thing: Its a rip-off.
They charge you like $1000 USD and their so called services are nothing more than giving you a lonely planet travel guide, sitting with a person for 3 hours to tell you stuff about NZ when you arrive AND.. get this.. 'assistance' in finding a job and a place to live. The 'assistance' is a small office where they have a computer and you go to job and apt websites which you can access from overseas anyway. The only real service they provide is the age extension for the program. They even dare say that they cover the fees to process the application for US citizens ... wooo the NZ gov. website clearly states it is free for us citizens. lol.
I'm packing my stuff and using that $1k to pay for the airfare. Being in the travel industry helps a lot... regular fares are like $2300 and I can find it for $1200 :devil
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Would rather pay the $1k and go, than save the $1k and be stuck in the USA old man ;) :devil
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Fixed!
Yew have to be kidding me! :) Don't forget to pack your tall rubber boots for those back legs so they don't squirm away. If you forget them, Vulcan can loan you some! :rock
gumboots are for amateurs, pro's use cliffs (you get 'pushback')
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gumboots are for amateurs, pro's use cliffs (you get 'pushback')
:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl
Or fences...
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This is funny!!! Wonder if my wife will let me go!!!
Please note: New Zealand law prohibits any person on a temporary permit, including a Working Holiday Scheme work permit, from providing commercial sexual services, or operating or investing in a business which provides such services.
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This is funny!!! Wonder if my wife will let me go!!!
Prostitution is legalized here, that law is designed to prevent cheap disease ridden sex workers coming in from asia.
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Prostitution is legalized here, that law is designed to prevent cheap disease ridden sex workers coming in from asia.
Did not know they did that there. My home state Victoria in Australia has similar laws for the sex trade. Enjoy your stay in NZ it is always an interesting experience living & working in another country.
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Vulcan you kidding me!
right?
It is?
*adds item to shopping list*
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Where the heck is new zealand?
:rock
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WOOT! Passport arrived this morning.
Submitted application to the 1yr program.
Now... I wait.
again.
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Where the heck is new zealand?
Just below Old Zealand
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Man I'd love to hunt big game in NZ. They have 5 or 6 species I have great interest in.
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Man I'd love to hunt big game in NZ. They have 5 or 6 species I have great interest in.
All species of sheep?
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All species of sheep?
Himalayan Thar, Chamois, Wapiti, Sambar Deer (they're big mothers), Red Deer.
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Man I'd love to hunt big game in NZ. They have 5 or 6 species I have great interest in.
So do I.
Asian girls, Polynesian girls, Redhead girls, Blond girls....
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Vulcan you kidding me!
right?
It is?
*adds item to shopping list*
Nope, you know my auntie kay, she was working as bar staff at a local strip club. She got promoted to bookings for the brothel upstairs. Yes, thats right, my hot auntie kay is technically a 'pimp' :) Google splash club in Wellington NZ :)
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:devil :rock
I'm so happy right now.
Was looking at job openings ... and holy farking cow there's SO many vacant positions for my line of work its hard to choose which one i'd accept if they all say yes.
and now, thanks to Vulcan and his Auntie... i have something to do on the weekends ;)
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should have an answer this week from the NZ visa folks. The shakes begin.
And just in time too ... Just heard the place I work in will be laying off a lot of people this week and its likely i'm one of them :(
Sent you a PM Vulcan!
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I've thought about those aswell. But I've come to the conclusion that I'll be better of working back home and then taking some time off to travel. Those jobs are really low paying, so it's far easier to earn the money here. My next travel will be South America for 3 months starting in november from Caracas, Venezuela and ending to Lima, Peru.
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WOOT! Got it!
Time to pack some sh** !! :D :D
:aok
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Update:
Had to postpone this for a year from the last entry due to the economy flooring.
I leave tomorrow for NZ.
Visa is valid, shtuff is packed...
urrah! :devil
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Update:
Had to postpone this for a year from the last entry due to the economy flooring.
I leave tomorrow for NZ.
Visa is valid, shtuff is packed...
urrah! :devil
have fun and if you find yourself on the gold coast in Australia, shoot me a PM
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Day 3 here.
Loving it. Found a REAL japanese noodle shop just down the street.... damn hot damn tasty. cant get this stuff in the US. tastes just like the stuff i ate in tokyo.mmmmm
Yo vulcan... please explain to me why people here even bother to use a cellphone? The rates are pure robbery.... pay the same for a local call you do for an international call? LOL. The plans offered here start at 20 mins talk time a month to merely 120 minutes... this is insane.
Finding accomodations for wellington oct29 for 2 weeks is coming up as being almost impossible, all hotels seem sold out for a few dates. is there any special event going on that i dont know about? worst case ill end up in a backpackers but im reeeally trying to avoid that since i dont want my gear stolen :(
aside from that im enjoying the cooler weather and walking down the streets of auckland is a pleasure...so many purty geeerls.... :devil
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Use 2°. It is pre paid at present but has cheap rates...44c per min and 9c per text. It is that price to call other countries also US being one of them. You must have a sim phone though...which I believe you do.
Where are you staying in Auckland?
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im in CBD near queens st and quay st.
I did get the 2degrees cheapofone before reading this from a dicksmith store. I really wanted an iphone but i was told they couldnt sign me up for it since im here on a 1 yr visa. oh well, once i get a job ill look into the iphone.
got 15 more days in auckland :D
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Good luck with that. :aok
Watch out for the cannibals though. :noid
:D
There have been no reports of Maori cannibalism in New Zealand for over 100 years, I do believe. They are now much more civilized folks.
(http://i.pbase.com/u45/dougj/upload/10114871.MauriWarriorCS.jpg)
I would be more concerned about radiation from Outer Space. They say that the Ozone layer near New Zealand is fading away.
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^^^ some are :lol......the ozone thing ...yeah man, you definitely need sun screen..tough guys soon become whimpering little girls after manning it in our sun.....on the point of girls...the top end of K rd, the walkers are ...men... however if you are at that end and looking then you are obviously far to wasted on intoxicating substances to care :lol :lol :lol, great place fun and friendly...well out of Auckland :lol ...joking...but don't let that fool you...we do have bad guys too...and they love the unassuming.....forget wellington, nothing to see there ( takes defensive stance:lol ). Have fun keep safe, this is a cool place. Enjoy...oh yeah...the Via duct is a great source of entertainment ;)....you have probably found that out already.
Check your PMs
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Damn tac, I was in Auckland most of last week, at the Mercure Windsor hotel just up from the corner of Queen St and Quay St, I was taking a course on Quay St :)
Welcome to our phone duopoly. On the bright side I've been out hunting today, for free... :)
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Post some pics when you get the chance. Sounds like an interesting place.
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Got the PM SPK thanks. At the moment im settling in and getting all my stuff ready. Tax ID, getting used to the new time zone+jet lag, phone , bank accounts, etc. But so far its been very interesting.
The sun.. well im from florida so im used to intense sunlight (aka, I avoid it lol). I will be very aware that the sun here will likely be hard to notice since the temperature is signficantly lower than in florida. Heck the temp. now is what I put my AC back home!.
Ill see ya next month vulcan nay worry!.
as for pics... mmm ill post some up when I get the chance. So far ive just taken pics of the streets around the hotel.
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update:
Been to Queenstown and currently in Dunedin... will be in Wellington on the 29th (if i can find accomodations jeebuz).
Queenstown is absolutely AWESOME. Incredibly views, great people... its a tourist trap town so stuff is expensive. Anyone coming here i'd suggest staying in Glenorchy which is 15 minutes away from queenstown and has even more impressive views and excellent fishing and adventure tours.
The road between queenstown and dunedin is amazing as well. I stopped by 2 little towns that were so high up in the mountain range that the cloud cover literally went through town (not fog...clouds!) ... unbelievable.
Dunedin... well dunedin is the first dissapointment ive had in this country (lol). This place is a ticking timebomb.
Its a quaint little city (you can walk one side to another of it in about an hour) with a major university (i think 40% of the residents here are students), a botanical gardens, a castle (only one in NZ)...and nothing else.
thats it. nothing else to do. Entertainment is centered around whatever sport you can find (apparently graffiti art all over town and getting piss drunk is the local passtime), a casino and a red light area.
mix the above with thousands of bored students and you get a glimpse of the feel of the place.
homes are victorian style with modern homes and shops in between (ruins the esthetics)... all buildings show an obvious lack and disregard for maintainance so the city itself is rather ugly.
Job hunting so far has been bad... put hundreds of applications but no bites. Ive been advised many companies take 3 to 4 weeks to tell you yes or no and most dont even contact you if you're rejected.
What irks me is that I see tons of foreigners working here who tell me that they came with tourist visa, got a job and the job gave them work visa (2yrs visa)... yet I went through all the legalities of getting the legit 1yr work visa before entering the country (which wasnt cheap) and I get here and i'm being rejected from some companies because my visa is not a 2yr visa. /sigh.
So anyways.. Vulcan ill be in wellington soon so maybe we can meet up and have a beer or something.. at this stage ill try and get a flat for a couple of months. as things are if I dont land a job ill have to return to the US by january :(
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Hey watch out for the sheep, last time I saw them they ran after people and ate them alive in fits of BAAAA'd rage.
UnclKurt is soooo jealous.
Anyway now that you're a Kiwi im allowed to poke fun at you ;) come to our pad (we are the neighbours) for some sun if you get tired of the rain and cold. Although I heard there is a bikini Carwash in NZ :rock but we have beach girls so meh :D.
Seriously though. NZ is great (OZ is still better :D) just dont annoy the islanders, they make youre toughs in the USA look like wimps.
Have fun :D :airplane:
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I just flew back to the states from Auckland this morning after spending 2 weeks there.. :airplane: Had a blast!! The south island was by far the best part.. Rented an RV with my girlfriend and 2 of her friends and saw some of the best sites.. :cheers:
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How fit are ya tac? I'll take you for a walking over to some of my hunting spots. You'll be blown away at where you can get too with regards to quiet beautiful scenery so close to our capital ;)
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Never been down there but a family friend goes down at least once a year for a month to fish. He has invited me to go but the wife says she wants to go and with three kids that is a little out of the picture for a month at a time. Maybe 2 weeks but it will be next year before we know if we can go. He just left two weeks ago for a MONTH!!!
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Hahahah Dunedin is the first disappointment, I love it. I was one of those 40% of students you mention, studying at Otago for half a year in 2005, had a frigging blast. Just driving around the South Island (I took a LOT of long weekend trips) is incredible in so many ways. Spent a lot of time out in the Wanaka area during my time there, tried to avoid Queenstown. My last 2 1/2 weeks in NZ after classes were done I spent backpacking the North Island, which is nice in it's own way. However in the end I'm glad I studied where I did, in the ticking time bomb that is Dunedin :lol Getting "piss drunk" during the tri-nations when the AB's won it was probably the most entertaining sports series I have ever followed.
It is what you make of it man. I hope you enjoy your time there -- and that it continues past January! Just out of curiosity, is your occupational field travel?
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Oh yeah tac, All Black matches and the NPC semi's are coming up.... you gotta catch teh fever :)
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Hahahah Dunedin is the first disappointment, I love it. I was one of those 40% of students you mention, studying at Otago for half a year in 2005, had a frigging blast. Just driving around the South Island (I took a LOT of long weekend trips) is incredible in so many ways. Spent a lot of time out in the Wanaka area during my time there, tried to avoid Queenstown. My last 2 1/2 weeks in NZ after classes were done I spent backpacking the North Island, which is nice in it's own way. However in the end I'm glad I studied where I did, in the ticking time bomb that is Dunedin :lol Getting "piss drunk" during the tri-nations when the AB's won it was probably the most entertaining sports series I have ever followed.
Aha... so you see.. to have fun you had to leave dunedin lol. Its alright, I think that IS really the saving grace. Town itself is rather boring unless you out to get piss drunk.
It is what you make of it man. I hope you enjoy your time there -- and that it continues past January! Just out of curiosity, is your occupational field travel?
Oh dont get me wrong I AM enjoying it. Dunedin has lots of interesting gastromic adventures (lol). Ive been tasting beers ive never heard of (and now I understand why everyone says all american beer is pisswater.. its TRUE!!! omg). Went to the irish pub/bar in the middle of george street.. amazing food there. tried Whitebait for the first time (TAASTY)... had deer for the first time... sheep milk....
well, lets just say its been good to me stomach. Its nice to see this place isnt overrun by asian shops and restaurants like auckland and queenstown were.
Spkmes can tell you... he showed me around Auckland and I had the priviledge of meeting his other half AND be given my first kiwi meal lol. I had been in Auckand for 2 weeks eating nothing but asian food 'cause there was nothing else I could find besides chips and fish (from a turkish eatery no less). At least here in dunedin they have more local foods and man its GOOD.
I'm a travel consultant... field travel I WISH! I do that with my own money :D . I do find it helps me immensely on the job though.. being to a place and living there is much easier to sell a destination to someone else compared to another agent thats just regurgitating what he read piled on top of whatever BS lies he can cram in.
Vulcan:
Fit? Well im not exactly an athlete but i'm up for it if you got the patience. Bow hunting that is (cant get firearm license). Fishing: ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY. You do flyfishing by any chance? always wanted to learn that. you cant fish anything but child molesters in florida :t
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oh heck.. got me a phone job interview on the 29th O.o
Franz josef glacier hotel.. :D :D
if it takes them 1.5 weeks to start calling people to interviews..maybe it'l be 1 week to do them and decide..mmm ...
vulcan we gotta do this quick :D
if i land that job (and im praying i do)... wow.. free accomodation given by hotel plus pay... now I gotta figure out if theres fishing or hunting in the place. :D :rock
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Franz Joseph is gorgeous. It's a nice little town where it is located as well, albeit small. Best of luck man!
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welp apparently they didnt want me in franz josef :(
ill keep applying for stuff... if not then im back to the states by january.