My first days in New Zealand

After more than twenty hours of flying I stepped off the plane in Auckland. It was early morning, the air smelled of the sea, and I realised I was on the other side of the world, alone, with a suitcase. What now? The first weeks are the hardest anywhere new. Here's what I had to sort out at the start in New Zealand and how I managed it.

Days 1–3: jet lag and a hostel

I spent my first few nights in a hostel in central Auckland. Jet lag held me for several days: New Zealand is 10 to 12 hours ahead of the Czech Republic. What helped was going straight out into the sun and only sleeping in the evening, local time. In the first days I walked around the city, climbed the Mount Eden volcano and got to know people in the hostel. More about the city in Auckland.

An IRD number: you can't work without one

An IRD number is your tax identification number. Without it your employer deducts the highest tax rate. You apply online on the Inland Revenue website, and you need your passport, your visa and a New Zealand bank account (or proof that you've opened one). My number arrived within about a week.

A bank account and a SIM card

• Bank: I opened an account with one of the big banks (ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac, Kiwibank). Sometimes you need to show an address: the hostel's address is enough.
• SIM card: you can buy a prepaid card in a supermarket. In my experience One NZ and Spark have the best coverage outside the cities.

Finding work

I wanted to travel and take photos, but I also needed to earn. The quickest route is seasonal work. I searched on Backpacker Board, in Facebook groups and on Seek. In the end I headed to the Bay of Plenty, where the kiwifruit picking season was starting: more in working in New Zealand and kiwifruit picking.

Buying a car

In New Zealand you can hardly travel without a car. Buses only run between towns, and the most beautiful places are far from them. I bought a car and converted it so I could legally sleep in it. I describe the whole process in buying a car and converting it to self-contained.

What helped me most

• People in hostels. Backpackers help each other: where there's work, who's selling a car, where to go. I write about the community in the backpacker community.
• Openness. New Zealanders (Kiwis) are incredibly friendly. You only need to ask.
• Patience. Not everything works out at once. The first job, the first car and the first home all take time.

How the first weeks felt

There were moments when I sat in the hostel wondering what on earth I was doing here. Far from my family, without work, with money disappearing fast. But then I drove along the coast for the first time, saw my first waterfall in the rainforest and photographed my first sunset over the Pacific, and I knew it had been the right decision.

How it all began, you can read in how I set off for New Zealand.

Faq