S3, E5: A (rent?) & holiday on the South

Paying a first week’s rent and a deposit of 4 weeks without setting foot in the apartment is daunting.

But first, Sea kayaking to the south

We would have almost tried sea kayaking to the south like the guy in the above picture. But Youlia decided to keep trying to get on an impossible ferry using 4 letters. Luck. We managed to get on a ferry because we were very pushy and they probably felt pity for us. No more stories about crossing the cook strait. It’s not been a pleasant experience trying to get to the south. Take it from us, If you’re ever going to NZ, Just fly straight to Christchurch.

Anyway, let’s fast forward to a travel highlight figuratively and literally speaking.

Wanaka and Queenstown

Roys peak or Ben Lomond. Chances are you’ll be doing at least one of them if you’re ever on the South Island. They are the most stunning one-day hikes. Which one is more impressive is up for debate. So what would you say? Picture 1 or 2? Please post your answer in the comment section below. We are giving away low-priced vegetables to the first 10 responders.

Obviously joking, since cheap veggies are impossible to find anywhere in NZ (as for cheap rents and basically cheap anything).

A loop on the South

A kiwi’s perspective on the beauty of New Zealand is that every place is breathtaking, and they might even argue that the north is just as stunning as the south. However, the majority of tourists & backpackers, including ourselves, find the south to be infinitely more enchanting.

In a nutshell;

Abel Tasman makes you book a sea kayaking trip even if you didn’t plan on doing it. This natural park is a natural treasure that demonstrates how New Zealand was before humans arrived. You are guaranteed to spot seals. Be sure not to come closer than 20m. Or 15m. Okay, they’re so cute so don’t come closer than 10m, unless for a quick selfie (5m). Don’t ever tell anyone.

Kaikoura: swim with dolphins and watch migrating whales. We did that 5 years ago and it was awesome! We’re about to come in whale season soon. We might go on a fishing trip!

Christchurch AKA quake city. This is a city that appears to be still in the process of rebuilding. But go to the city center and you’ll find a cozy, vibrant place, full of funky bars. We wouldn’t mind living here.

If you’re okay with never saving any money, Queenstown might be just the place for you!

Queenstown

Next on our itinerary was Lake Tekapo, lake Pukaki then Wanaka and Queenstown. We finally used our DOC camp pass (better late than never) which allowed us to camp without paying top dollar. It is so costly in Queenstown, that you will have a hard time finding Kiwis. They would rather avoid this Tourist town. It’s a shame it is so unaffordable since the place looks amazing. In Queenstown, you could find a job in hospitality easily. However, the rent is ridiculous. We had a great time exploring the area and met some wonderful people. But it’s far too pricy for most people. Think of Queenstown to be the Canadian equivalent of Banff. Oh, and don’t forget to stop by the Isengard lookout in Glenorchy! You are not required to book a guided tour. Drive there yourself. If you like Fjords, you should check out Milford Sound.

Next, we made our way to the amazing west coast, where we encountered a swarm of lovely sandflies, the bites of which are still itching on our skin ten days later. We drove past the Franz Jozef glacier and figured it was time to settle down.

Not sure if we have said it before, but people here drive like madmen. Someone told us a lovely quote we would like to share:

If there’s one car behind you, it is his fault. If there are three cars behind you, the fault is yours.

the locals

And finally… renting an apartment!

Remember the giant kiwi we bought our van from? We basically transferred a hefty sum without knowing if we would ever get to see our beloved van. Apparently, we never learned from those stressful days and sleepless nights. Life seems to have a way of repeating itself.

It was only a few minutes before Youlia took in the view of a reflection pool in the Franz Jozef valley that we transferred 2500 NZD to a stranger we have never met, for an apartment we had never seen, in a region we had never been to. Wouldn’t entirely recommend this process. Fortunately, it worked out for us. Using the four letters of course.

The not-so-fun part about the work and holiday experience is you have to prove to your landlord you are having a stable income at the moment. At the same time when applying for jobs, they will ask whether you have accommodation in the region. It reminded us of our time in Auckland when we were trying to open a NZ bank account. You need a job to open a bank account. But you need a bank account to apply for a job. We suppose they want you to be inventive in finding a way around this. Show some commitment, right?

We just managed to sign a contract for at least 6 months. The location? Sumner beach is only a 3-minute drive away. A trip to the city center of Christchurch would be less than 15km. We’ll be paying 500 NZD/ week which is acceptable considering the prices down here.

Why Christchurch?

For us, it seemed a good compromise between city life and an active outdoor lifestyle. It’s a gateway to places like Kaikoura (2 hours), or Mount Hutt ski area (2 hours). We could surf or go for an early stroll on the beach on any day plus the houses in Christchurch look better (think earthquake) than those in Wellington. Rent prices also seem a bit more reasonable for the time being.

We’ll post some pictures as soon as we move in on March 27th. Only two weeks of AirBnbing remain.

In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures of a Kea we were lucky enough to see during our time on Arthur’s pass (final crossing from West to east).

We’ll keep you posted on our job hunt!