Program Reviews

The package was really well run, and it was great to start my first week off in Australia with a group of likeminded travellers. I opted for BUNAC's Ultimate programme so got to explore Sydney on an inclusive week of activities and accommodation. We stayed in Wake-up which is an awesome backpacker hostel in the middle of Sydney. The initial support with banking and tax was great and job support came straight after. I opted to stay in Sydney for a while so was able to make use of the job support team in the Sydney office right away. The office is in a good location of the city, and the staff there are so friendly and knowledgeable! Would highly recommend the program.

This programme is absolutely great for a first time traveller or anyone who is travelling alone and wants to make a lot of great mates along the way. I took the group flight through BUNAC so I was already in great company with 18 other like-minded travellers! BUNAC took all the stress out of the trip and I felt supported right from the start. On arrival into Sydney we were taken to the Sydney office and given a full welcome orientation which was incredibly useful. The job hunting resources were also great and I had found work within 2 weeks and a great apartment share within 3 weeks. I always felt like I had somewhere I could go for advise and support and the Sydney office had some awesome social events as well! Overall my year in Oz was incredible and it was thanks to BUNAC that I made so many amazing friends and everything from jobs to setting up a bank account ran smoothly. I would highly recommend them to any traveller.

After finishing university and not knowing what I wanted out of life, I researched overseas programs that would help me gain experience while traveling abroad. I was terrified at the thought of going to another country all by myself, I had never been that far away from home before, but the Bunac and Work New Zealand program definitely helped me to soon get over that!

Once I arrived in NZ, the Work New Zealand office had already booked a night for me at the nearest backpackers and had an orientation meeting for a group of travelers the day I arrived. Sure, I was nervous, but that first day I met so many great people and I knew I had made the right choice. Through the orientation we learned about the NZ culture, the different kinds of jobs available to us, and the essentials like setting up a bank account (and figuring out the currency!).

I went without a plan, and that made for a grand adventure. I learned about WWOOFing (working in exchange for accommodation) and working at backpackers and knew that I wanted to check out the south island first, so I talked with the program office and they recommended that I take the train down south to begin the second part of my adventure.

I stopped in Wellington and applied to different WWOOFing positions and ended up working in a small household (living out of my own little caravan!) with a great family. My mornings started out cleaning up after the horse and donkey that they kept, and then I was assigned other various tasks throughout the day. It was hard work, but it was worthwhile and I got to live with a local family and hear their stories and gain an insight into the culture of the area.

While there I applied to two jobs: One working at a small backpackers in Nelson on the South Island, and the other was just a shot in the dark sending my resume to the observatory at Mt. Cook (because I always wanted to work at an observatory). I ended up getting a call back from the backpackers first and they offered me a position in the reception office and I was soon on the ferry heading there!

I ended up staying there for five months! I loved the family I was working for and it was in such a cool town and really my job was to meet people from all around the world. It doesn't get much better than that! I worked for accommodation, free wi-fi, and utilities AND got a small stipend each week. Talk about an adventure!

My last few months were spent traveling and exploring the South and North Islands, living entirely out of a car (minus the few nights at various backpackers; we had to shower somewhere). Along the way I found myself jumping off cliffs on a canyoning tour, sitting under the light from hundreds of glow worms in a cave in Waitamo, and beside three fierce mountain trolls from The Hobbit! (Seriously though, I had so many more adventures; I could write all day about them)

I ended up losing my passport early on, which was a bummer, but the Work New Zealand office guided me through the steps to get a replacement. It was a hassle, but the process itself wasn't as bad as I had feared thanks to the help I received. And really, the staff at the Work NZ office is always just a phone call or email away and very willing to help travelers in any way they can.

Do yourself a favor and book your year abroad with them. You'll be glad you did.