New Zealand

Backpackers don't make beds

Every small or medium-sized town has at least one hostel catering specifically for backpackers and the larger cities have many. A high percentage of New Zealanders have been backpackers at some stage – the ‘overseas experience’ spending a couple of years traveling around is practically compulsory – so they’re well attuned to what people look for.

Most hostels have good kitchen facilities, comfortable beds, clean-ish showers, laundry, internet, somewhere to leave your bag, common areas with couches, and so on. Dorms start from around $14 USD and doubles from $22USD per person.

The majority of hostels are more geared to the ‘prepare wholesome food in the kitchen then sit around studying the map for tomorrow’s hike’-type traveler than the ‘lets lay in some cheap liquor and start a party’ scene. Queenstown or selected places in the main centers can be the exception.

New Zealand is also very camping-friendly – the Department of Conservation website has a list of several hundred campgrounds and huts on public land, most with some basic facilities. You have to book for some, while for others you can just show up. If you are planning to drag a tent around, you’d have to be very keen indeed to do it outside the warmer months of November to April.

If you’re staying around to work, apartments or shared houses (‘flats’) are quite easy to find. A double room in Auckland and Wellington will cost from about $90 USD/week, or more depending on quality, location, and number of other people in the house. The website “TradeMe”:http://www.trademe.co.nz is an excellent source of information on accommodation, as are local newspapers. Some hostels let you stay on longer, and this is most common in Queenstown where rented accommodation is scarce and expensive.

Expect to pay two weeks rent as deposit as well as the first two weeks up front. New Zealand has an independent Tenancy Service that brokers disputes between landlords and tenants and holds the bond on behalf of the landlord, so major problems are relatively rare.

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