Carrying a "Working Holiday Visa," and "working for survival" when funds are low—this is becoming a new way to travel the world. "Poor Kid" Study Abroad New Trend: Work and Travel
What can you do with $200? Maybe buy a used 8GB Apple phone, or the cheapest version of the latest Sony Blu-ray drive. Either way, it’s hardly a "fortune." Over the past year, Wu Fei, a post-80s Shanghainese, traveled around New Zealand for a year with this travel budget, chasing sunsets, climbing snow-capped mountains, and working as a farmer in a kiwifruit orchard.
"To be honest, I wasn’t too dissatisfied with my original job. I quit because New Zealand was just too appealing." On a spring night, while surfing the internet at home, Wu Fei read the story of a Hong Kong boy in his early 20s who worked and saved money while traveling, following a map along New Zealand’s classic hiking trails. It "hit him like a thunderclap." It was the first time Wu Fei had heard of such a visa: the "Working Holiday Visa."
Quitting his job, applying for the visa, and heading abroad to work and travel—Wu Fei decisively "packed himself up" and headed to the Southern Hemisphere. Study abroad doesn’t necessarily mean sitting in a classroom. Nowadays, a group of backpackers is expanding the definition of study abroad. They break free from the rigid realities of life, and not all of them have strong financial backing. In 2009, New Zealand issued 1,000 "Working Holiday Visas," and Wu Fei got one.
What can you do with $200? Maybe buy a used 8GB Apple phone, or the cheapest version of the latest Sony Blu-ray drive. Either way, it’s hardly a "fortune." Over the past year, Wu Fei, a post-80s Shanghainese, traveled around New Zealand for a year with this travel budget, chasing sunsets, climbing snow-capped mountains, and working as a farmer in a kiwifruit orchard.
"To be honest, I wasn’t too dissatisfied with my original job. I quit because New Zealand was just too appealing." On a spring night, while surfing the internet at home, Wu Fei read the story of a Hong Kong boy in his early 20s who worked and saved money while traveling, following a map along New Zealand’s classic hiking trails. It "hit him like a thunderclap." It was the first time Wu Fei had heard of such a visa: the "Working Holiday Visa."
Quitting his job, applying for the visa, and heading abroad to work and travel—Wu Fei decisively "packed himself up" and headed to the Southern Hemisphere. Study abroad doesn’t necessarily mean sitting in a classroom. Nowadays, a group of backpackers is expanding the definition of study abroad. They break free from the rigid realities of life, and not all of them have strong financial backing. In 2009, New Zealand issued 1,000 "Working Holiday Visas," and Wu Fei got one.
Ditch the tie, become a "farmer" in New Zealand
Wu Fei, born in 1984 in Jiangxi, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics from Fudan University. "Like most clueless rookies who don’t know how to tie a tie to look sharp, I accidentally walked into a fancy office building." Wu Fei speaks slowly, but you can tell he chooses his words carefully and has a maturity rare for his age.
Before going to New Zealand, Wu Fei worked at a trading company in Shanghai. If all went well, in a few years, he could have people working under him—but, of course, he’d also have debts—buying a house, a car, just like all his peers. Until 2009, he learned about the "Working Holiday Visa" from the blog of a pair of travel enthusiasts. This visa allowed entry to New Zealand for travel and permitted short-term work to earn travel funds. He changed the course of his planned life.
"I did the math. If I live to 80, one year is just 1/80th—too insignificant. Look around us. Everyone rushes to be first, afraid of falling behind, but life is a marathon." He spoke quietly to the reporter about his "reasons for leaving."
In 2010, he had already worked for five years. He talked to his boss about quitting, visited clients as quickly as possible, and handed over his work. In May of that year, he boarded a flight to the Southern Hemisphere. He arrived at Auckland Airport at midnight, and the first thing he did was rush to the bathroom to inspect the toilet, checking out the legendary "clockwise swirl" to prove he had reached the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, the vacuum toilet sucked the water away the moment the valve was pressed.
His dramatically "first meeting" with the Southern Hemisphere seemed to set the tone for his subsequent travels. Flipping through his work history over the next year: kiwifruit picker, prison extra, professional slot machine player, old hunter’s assistant, apple packer at a packaging factory, hotel cleaner, grapevine pruner, Japanese restaurant chef, ranch hand... From May 2010 to April 2011 when he returned to China, he held 11 different jobs in New Zealand. Some say it was a "grand collection of work experiences."
Whether it’s because New Zealand is an agricultural country with highly seasonal work, or because the New Zealand government encourages travelers to try different jobs, the "Working Holiday Visa" has a quirky rule: no single job can last more than three months. "So, before getting bored, I’d start the next job," Wu Fei said.
Wu Fei’s most unforgettable job was pruning grapevines—no phones, no internet. Daily life consisted of work, chatting with colleagues, reading books, and cooking when hungry. He walked from the vineyard to the kitchen. Wu Fei never imagined there would be such a peaceful period in his life. "We chatted off and on, the grapevine branches snapped under the relentless snip of the scissors, birds flew overhead, cattle and sheep grazed nearby. Between heaven and earth, only the sounds of our work and conversation existed."
"Work-for-accommodation life"—my first time in prison
Often, Wu Fei’s jobs didn’t pay a salary; employers only provided a bed and three meals. On a website, he quickly found an interesting work-for-accommodation opportunity: Napier Prison was hiring.
"The next two nights are our prison’s weekly regular event—Haunted Night. Wanna come play?" On his first visit to a prison, while working in training sales and other roles, Wu Fei also served as a "temporary actor" for the prison. It’s New Zealand’s oldest prison, which closed in 1995 and was turned into a tourist attraction, hosting activities like "haunted house adventures."
The so-called "work-for-accommodation" is a budget travel method where you exchange a few hours of labor for food and lodging. At Napier Prison, the so-called dormitory was actually a cell. "A tiny cell with a bunk bed, a trash can, a cabinet, not even half a window. When you walk in, the iron door slams shut behind you with a loud bang, and the red warning lights in the corridor start flashing..." It felt quite like a reality show "survival game."
At Napier Prison, Wu Fei wasn’t the only work-for-accommodation participant. Chile’s Daniel was in charge of cleaning the entire prison daily, Germany’s Almuth handled tourist reception, and Britain’s Mark maintained the website.
In recent years, more and more people want to "go out and see the world," but not everyone is financially well-off. International work-for-accommodation, cross-border volunteering, and the "Working Holiday Visas" offered by many European and American countries have made world travel possible for these people. Domestically, Douban groups and Weibo communities like "Go Go Go Go Be a Youth Hostel Intern!" and "Gap Year Youth Salon" have become hubs for sharing such information, with commenters competing for the limited available spots.
Wu Fei, born in 1984 in Jiangxi, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics from Fudan University. "Like most clueless rookies who don’t know how to tie a tie to look sharp, I accidentally walked into a fancy office building." Wu Fei speaks slowly, but you can tell he chooses his words carefully and has a maturity rare for his age.
Before going to New Zealand, Wu Fei worked at a trading company in Shanghai. If all went well, in a few years, he could have people working under him—but, of course, he’d also have debts—buying a house, a car, just like all his peers. Until 2009, he learned about the "Working Holiday Visa" from the blog of a pair of travel enthusiasts. This visa allowed entry to New Zealand for travel and permitted short-term work to earn travel funds. He changed the course of his planned life.
"I did the math. If I live to 80, one year is just 1/80th—too insignificant. Look around us. Everyone rushes to be first, afraid of falling behind, but life is a marathon." He spoke quietly to the reporter about his "reasons for leaving."
In 2010, he had already worked for five years. He talked to his boss about quitting, visited clients as quickly as possible, and handed over his work. In May of that year, he boarded a flight to the Southern Hemisphere. He arrived at Auckland Airport at midnight, and the first thing he did was rush to the bathroom to inspect the toilet, checking out the legendary "clockwise swirl" to prove he had reached the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, the vacuum toilet sucked the water away the moment the valve was pressed.
His dramatically "first meeting" with the Southern Hemisphere seemed to set the tone for his subsequent travels. Flipping through his work history over the next year: kiwifruit picker, prison extra, professional slot machine player, old hunter’s assistant, apple packer at a packaging factory, hotel cleaner, grapevine pruner, Japanese restaurant chef, ranch hand... From May 2010 to April 2011 when he returned to China, he held 11 different jobs in New Zealand. Some say it was a "grand collection of work experiences."
Whether it’s because New Zealand is an agricultural country with highly seasonal work, or because the New Zealand government encourages travelers to try different jobs, the "Working Holiday Visa" has a quirky rule: no single job can last more than three months. "So, before getting bored, I’d start the next job," Wu Fei said.
Wu Fei’s most unforgettable job was pruning grapevines—no phones, no internet. Daily life consisted of work, chatting with colleagues, reading books, and cooking when hungry. He walked from the vineyard to the kitchen. Wu Fei never imagined there would be such a peaceful period in his life. "We chatted off and on, the grapevine branches snapped under the relentless snip of the scissors, birds flew overhead, cattle and sheep grazed nearby. Between heaven and earth, only the sounds of our work and conversation existed."
"Work-for-accommodation life"—my first time in prison
Often, Wu Fei’s jobs didn’t pay a salary; employers only provided a bed and three meals. On a website, he quickly found an interesting work-for-accommodation opportunity: Napier Prison was hiring.
"The next two nights are our prison’s weekly regular event—Haunted Night. Wanna come play?" On his first visit to a prison, while working in training sales and other roles, Wu Fei also served as a "temporary actor" for the prison. It’s New Zealand’s oldest prison, which closed in 1995 and was turned into a tourist attraction, hosting activities like "haunted house adventures."
The so-called "work-for-accommodation" is a budget travel method where you exchange a few hours of labor for food and lodging. At Napier Prison, the so-called dormitory was actually a cell. "A tiny cell with a bunk bed, a trash can, a cabinet, not even half a window. When you walk in, the iron door slams shut behind you with a loud bang, and the red warning lights in the corridor start flashing..." It felt quite like a reality show "survival game."
At Napier Prison, Wu Fei wasn’t the only work-for-accommodation participant. Chile’s Daniel was in charge of cleaning the entire prison daily, Germany’s Almuth handled tourist reception, and Britain’s Mark maintained the website.
In recent years, more and more people want to "go out and see the world," but not everyone is financially well-off. International work-for-accommodation, cross-border volunteering, and the "Working Holiday Visas" offered by many European and American countries have made world travel possible for these people. Domestically, Douban groups and Weibo communities like "Go Go Go Go Be a Youth Hostel Intern!" and "Gap Year Youth Salon" have become hubs for sharing such information, with commenters competing for the limited available spots.
Don’t obsess over "meaning"—"the result floats within the process"
Back in Shanghai, Wu Fei has now returned to a regular office job. In his spare time, he writes. His book *Working Holiday* drew quite a crowd of "literary youths" at this year’s Shanghai Book Fair. But this young man’s dream is to write an awesome detective story and turn it into a movie. During his year in New Zealand, he completed his first full-length mystery novel.
"Sometimes, I get confused too. When I’m in the restaurant, bustling around cooking non-stop, a thought flashes through my mind—why am I working here? I could’ve found a restaurant job back home." While repeatedly flipping through the newspaper’s "help wanted" section, struggling to find work, he found it rather ironic. "Back home, I mustered the courage, went through all sorts of trouble, just to quit a job. And now, I’m practically begging for someone to give me another job."
"Once you start thinking about meaning, it gets deadly. That’s how self-doubt begins!" Reflecting on his "low point" in New Zealand a year later, Wu Fei can’t help but smile. "Don’t let negative emotions spiral. Stick to your inner thoughts, and this phase will pass quickly."
Some call this time away from the routine life a "gap year." Wu Fei says, "Overcomplicating the gap year makes youth even shorter."
Many ask Wu Fei what he gained from his year of "working and traveling." He can list many things, but sometimes he’s at a loss for words. "The result floats within the process." In the end, Wu Fei quoted a lyric from Bob Dylan’s song. This melancholic tune *Blowin’ in the Wind*, known for its wise lyrics, was once included in American university textbooks and chosen as the theme song for *Forrest Gump*.
Since when did people start requiring every aspect of life to have a meaning? "People don’t allow actions without meaning, nor do they accept the idea that the action itself is the meaning. But I’ve found that, just like happiness needs to be simple to last, enduring things are often quite simple—like wheels, paper... So many high-tech products have been phased out, yet these things remain," Wu Fei said.
Back in Shanghai, Wu Fei has now returned to a regular office job. In his spare time, he writes. His book *Working Holiday* drew quite a crowd of "literary youths" at this year’s Shanghai Book Fair. But this young man’s dream is to write an awesome detective story and turn it into a movie. During his year in New Zealand, he completed his first full-length mystery novel.
"Sometimes, I get confused too. When I’m in the restaurant, bustling around cooking non-stop, a thought flashes through my mind—why am I working here? I could’ve found a restaurant job back home." While repeatedly flipping through the newspaper’s "help wanted" section, struggling to find work, he found it rather ironic. "Back home, I mustered the courage, went through all sorts of trouble, just to quit a job. And now, I’m practically begging for someone to give me another job."
"Once you start thinking about meaning, it gets deadly. That’s how self-doubt begins!" Reflecting on his "low point" in New Zealand a year later, Wu Fei can’t help but smile. "Don’t let negative emotions spiral. Stick to your inner thoughts, and this phase will pass quickly."
Some call this time away from the routine life a "gap year." Wu Fei says, "Overcomplicating the gap year makes youth even shorter."
Many ask Wu Fei what he gained from his year of "working and traveling." He can list many things, but sometimes he’s at a loss for words. "The result floats within the process." In the end, Wu Fei quoted a lyric from Bob Dylan’s song. This melancholic tune *Blowin’ in the Wind*, known for its wise lyrics, was once included in American university textbooks and chosen as the theme song for *Forrest Gump*.
Since when did people start requiring every aspect of life to have a meaning? "People don’t allow actions without meaning, nor do they accept the idea that the action itself is the meaning. But I’ve found that, just like happiness needs to be simple to last, enduring things are often quite simple—like wheels, paper... So many high-tech products have been phased out, yet these things remain," Wu Fei said.
youmezz’s Weibo