One way to reduce your travelling costs without transgressing the terms of your visitor permit is to work for your board , most easily achieved doing farm work through Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF ). No money changes hands, but in exchange for four hours work a day, you get free board and lodging.

The Department of Conservation's Conservation Volunteer Programme ( www.doc.govt.nz/commu/involv/consvol2.htm ) provides an excellent way to spend time out in the New Zealand bush while putting something back into the environment. Often you will get into areas most visitors never see and learn some skills while you're at it. Projects include bat surveys, kiwi monitoring and nest protection, as well as more rugged tasks like track maintenance, tree planting and hut repair - all detailed in a booklet available from DOC offices nationwide or direct from head office at PO Box 10-420, 59 Boulcott St, Wellington (tel 04/471 0726, fax 471 1082). You can muck in for just a day or up to five days; for longer outings a small fee (around $60 for the duration, but sometimes as much as $200) may be levied to cover food and transport.