Tag: New Zealand

The New Zealand Government Offers A Moving Grant For Teaching Overseas

One of the most prohibitive things about teaching in New Zealand or Australia could be the cost of moving overseas. The price of a plane ticket, visas, and storage for any stuff you haven’t Marie Kondo’d out of your life by now might seem like a major barrier. Now, there’s a grant for that.

That’s right—good news for people looking for teaching jobs in New Zealand! The Overseas Relocation Grant, also known as the ORG, could make the cost of moving to teach across the world much more affordable.

Even better news? Leading Out is ready to do everything we can to help you apply and get you on the way to the adventure of a lifetime!

First, let’s take a bit more of an in-depth look at the ORG, how it works and whether you’re eligible to apply.

What is the Overseas Relocation Grant?

Sure, it says it all up front in the name—the ORG is a teaching grant offered by the New Zealand government to those who are interested in teaching overseas. It’s meant to help cover the cost of relocating.

The grant covers up to $5,000 in moving expenses, and is given to teachers after they have successfully relocated to New Zealand.

Why is New Zealand Offering the ORG?

New Zealand is looking for teachers to fill positions all across the country. They count on international teachers to staff many of their schools. If you’re a qualified Canadian or North American teacher, there’s a good chance you’ll be eligible to apply for the grant.

If you’ve always wanted to travel and teach, but have been intimidated by the potential cost, this could be the opportunity for you!

Am I Eligible for the Overseas Relocation Grant?

In order to qualify for the ORG, you need to have a teaching job in New Zealand already established, as well as a certification to work in Aoeterea. (That’s the Maori name for New Zealand—something you’ll pick up when you start your future teaching job overseas!)

More specifically, the TeachNZ site states that applicants for the Overseas Relocation Grant must be registered and certified by the Education Council of New Zealand, as well as have a full-time, permanent, or fixed-term position for 12 months in a State school.

Can Leading Out Help Me Find Teaching Jobs New Zealand?

You might be thinking, “But how can I get a job so I can apply for this grant and begin living my best life ASAP?”

Forgive us for sounding like an infomercial, but that’s where Leading Out comes in. Finding qualified teachers work overseas is our specialty!

We use our network of connections, and first-hand experience to help you get work, apply for visas, find accommodation, and of course, file that grant application!

You can check out Our Services page for a more in-depth look at how we can help, or contact us if you want to know more about the ORG, teaching in New Zealand, and how we can make it happen!

Have you ever thought about teaching in New Zealand? Do you have any questions about the Overseas Relocation Grant?

Leave a comment below or get in touch, or reach out to us on Facebook.

February 27, 2019Tags: New Zealand, teaching grants, Teaching Overseas

It’s that Time of Year Again to Travel out of Melbourne!

The chill is in the air and I bet for many of you Canadian teachers, all you can think about is Term 2 teaching holidays in Melbourne. Wondering where you should go?

1) Uluru – OISE student teachers and other Leading Out teachers just returned from a great 4 day camping trip to the Outback and they have said it was incredible!

2) Great Barrier Reef – don’t miss one of the 7 wonders of the world.

3) Tasmania – a secret haven not to be missed (although cold this time of year so may want to consider a summer visit!).

4) Fraser Island, Whitsundays – Warm, so many fun outdoor activities!

5) Vietnam – beautiful country, affordable and warm!

6) Thailand – relaxing, beautiful people, great shopping!

7) Japan – unbelievable country and although going through a hard time, really is worth a visit!

8) New Zealand – incredible and one of the islands can definitely be done in 2 weeks; fantastic skiing!

9) China – history, unique, worth a visit!

May 18, 2011Tags: Canadian teachers, china, Fraser Island, Gold Coast, living in Australia, moving in melbourne, New Zealand, school holidays, teaching in Australia, Travel, Travel, Travelling to Australia, Uluru

OZ-NZ Holiday Accommodation Terms and Info

Here are a few key terms and some points to note about accommodation in Oz and NZ (Australia and New Zealand):

Self-contained: this is one of the Australasia’s best gifts to tourism. They contain a full kitchen (what you need to cook ‘with’, ‘in’ and ‘on’: pots, utensils, stoves/fridges). You will literally have everything you need for a cozy stay (towels, linen (They call this “Manchester” here) and hopefully a ‘car-park’ (a.k.a. “parking space”). If you are traveling in a group of 3 or more and plan to save money by cooking at home–definitely search for these.
Hostel: Can be quite similar to Italy’s hostels (Europe in general). Make sure you do your research/hostel. If it is a YHA it should be in good condition. There are a serious variety in quality, but if you look at the traveler’s comments then you should be ok. After some experiences in Vietnam, I learned that you NEVER BOOK ONLINE ACCOMMODATION without going to Trip Advisor first! Make sure there is parking and breakfast, and find out where your bathrooms will be located.

What does your accommodation really offer you?

Motel/Hotel: These are basically the same thing in Australasia. Hotels are typically more upmarket-but make sure you look at the star-rating (on a 5 star scale, just like North America) to make sure which quality you are getting. I don’t tend to prefer anything less than 3 -star for the cleanliness can decrease signficantly with each star). Usually each room will have tea and coffee making facilities.
Caravan Parks: these are the equivalent of Canadian “car – camping” grounds. They include toilet/shower facilities, usually a kitchen/bbq area and a small shop. They often offer Cabins which can be a great deal for a double room at $45/night (but you might not get a private bathroom or linen in this price).
Resorts: these are more up-market. If you’re going to stay in one, make sure you get all the trimmings: spa, parking, massage upgrades, free bottle of wine/champagne on arrival, and 4-5 stars. Note that only really a 5 star place is full-on luxury. 4 star can be pretty average in NZ and in Oz.
Studio: This is an open-style apartment.
www.freedigitalphotos.net

You will be cooking and sleeping in the same room. You will likely have a separate washroom area. Often these will be combined with “self-contained”.
B & B: They serve you breakfast, included in the price. Usually each room will have tea and coffee making facilities. Sometimes the B&B will provide you with breakfast making provisions in Australia/NZ. But usually it is more traditional, where the ‘hosts’ serve you breakfast, etc. It’s great if you really want to meet the home owners, not so great if you prefer to sleep-in and be independent (which is why old-people usually frequent these places more than the young.)

If you liked this post, check out my New Zealand Top 10 Places to visit.

April 11, 2009Tags: accommodation, accommodation types, Australia accommodation terms, holiday accommodation, New Zealand, NZ, NZ accommodation, Oz, Travel, trip planning

New Zealand Accommodation: Planning Your Budget

Hostels are pretty great in NZ. They are clean and rather affordable. Their deal is pretty much the same as you would get in Europe. For $20-25, dorm rooms include continental breakfast, linen (depends), shared toilets–or you can get a double room with a private bathroom for about $50-60.

If you’re after a double bed and a bit of privacy, I recommend you go to a campground and rent a cabin. You can get these in the off-season starting at $45. But you have to negotiate what the terms are as these change depending on the Campground.

If you go the Camper-van route, you will still have to pay $20 for a campsite to use a toilet/shower.

Motels/Hotels will be at least $100/night, usually more.

Remember that the NZ dollar is even cheaper than the Aussie buck, so for Canadian money, you are saving quite a bit on the prices!

April 6, 2009Tags: hostels, hotels, New Zealand, NZ accommodation

New Zealand – South Island’s Best

Top 10 Best Places to See/Things to Do:

White water rafting down Kawarau River (LOTR Fans: Pillars of the King scene!) outside of Queenstown. This is great for all abilities and with two tours/day, you can easily get on one during your stay by booking at the “i” site. Despite the open-ability range, there was still plenty of excitement with a banger of a rapid at the end! You can even choose to jump out of the water and roll down the blue river.
Horse Trekking outside of Queenstown: the company we chose offered us a 2-and-a-half-hour ride across 15 rivers and streams after climbing mountains–it was insane and all for about $69.00. I had never been on a horse before but by the end I was cantering and even getting the rhythm of the trot! This was one of the best travel days of my life (we rafted in the morning and horseback rode in the afternoon!).
Franz Joseph Glacier Hike (photos above): We did the full day hike–no helicopters, no need. The Fox glacier is cool, too. But we hiked 14 kms in 8 hours up a massive height. We even had to pause so the guide could re-direct our route through the ice by swinging a 20-pound axe and literally ‘carving’ a new staircase. We drank the most delicious water melted fresh off the glacier. There were waterfalls pouring off nearby rocks.
Seals and Dolphin sighting in Abel Tasman: we intended to kayak but after the exertion of #1-3, we passed. Still, the cruise up the Abel Tasman pulled us close enough to smell the fish-lunch on the fur of the seals. We also managed to get off some impressive dolphin photos.
The birdlife: you see some really rare birds in NZ, like the Keas (parrot looking). However, the hawks stole the show for me. There were so many! Such that we would have them racing above us as we drove under them along the highways.
Milford Sound Road: visiting in January, this route up to Milford itself was a mountain scene of wildflowers and blue rivers pouring along the bottoms.
Blue Pools: this is a roadside stop on the way to Franz Joseph–don’t miss it! You cross a swingbridge and then come upon a body of glacier water of the deepest blue I’ve seen.
Thermal Pools (Hanmer Springs): in this cool Alpine Village you can refresh your overly exerted thighs and lower back! There are both sulphur and non-sulphur pools, but the sulphur ones get up to about 42 degrees celcius–fantastic! They are open pretty late too, and you can get passes that allow you to come and go all day long.
Blue Rivers: everywhere you drive you cross over white-rock bottomed rivers that reflect the sky. They beg you to photograph them as much as possible.
Avon River, Christchurch: rent a punt boat (and driver!) and have them pull you in the Old English way along a very shallow river. You’ll feel like you’re Anne of Green Gables based on the costume worn by the punt-master but with the English style of the town and the ducks paddling beside you, it’s a one-off experience you shouldn’t miss.

April 1, 2009Tags: New Zealand, Top 10 Travel