Three months in NZ

This article is good reading in terms of accommodation options in NZ -http://travellingtwo.com/resources/newzealand/accommodation

Have you looked at the H0-Ho buses like Kiwi Experience, Stray & Haka Tours? They are specifically designed for travellers like you and make more stops for photos & activities than the Intercity buses do. If you get one of the longest passes (say around 28 days minimum) you can then stop for a few days or even a week at any place that appeals. The passes are valid for a year. The main limitation is that you cannot backtrack.
Three months travelling is not very compatible with a WHV, but November-December is the start of the harvest season so you could pick up a week's work here-and-there picking asparagus or cherries. Google the harvest calendar websites for jobs in Hawkes Bay or Cromwell.

If you really want to save money on accommodation, get yourself a car! :) I traveled twice to New Zealand: once on a Working Holiday Visa (11 months) and once just for holiday (3months). Both times I bought a van (with a bed in the back) and saved a lot in accommodation. I know, at the beginning you'll see it as a big investment, but then you know what? You can resell your vehicle and sometimes you can even earn money from it! The good thing is that you're going there in September, which is not high season yet. You might find something good for like NZD $2000 and because you're leaving in the middle of the high season, you might be able to re-sell it for the same price you bought it for, or more. I wrote a detailed guide on how to buy and re-sell a second-hand car in New Zealand, please read it here and let me know if you need more details!

There are heaps of cheap campgrounds around both islands, sometimes even free ones! Public transport are not the cheap and you can't do whatever you want, you need to respect fixed time and you can reach only selected places. Still better to buy a vehicle :)

Jessica

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