About 20 Kiwis

Bonjour et bienvenue! I should get used to speaking in French as I am embarking on a period of extended travel with Meryem, whom I’ve instructed to speak nothing but French to me as often as possible.

You might be thinking, “I thought they were going to New Zealand?” You’re right, we are. One of my goals during this period of travel, though, is to dedicate a significant amount of time to language learning. I couldn’t be more in luck! Meryem is a native French speaker, and French just so happens to be the language that I pronounce like Spanish when I read it, and probably sound like a Parisian’s worst nightmare when I speak it. Meryem has her work cut out for her.

We’ve had a few early FAQ’s like “why New Zealand?” and, “why is the blog called “20 Kiwis?” New Zealand, apart from being arguably the most beautiful place on the planet for a mountain lover like me, also has a special visa agreement with the U.S. Citizens of the U.S. between the ages of 18-30 can apply for a “working holiday” visa in New Zealand. This visa gives the holder 12 months of unrestricted access to the country and allows you to legally work in NZ if you desire to during your stay.

This visa is particularly special. The U.S. only has this arrangement with a few countries (NZ, Australia, Ireland and S. Korea at the moment). When I wanted to live in Japan for a year back in 2013, my options were: tourist visa (90 days), student visa (no thanks), spousal visa (yikes) or a work visa. Work visas are set up the same in almost all countries. You need an employer to sponsor your visa and apply for it for you. While it was worth every moment, it required a lot of planning and effort to obtain my work visa in Japan.

So when I realized that I could move to NZ with a simple online application and a passport (oh, and my 30th birthday was approaching very quickly), I knew that this was an opportunity to spend significant time in New Zealand that I may never have again.

New Zealanders affectionately refer to themselves as “Kiwis.” New Zealand’s indigenous Māori have always held the kiwi bird in high regard. They called it the hidden bird of Tāne, the God of the forest – or ‘te manu huna a Tāne’ in the native language. In the recent century, the kiwi has become a patriotic symbol and the people of New Zealand are known internationally as “the Kiwis.”

Thanks for following along with our 2020 travels as unofficial Kiwis! This blog will mostly be managed by me (Kate), but Meryem may guest-author a post or two. Below is a summarized version of our itinerary. A bientôt!

Where we will be

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