Au Pair work in Oz/NZ

[catherine!]

Has anyone worked as an au pair in Australia or NZ before as part of a gap year or similar? I'm having a year out next year and I think this would be the best way to get to spend a lot of time in a country without it costing me much money (except air fare obviously - not cheap from London!). If so, how did you find the job and what did you learn from it? Any tips? How much would you expect to be paid?
I'd be grateful for anything anyone can tell me!

Also, as far as driving in Australia is concerned, how easy is this to adapt to from having driven in the UK? I'm aware that most families will want an au pair who can drive and I have a license but I'm not sure how safe I'll be driving abroad!

[jimshu]

Hi Catherine,
Have you got a work visa sorted or do you qualify under any reciprocal youth working holiday schemes?
High unemployment over here at the mo, so don't count on being able to come over and work until you've got either sorted.
Best of luck.
Jim

[catherine!]

Hi Catherine,
Have you got a work visa sorted or do you qualify under any reciprocal youth working holiday schemes?
High unemployment over here at the mo, so don't count on being able to come over and work until you've got either sorted.
Best of luck.
Jim

Should be able to get a working holiday visa without too much trouble I think, so I'd be able to work for 6 months which is about all I'll have time for!
Thanks

[jimshu]

Good one, Catherine.
FAQS on this page may help.
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/ ... ngholiday/

You may have a problem as your working holiday visa is not for the purpose of working 6 months.

•be coming to New Zealand to holiday, with work or study being secondary intentions for your visit

Best of luck.
Jim

[nzamoeba]

Good one, Catherine.
FAQS on this page may help.
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/ ... ngholiday/

You may have a problem as your working holiday visa is not for the purpose of working 6 months.

•be coming to New Zealand to holiday, with work or study being secondary intentions for your visit

Best of luck.
Jim

She won't have a problem at all, my sister used to get au pairs all the time from overseas, and as she said she's just using it as a way to see the country on the cheap, which is what everyone uses working holiday's for.

I'll talk to my sister when I get a chance, she mentioned that she got her au pair's from a website but I don't know which.

[jimshu]

You misunderstood my post amoeba.
Working holiday visas are not for the main purpose of working full time for the 6 months she is here .They allow you to work for some of the period you are here.Not the full 6 months as Catherine was saying she needs to here-

so I'd be able to work for 6 months which is about all I'll have time for!

What I'm trying to do for Catherine is to make sure she comes with the funds to support her during the time she is not working.Better not to build up hopes which may lead to disapointment but to stress the reality of high unemployment and employers hardening atitudes to hiring non-resident labour.
A working holiday visa does not allow for you to work for the full time of your stay here.It is a holiday after all but with some work.And to work she may require an extra work permit.
http://www.kiwiaupair.com/
Catherine can check it out with the above but it may cost her to go through an au pair agency.I'm sure they'll know the realities of today's situation.

[nzamoeba]

http://www.greataupair.com/ is the site my sister used to use.