My Name is Elis. Since I was a teenager I have been dreaming of visiting New Zealand. After I went to England when I was 19 and started Tourism and Hospitality Management course at London South Bank University, this dream began to look more achievable.

When we were told by our course director that for our work placement we can go anywhere we want, I knew straight away where I wanted to go.

I was trying hard to find a job in NZ myself, by emailing my CV to hundreds and hundreds tourism companies based in New Zealand. Most of them didn’t reply back. If they did, they always replied with the same response:

“We are sorry but we can’t tell at the moment if we can employ you later on this year because of this hard economic climate we are in now”.

Therefore, in the middle of summer I finally decided to contact Intern Options because I still didn’t have my placement.

It took about two months till I got the so awaited email from Jon, saying I will be working for a tourism attraction in Rotorua from the beginning of November. I was so happy and couldn’t believe it till I actually got here.

Now I’ve been working in Rotorua for about two and half months already and I absolutely love it. NZ is even much better than I expected, I’m really stunned by its beauty. Rotorua is nice, relaxed town by the lake, not too busy or quiet either, just great.

I’m being very honest to say that this placement is the best workplace I’ve ever been a part of. All the staff the are very friendly and helpful and we always joke that we are more like family there. The job is awesome, quite challenging and busy at the moment, because of the summer period we are in at the moment, but that’s exactly how it should be. It took me a while to get used to night shifts but it’s all good now.

I’m flat sharing with Carl one of my colleagues from work and its great. We get on very well and if we are lucky and get the same days off we always go somewhere. We have just come back from the trip to very north of New Zealand, Cape Reinga. It was awesome.

This way I would love to thank you to Jon and all his team for being so helpful and giving me the chance to work in such a great place. Also many thanks to Carl who is making my stay here so nice and exciting.

If you’re interested in a Tourism Internship like Elis’s in Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua in New Zealand, check out the Tourism Internships page for more information.

After many long months of anxious waiting I received a phone call saying that a placement was found and that in just over a month I’d be in New Zealand.

The first few weeks of work were exciting as I was placed on the Luge (buggie) at the tourism attraction I work at (which is on top of a mountain overlooking Queenstown). The people and the nightlife here are incredible…there’s so much going on.

The work is great, although it can get repetitive at times especially now in the summer when we’re open for long hours…the work is entirely outdoors and you are constantly face-to-face with customers. However, the life here is second to none…there is always something to do activity-wise and am finding it difficult to do everything here before I leave in June, the options are limitless!

Finding your own accommodation here can be difficult if you arrive during the summer and winter months and if you are on your own. The Lakes Weekly Bulletin – the local magazine/paper is a great help as it advertises heaps of accommodation available as well as other things. But for me, I decided to stay in a hostel across the road from where i work. It’s very close to town, its got several long-term residents, you meet new people each and everyday and on top of that…..its loads of fun!! In a nutshell – it resembles the student dorms you get at uni.

I have since spoken to many of my friends about each of their placements as well as mine and the majority (not including those who went overseas) have said how jealous they were of me and wished they went abroad for their placement – particularly to New Zealand. The only downside…if any…is that its very easy to get homesick during the first few months if you are by yourself…so take the extra step to make friends and meet new people and you’ll come out on top.

Looking back at the past 6 months I can honestly say that I am glad I took the risk to work abroad in New Zealand for my placement year. Jon and Intern Options were very helpful back in November when I first took interest in this incredible opportunity, and throughout the months the advice they provided was really great, the information provided on insurance, flights and visas was also helpful and made the final steps of the placement planning easy and painless.

The only drawback – again if any – was the waiting process. It was not until May that I received the confirmation (which meant that looking for another placement in case this one fell through was necessary). But in the end patience sufficed, and am here now having the time of my life on the other side of the world. Thank you Jon and everyone at Intern Options for everything.

If you’re interested in a Tourism Internship like Kyle’s in Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua in New Zealand, you can check out the Tourism Internships page for more information.

Name: Eliska (Elis)

University: London South Bank University

Course: Tourism & Hospitality Management

Heading to: Rotorua, New Zealand

For how long: 6 months

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Elis is from the Czech Republic and is currently studying at London South Bank University, for a Tourism and Hospitality management degree. Elis flies out TODAY at 8pm for her tourism and hospitality internship in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Many in New Zealand call Rotorua “Rotavagas” with the long strip of hotels down the main street of this tourism centre. When Elis arrives in Rotorua she will notice the distinctive smell which she will hopefully get used to. Rotorua is a big geothermal area with lots of bubbling mud pools, thermal mineral baths and even the occasional drain on the side of the road with steam billowing out of it.

Elis will be working with Polina from Bournemouth University who we have also placed into this fantastic tourism attraction. Elis will be starting in Food and Beverage at the tourism attractions restaurant and then will hopefully be rotated through the different areas of the a facility so she can use both the tourism and the hospitality areas of her degree.

So Elis picked up her Visa from Immigration New Zealand yesterday, although she was eligible for a working holiday visa for New Zealand, we placed her on a work visa which went through very smoothly.

Hope you have a great trip Elis, it was good to meet you when you visited our office this month and I’m sure you will impress your new employer with your enthusiasm and hard work!

Elis said she will keep everyone thinking about a tourism internship in New Zealand up to date via this blog so we look forward to hearing how you are coping with the sulphur smells and your internship in New Zealand

If you’re interested in a Tourism Internship like Elis’s in Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua in New Zealand, check out the Tourism Internships page for more information.