Timo(22)

I worked two years as a barista at a specialty coffee bar in Rotterdam. The craft was fun, but the future in Dutch hospitality felt limited — low wages, few growth opportunities and a culture that sees coffee as an afterthought. New Zealand has one of the best coffee cultures in the world, and Queenstown was already on my bucket list. With NZ$4,500 in savings and my WHV in my inbox I left.

The Working Holiday Visa for Dutch citizens is simple to apply for: you must be 18-30, healthy and have no criminal record. Within four days I had my visa. In Queenstown I found work on the first day — every café is looking for baristas, especially in peak season. My specialty coffee experience made me extra desirable. I earn NZ$26 per hour plus tips, which comes to NZ$800-1,000 per week.

Coffee culture in New Zealand is serious. The flat white was invented here (though Australians claim that too), and customers expect quality. My employer, a boutique café on the Queenstown waterfront, serves single-origin beans from local roasters. Latte art here isn't a gimmick but a requirement. The standard is higher than in the Netherlands — and that motivates me enormously.

Queenstown in winter is magical. After my shift I take the gondola to the ski field and get a few runs in before dark. In summer I go mountain biking or swimming in Lake Wakatipu after work. The nature here is overwhelming — every day I feel privileged. The seasonal worker community is young, international and close-knit. You make friends for life.

The challenge is housing. Queenstown is notoriously expensive and tight. I share a room with a British colleague for NZ$280 per week. Many seasonal workers live in vans or campervans — that's legal at designated spots. It's basic, but it's part of the experience. The local council is now building more affordable housing, but it'll take a while.

My WHV expires in four months. My employer has offered to sponsor me for an AEWV as café supervisor. That would give me three extra years and open a path to residence. My dream is to someday open my own specialty coffee bar in Queenstown. My advice: if you're young and have the chance, grab the WHV. The experience changes your life. New Zealand makes the best coffee in the world — and the best memories.