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Keen to holiday for next to nothing in the Land of the Long White Cloud? Skint, but bursting with wanderlust? No worries, mate – we’ve got you covered. From getting there (for about a hundred bucks) to getting around (hot hitching tips and ‘naked’ public transport), with things to do (some cool Kiwi attractions are totally gratis) and places to stay worth writing home about… if you feel like splurging on the price of postage.

Crossing the Ditch
There have never been so many deals on flights across the Tasman, so as long as you’re flexible with your dates, bargain hunters are hard-pressed to spend more than $350AUD for a flight from the East Coast to Kiwiland. And if you aren’t picky about your arrival airport you can save even more: on a recent ski trip to Queenstown, a pricey airport to access, I scored a super-cheap deal to Christchurch instead $149AUD return on Jetstar and road-tripped to the snow… all the more money for après!

Getting around
Whether you’re keen to get behind the wheel, chose a jump-on-jump-off bus or even take a chance on a thumb and a smile, getting around eNZed is dead easy, and won’t take a toll on your travel budget, bro.

A great self-drive option if you’re a last-minute planner is to do a standby relocation. Vehicle owners and hire companies often need to get their goods from A to B, so you can pay as little as $1NZD a day for a set of wheels that you collect in one city and leave in another. You can even take control of a campervan for not much more dosh.

Fancy some cheeky public transport instead? Jump on the Naked Bus. The company has stripped off any frills but offers clean, comfy buses and a huge network. And with rates as low as $1NZD (at least one ticket on every bus journey is sold for a buck), they’re hard to beat.

New Zealand is also very hitch-hiker friendly. With a thumb out and a smile on your face it’s relatively easy to find a ride on the outskirts of any biggish town, or from the base to the top of the popular mountains during the ski season. But if you’re more comfortable planning ahead, check out Jayride. The site offers free and nearly-free rideshare postings all over the country.

Hang your hat
If you consider yourself more ‘hippy’ than ‘Hilton’, have a look at WWOOF. ‘Willing Workers on Organic Farms’ is a grassroots community of organic farmers that open their doors to volunteers. In exchange for a few hours of muscle power you’ll have a free roof over your head and some homemade vegetarian meals to boot. I was lucky enough to score a week at a vineyard in the Marlborough region – in exchange for a little bit of raking and light gardening, a romantic little cottage for two and board were mine. All the more money to spend on the area’s awesome drops of white! There are literally hundreds of WWOOFing opportunities in New Zealand, so regardless of your desired destination there’s a free bed with your name on it. Not got a green thumb? No probs – there are WWOOFers looking for help with cheesemaking, beer brewing and just an extra set of hands with the housework.

Free fun
If you find yourself completely skint, never fear. The ‘youngest country on earth’ is an ecological wonderland, and Mother Nature’s price of admission is free more often than not.

‘Tramping’ (what the Kiwis call hiking) is a national pastime, so expect myriad trails through national parks right across the country. New Zealand Tramper is a great site with a breakdown of the basics, a thorough list of the country’s most popular (and ambitious) trails, as well as info that can help you decide which trails are best for your level of fitness. Looking for low cost accommodation along the way? A network of nearly a thousand government operated backcountry huts are available for trampers. Most offer only the very basics – a bunk bed, a wood burning stove, clean water and a roof over your head – so flashpackers need not apply. But if you’re down to rough it, the Kiwi countryside is completely breathtaking and the Abel Tasman and Milford tracks are two of the world’s most rewarding.

Cityslickers might not be spoiled for choice when it comes to freebies, but there are a few stand-outs. Capital-bound? Wellington’s Te Papa Museum has one of the most comprehensive and intriguing collections on Maori culture and history, and won’t cost a cent. Afterwards you can do some culture vulturing by picking up a free copy of the Wellington Arts Map at any gallery, and scoring some free vino and nibbles at an open-door opening. Camping it up in Queenstown? Don’t shell out $23NZD to ride the gondola to the top of the hill. There’s an excellent walking trail just to the left of the gondola’s base and an hour’s gentle walk will see you walking in the doors of the observation deck with money for a cold beer as your reward.

Over the coming months we’re rolling out a series of New Zealand related articles. Check out the rest of the content on our New Zealand page.