Lou and I just had our visa applications declined.  Here is the back story:

On a working holiday visa in NZ, you’re allowed to extend for 3 months if you have done 3 months of agricultural work.  Well, neither Lou or I had done any farm work during our year in New Zealand, but we applied for the visa anyway, lying about the farm work and forging the appropriate documentation.  (Christ, this is an incriminating blog post!)

We drove to Hamilton, paid the $120 fee, and were instructed to drop the application in a hole in the wall marked “Drop” with a big arrow pointing down —  supposedly a chute leading to a secure drop box, but it looked more like a hole in the wall, probably leading to some well-lit government dungeon where paper pushers sit hunched over desks like bespectacled Gollums, stamping applications with big red “DENIED” stamps.

The next day, I got a phone call at 8AM.  it was the department of immigration.  Shit.  I assumed that I had already been busted for my dodgy application, and was ready for the woman on the phone to accuse me of attempting to defraud the NZ government (which is technically what I did.. oops.)

Instead, I was told by a polite and apologetic woman that the farm work I did unfortunately didn’t  qualify me for the extension.  Turns out, I had to pick fruit or work on a vineyard.  fuck.  my fraudulent farm was a dry stock cattle farm.  Stupid Justin.

Lesson learned: The next time you try  to pull one over on the government, make sure you know what kind of farm you were supposed to have worked at.

Anyway, that means my I have to actually leave New Zealand on Feb 21st, when my visa expires.

So what is the new plan?

It’s in the works right now, but it all starts with a one-way ticket to Sydney.
So, all my dear old Aussie friends, do get in touch.  This broken nomad is looking for some couches to crash on :)

Here’s to a new Adventure!