New Zealand working holiday..

[CraigD]

Just thought I'd mention that wellington city council will be advertising for a arborist to join their tree team, keep an eye out will prob be on trade me in the next couple/few weeks

[atree]

Thats if they want to work in the cold and rain and wind and steep hills..

[Taupotreeman]

Wind? Wind? That's what us normal people get. You fellas in Welly get an almost constant howling bleedin gale. You'd have to be mad to work down there.

[Mike Hill]

Coming "Straight off the Boat" and expecting to get a job as a Faller in a Logging Crew is a Pipe Dream.

 

To work in the Bush you first need "General Requirements" thats a basic ticket on Radio use,Fire Fighting,Common sence etc.

 

Next a First Aid Cert

Then you will need "Chainsaw Maintainance and operating"

Then probably "Processing on a Landing"

Then deffinatly Stage one (Its the basic Falling Ticket)

 

Spiked Boots,Chaps,Wedge Belt,Hammer,Wedges,Fire Extinguisher,First Aid Kit,Helmet,Muffs,Visor

 

But most guys didn't get a job unless that had "Stage Two" Kind of like advanced Falling.

 

Its important to remember all this Ticket Must be sat in NZ and you have to do all of it at a production Speed in a Production setting.Most logging Crew either call in Fallers or Train them up in house.You would have to have been in a Crew for a few years Limbing or Breaking out before a Boss would consider money spent on training well spent.Also alot of Bosses don't like guys in their early 20's Falling.Its as dangerous as ----.

 

You might find work with your UK Forestry Tickets working in a Thinning to Waste operation.

 

If Arb is what you know,stick with it.

[ARB-MAN]

Coming "Straight off the Boat" and expecting to get a job as a Faller in a Logging Crew is a Pipe Dream.

 

To work in the Bush you first need "General Requirements" thats a basic ticket on Radio use,Fire Fighting,Common sence etc.

 

Next a First Aid Cert

Then you will need "Chainsaw Maintainance and operating"

Then probably "Processing on a Landing"

Then deffinatly Stage one (Its the basic Falling Ticket)

 

Spiked Boots,Chaps,Wedge Belt,Hammer,Wedges,Fire Extinguisher,First Aid Kit,Helmet,Muffs,Visor

 

But most guys didn't get a job unless that had "Stage Two" Kind of like advanced Falling.

 

Its important to remember all this Ticket Must be sat in NZ and you have to do all of it at a production Speed in a Production setting.Most logging Crew either call in Fallers or Train them up in house.You would have to have been in a Crew for a few years Limbing or Breaking out before a Boss would consider money spent on training well spent.Also alot of Bosses don't like guys in their early 20's Falling.Its as dangerous as ----.

 

You might find work with your UK Forestry Tickets working in a Thinning to Waste operation.

 

If Arb is what you know,stick with it.

 

Ok, so how would you go about starting off? Are the british NPTC chainsaw maintenance tickets not of any use? British first Aid?

 

Have you worked in a logging crew in NZ? Any info would be appreciated...

 

Cheers

[Taupotreeman]

Some of the logging operations have become a little easier to get onboard with these days due to there being less guys willing to do the hard graft and random drug testing weeding out a lot of guys. Some will now provide on the job training and ticketing so there's still opportunites but as I said before, it's going to be hard work.

[Derek Trimblits]

Spoke to me mate in Northland last night and he says its dead up there. No work and loads going over to Oz.

stick to places with the larger conurbations and you'll have better/more opportunities.

The power companies were always after folk when i was there. Forgot the names though!

[ARB-MAN]

Yeah it will be hard work but instead of sticking to arb because its what i know id like to experience logging for how ever long.. so in 5 years time - arb isn't all i know, if you get what i mean.

But if I find an arb job first im pretty sure ill take it.

 

Cheers Derek, but i certainly wont be going to Oz - dont fancy the extreme temperatures etc out there..

[Taupotreeman]

After the floods and fires all the kiwis are coming back from Oz now Northland is always dead; they always reckon that the number one earner in Northland is dope growing followed by tourism. That's why it's always dead. You just have to head to where the big logging industry is and that would be Central North Island mainly. The Kaimanawa forest is huge as are several of the other commercial forests around Rotorua. There's always adverts in the local paper here.

[Mike Hill]

Ok, so how would you go about starting off? Are the british NPTC chainsaw maintenance tickets not of any use? British first Aid?

 

Have you worked in a logging crew in NZ? Any info would be appreciated...

 

Cheers

 

First find out how to do "General requirements" the Trainer will be well connected in the Logging industry.He may know someone who would give you a trial.

 

NPTC Tickets will be irrelevent.IF you get a job it will probably be on the "Skids" the Logs are pulled onto the Skids by a Skidder or Dozer to be limbed and cut to length by Men.You limb and cut to length two at a time from Butt to Head and one comming back from Head to Butt.You will be limbing with an 660 for four hours at a time in up 40deg in the Summer up to 4000ft up.No shade,no sit downs and no Tea Break except 30mins for lunch at 11am.

 

Forget about learning how to Fall untill you have done the hard yards for a few years.

 

I worked in a Hauler Crew (Yarder) for a few years in my Teens.Based in Taupo and working in the Pines.

Edited February 11, 2011 by Mike Hill