Comments on: Living at Mana Retreat

By: New Zealand Retreat | Travelitis

New Zealand Retreat | Travelitis — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:28:55 +0000

[...] place has got incredible reviews from people. If we ever end up in New Zealand… http://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/2010/05/living-at-mana-retreat/ http://www.manaretreat.com/ Mana offers inspiring inclusive spiritual retreats, as well as being [...]

By: Anika Khan

Anika Khan — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:30:39 +0000

Out of all the places that i’ve ever traveled…. i fell in love with NZ….. to the point that i’m migrating……the place i call home now

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 06:26:00 +0000

@Michelle – Mana is pretty selective of their WWOOFers, due in part to the fact that many WWOOFers stay a while, and there are only so many spots available. But send through and application, and see what happens! Good luck…and maybe I’ll see you in NZ in 2011….you never know!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:51:15 +0000

I read your article on transitionsabroad. Thank you so much for sharing. I am currently planning my working holiday for 2011 and would love to do some WWOOFing. How selective is the Mana Retreat in choosing their WWOOFers? It looks like a spectacular place and I imagine that they receive many requests to volunteer there. My schedule is really flexible right now. I mainly have goals that I want to accomplish in New Zealand rather than a timeline and I would love to incorporate an opportunity like this.

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 03:23:40 +0000

@Martina – It depends on the country you’re visiting, and the country you’re from. It’s important to take a peek at the regulations for each country…if you’re under 30 years old, you can pretty easily attain working holiday visas for many countries. I think in NZ you technically need to have working rights, but many people volunteer there anyway….

By: Martina

Martina — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:24:10 +0000

I’m planning to travell around nz, working for accomodation like you do. Thinking you might be able to answer my question about visa; Is it necessary to have a working visa (working holiday visa?) if I’m only volunteering? Which kind have you used?

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:24:06 +0000

@Nette – The internet wasn’t bad…the only WiFi connection is in the main building, and the best reception is near the office/in the library. When there are guests, we have to be sensitive to working around them (and in some cases the groups ask for no cell phones or computers to be used by their participants, which means staff members need to be ultra-discreet).

As for working on my LIP business in addition to Mana’s volunteer/work schedule, I have to admit it was a bit of a push. It sometimes came at the cost of my going for longer walks, socializing, sleeping(!), or enjoying the property to its fullest extent.

Most of the time though, I made it work, and was happy to have a balance. I’m the sort of person who can “work” on my computer for hours on end if given the chance, and the working schedule at Mana forced me to prioritize and concentrate my work a little more. And with 2 days off each week, I was usually able to get everything done.

By: Nette

Nette — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:08:05 +0000

Great post!

Was the internet LIP-friendly @ Mana? How well were you able to integrate your LIP business, given the work schedule? Curious!

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:25:11 +0000

@Mary – Check out Mana’s website, under the “Work Exchange” heading. You’ll find out everything you need to know there! Good luck….maybe we’ll meet there someday!

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 02:18:28 +0000

Where do I sign up???? This sounds so inviting! I will be praying that such an opportunity will open up for me to visit The Mana Retreat someday. Thank you for sharing this wonderful post!