Marie

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Update March 2026: Hi, I arrived in Aotearoa NZ the first week of March 2026 on my working holiday visa but without much of a plan. Currently, I'm seeking both paid jobs & workaway stays on the North Island and then I think I'll see from there - keen to explore the North Island in the next months and then move on to the South Island by June for the snow/skiing season and stay there until summer.


About me & my recent travel story:

I left my country of origin in 2023, shortly after I completed my Master's where I specialised in Environmental Anthropology (which I am quite passionate about). Initially, I merely planned to travel Australia for 3 months and then begin my PhD in Germany - but almost 3 years have passed and I still find myself working and living in temporary jobs abroad. (What can I say... my ancestors were all migrants & I am happier than ever :) )
After travelling and working in Australia in paid roles & workaway stays for one year, I worked on a christmas market in Norway, then serendipitously ended up in the Arctic (Svalbard), got into a remote project & travelled Thailand for a bit in 2025, then took a callcenter job for a gaming project in Portugal, went on vacation in Vietnam... and voilà, here I am in Auckland. Let's see where it takes me throughout the year :)

It has been a wild ride with many surprises & encounters with lovely people for sure. Yet, PhD or not, what I really really want is to contribute to (marine) biodiversity conservation, the protection of our ocean(s), and work on initiatives where the perspectives of local communities and their ecological knowledge are seen and heard.


What matters to me:
- Social balance: I looove spending time with friends as much as I need and enjoy me-time.
- The Ocean & my little nerdy fields of interest
- Open & respectful communication



For Workaway hosts / What I am looking for in a workaway experience:
- getting to see different parts of the country and meet locals or fellow travellers
- learn about cultural and environmental particularities (e.g. wildlife and ecosystems in a region)
- language exchange

For fellow travellers:
My travel style could be described as half-organised, half-spontaneous, and rather slow (at least 3-7 nights in a new location) -> "as little planning as possible, as much as needed" (e.g. accomm., transport, unique activities).
I'm an easy-going traveller who prefers slow mornings, loves to wander around with a cappuccino in my hand and explore places without much planning, soak in new impressions, connect with people and spend time outdoors on boats, at the beach, in national parks or at cultural heritage sites 🌿☀️🤿⛱️🦎📓

Interests

Van life

Technology

Plant care

Music

History

Events & social

Beach

Charity work

Drawing & painting

Hiking

Winter sports

Water sports

Sustainability

Pets

Dancing

Art & design

Self development

Languages

Fitness

DIY & crafts

Sailing / Boating

Politics / Social justice

Nature

Outdoor activities

LGBTQ

Farming

Culture

Animals

Adventure sports

Languages

Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
Arabic: Beginner
Indonesian: Beginner
Polish: Beginner
Portuguese: Beginner
Tok Pisin: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I am always keen to learn new languages :)

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Charity Work

Languages

Eco Projects

DIY and building projects

Animal Care

Life at a Farmstay

Babysitting and creative play

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

General Maintenance

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Able to teach about:  

Helping with Computers/ Internet

House & pet sitting

More details about your skills

The kind of tasks I carried out at my Workaway stays in Australia: housekeeping, painting fences, gardening (gotta love the whipper snipper), dog-sitting, cooking dinner, feeding horses and picking up their poo, checking beds for spiders

As research assistant with a focus on human-environmental relations, I organised workshops in an international field. However, I also have practical experience in different areas (property management, customer service, hospitality, housekeeping, administrative back-office work, event management, working with kids, editing and layouting etc.) that can be useful here at Workaway. I am fit for physical work and not reluctant to get my hands dirty.

🚐🎪Events with kids and physical work: I used to work as staff at public and semi-private events, which included the transport, set-up and supervision of inflatable bouncy castles, bungee run or other fun event modules. I also did face-painting occasionally. This job required physical fitness as well as professional and patient communication with customers of different ages.

🐾 Work with animals: I have experience with dogs through volunteering in a local animal welfare NGO for several years, fostering dogs, as well as working in a Spanish animal shelter where I worked a bit with dogs with anxiety. I am not a dog trainer, but it might be of interest that I have basic and scientifically funded knowledge on learn theory and 'positive reinforcement'. In my opinion, there is always a way to approach and train dogs in a respectful and non-violent way - people just have to be creative and consistent :)
With other animals I am not as experienced but I am keen to learn how to take care of them properly, according to their specific needs. Based on my experience I understand that animal care often requires hard work.

💭💡Creative tasks: Coming from a family of artists, musicians and innovative thinkers, I'd love to contribute to your creative endeavours - whether that may be painting on canvas or coming up with ideas to conceptualise and organise your projects.

💻I can also help you with different computer tasks, your web appearance or a range of digital tools to organise your data.

Overview of my ICT / Computer Skills:

- MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) - advanced
- CMS such as WordPress, Typo, Jimdo) - advanced
- Advanced knowledge and experience with ILIAS and MOODLE-based learning platform,
- CRM (SalesForce)
- StarRez, a tool for accommodation bookings and maintenance requests
- Social Media (IG, Twitter/X),
- Adobe InDesign - basic knowledge
- DAAD DIGI-FACE Centre-IT manager (where I offered online training on digital tools for staff and students)

Age

31

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  cat hair, birch

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  Special dietary requirements
  While travelling I am very easy in this regard & adjust to what is available. // I was a vegetarian for 12 years until I moved to Portugal last year. Now I eat meat & seafood again. // Slightly allergic to dairy, which does not stop me from eating cheese