Kiwis falling out of love with London for their Great OE

Tuesday, 25 February 2025

Auckand Airport report suggests Kiwis' love for a London OE is declining.

Sydney and New York gaining popularity for working holidays or extended breaks.

New Zealanders opting for shorter OEs, with two to three months being the most common duration.

New Zealanders are falling out of love with London for their big trip overseas.

Auckland Airport has released its inaugural The Great Kiwi OE report which surveyed 1000 people aged 18 to 65 to understand who had gone on an OE, what it looked like in the past and who was intending to go on an OE in the future.

Commonly known as the “OE”, an ‘overseas experience’ is defined as a longer trip than a typical holiday.

The survey said it may be defined as “a six-month working holiday or a three-month adventure through South East Asia, or it could be someone living in Amsterdam for six months of work experience with your new husband or bride.”

The report suggests about 39% of Kiwis went to London on their OE in the past, but only 30% are intending to visit long term in future. However, London was still the top destination for the big trip. In second place was Sydney, followed by New York, Queensland, France, Melbourne, Italy, Vancouver, California and Tokyo.

The research showed that those planning an OE were looking increasingly to more diverse places including Bengaluru and Navsari in India and Yunnan in China.

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Accompanying the research, Auckland Airport opened an outdoor exhibition on hoardings at the international terminal with real-life traveller photos of Kiwi OEs over the past six decades.

One photo showed Waikato woman Kay Clarke at Auckland Airport in 1980, arriving home. “I was laden with oversized luggage, treasured mementoes, my 10-speed bike in a box and freshly permed hair,” she recalled.

Clarke embarked on her OE in 1979 aged 16, travelling the west coast of the US, despite many of her friends doing their OEs in London.

She said joining a marching band was a highlight of her trip.

“Luckily I packed my flute in my luggage, and while I could never profess to being musical, my flute gave me the opportunity to join a marching band. We travelled widely and had great success in statewide competitions. On Thanksgiving Day 1979 my band buddies and I marched in the Disneyland Parade, with Disney characters joining us on Main Street, while happy families looked on. This was definitely a “pinch me” moment and a highlight of my OE.”

While Clarke has travelled extensively, she still has not made it to the UK and said if she gets to embark on another OE, that’s where she will be going.

Rather than the traditional relocation to the English capital, Kiwis now preferred shorter OEs, more like an extended holiday, with the most common OEs being two to three months.

Auckland Airport chief customer officer Scott Tasker said only 10% of people indicated wanting to do an OE longer than a year, whereas in the past 38% of people did the traditional working holiday.

Jenn Hooper and her husband Mark, who left on their OE to London in 1997 were pictured in the exhibit.

The pair ticked off more than 35 countries, from Indonesia to Tanzania over their six years away.

Hooper recalled her dad explaining away his tears at their departure as “too much dust in this damned place.”

“Right there on that tarmac, we were asked how long we think we’d be away. I said anything from six months to six years. Dad said, ‘Don’t let pride keep you from coming home if you think you’ve made a mistake’. We were gone six years and 24 days.”

The primary motivation for an OE was the desire to “see the world” while experiencing new cultures and seeing adventure.

The research showed that for a third of those who had been on an OE, not staying longer was their biggest regret.

For Kaleb Kelly, travelling through Egypt was a highlight of his OE. He was pictured on the wall riding a camel.

While the trip was an incredible experience, Kelly said that if he were to do it all over again, he would spend longer at each destination.

“I would take my time to relax and enjoy the atmosphere just as much as the sights, instead of rushing from one place to the next and try and fit everything into a short period of time.”

Tasker told Stuff Travel the airport was really proud to be the gateway for the Kiwi OE.

“I think the thing that really stands out is that Kiwis are passionate travellers, and the OE is a rite of passage, almost. We found that half of the Kiwis that we've spoken to had been on an OE in the past, and two in five intend to go on an OE in the future.

“What was really interesting is that the great OE is not just a young person's sport,” he said.

An increasing number of Kiwis were having OEs later in life. Although 65% were aged under 30 (a decrease from 72% in the past) half of people aged over 40 intended to go on an OE in the future.

About 20% of the survey respondents in their 60s intended to go on an OE.

The biggest barrier to going on an OE was finances, with 50% citing that as a reason for not going abroad, followed by family and work commitments.

Have you been on a big OE? Where did you choose, and why? Let us know in the comments.