Jude Wilson’s new book Flying Kiwis: A history of the OE is the first detailed account of
a uniquely Kiwi phenomenon: the extended overseas working holiday.
Drawing on the oral accounts of several
hundred travellers, Wilson sheds light on the cultural development of the OE –
from its emergence in the mid-1970s through to a peak in the late 1980s.
As the cost of long-haul flights came down
and the rest of the world became more accessible, increasing numbers of young
New Zealanders took off overseas.
‘In the beginning it was about travel and
testing yourself in the bigger world,’ says author Jude Wilson. ‘In the 80s the
OE morphed to include not only travel but also finding a proper job.’
Going on ‘the big OE’ became part of a
young New Zealander’s rite of passage; New Zealand employers began to recognise
it as an important milestone in a young person’s career.
During the 1980s London was the city of
choice. Ex-pat newspapers and magazines provided a forum for travellers and a
hub for networking. Areas in London, like Earls Court, became known as Kiwi
zones – a place where new arrivals would hang out together.
Flying
Kiwis is heavily illustrated with a colourful
selection of archival material – from photographs to travel documents, signage,
cartoons and travel mementos – giving a visual account of the popular culture
that was integral to the OE’s evolution.
Thoroughly researched, laced with humour and
entertaining anecdote, Flying Kiwis
reveals how the OE became part of the Kiwi psyche. Never before has this
crucial expression of Kiwi identity been so fully explored and recorded.
Flying
Kiwis is an essential read for anyone who has arrived in London with a few dollars
and the
address of a friend’s cousin.
Flying Kiwis: A history of the OE
By
Jude Wilson
ISBN: 978-1-877578-26-7, $45
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