Originally Posted by mrbb

well I can understand you wanting to talk to folks that have done it already
but there is a ton of info online and that can be found if one wants to put forth the effort to learn it
as for towns that you can look for a job, how about finding public lands, first? find towns near them afterwards and BOOM your on the right track to finding what you want
I have done TONS of self guided trips LONG before the world wide web was there for info
I did so by putting forth the efforts to get me where I needed to be, by making the efforts needed!
in life you get out of things what you put into them>
and I don't mean this as a bash just help!

I would again strongly suggest looking more at public lands and then the adjoining towns for work, and other info, like calling shops there(or emailing) and asking shop owners questions if there willing to HELP you, the more folks you reach out to the better.
the name of the game here for you should be YOU making as much effort as possible to get your goal meet!

I am sure the NZ game dept, conservation, Tourism , all have emails and phone numbers, if one doesn;t work, try the next and keep at it!

another thing you can maybe try is talking to outfitters there and see if any offer mentors like jobs, where they teach guiding/hunting, and or JOBS , might be able to kill two birds with one stone.
I have had many friends that after college wanted to explore as you and ended up in AK< working as a guides helper, AKA pack mule LOL, and as time passed they ended up becoming guides, they basically got PAID to explore Alaska and hunt when NO hunters were in camp, and hunted some places they could never afford other wise!
depending what your degree/degree's were you went to school for, they may help you here as well!
, so again, the more effort you put in the more you will get back!
as finding someone that has done what you want to do might be a pretty low odds deal IMO!
so having a better plan should be what your looking for!
best of luck to you!