| WELLINGTON: Helen Clark has managed to save $6000 towards her OE since starting her job as Prime Minister in 1999. With her savings plan really starting to kick in after a hitting a bit of a blip over Christmas and New Year's Clark feels that she should be able to get out of New Zealand and get over to Britain in time for the next European summer.
Clark only applied for the job as Prime Minister so she could save money towards her OE and because she thought it would look good on her CV when applying for temporary office work in London. "I had a friend who hadn't even had any work experience go over and get a job for 10 Pounds an hour, I reckon that with the experience I picked up from being PM I can get something for at least 12 pounds an hour," Clark confided to close friends. "I know you shouldn't really convert the money back, but that's about $40 an hour!" Clark has also been getting a few helpful tips from people who have been to London while she has been working in and around the Beehive. "It's amazing the amount of people that have been over there and stuff," Clark enthused. "Like the other day I was chatting to Rodney Hide and he gave me the name of a friend of his that has this flat in Willesden Green that I can doss in when I first get there." "Marion Hobbs also knows this crazy hippie guy who has a VW van and is looking for people to cruise around Europe with him, leaving just after I arrive. Like I don't want to do one of those tacky Contiki tours or anything, and although taking a VW is pretty cliché it's a cool cheap way to get around Europe," Clark continued. Although Clark is kind of enjoying her job at the moment she says she can't wait to get over to London and live it up like her friends. "I keep getting these cool emails form friends telling me about dance parties they've been too and postcards from Crete and stuff, I just can't wait to get there and do all this stuff for myself. I mean New Zealand's okay and stuff, but it's just so small, if you know what I mean, you've just got to get out after a while and see what the rest of the worlds about."  Helen Clark |
| Clarke saves $6000 towards OE |
Friday, 01 March 2002 12:00
