I want to fly out to N.Z, then travel from South isalnd, to North island working on the way. I then want to travel to Australia without using a plane. Does anyone have any ideas how to go about this, costs involved, where to look? Completely lost at mo and needing to escape a.s.ap! HELP!

I have never heard of anyone travelling to or from australia other than by air. Even if you can it will be a long journey and more expensive than flying. A few discount airlines have opened recently offering NZ-Oz one way flights for as little as $99 NZD (If you book them enough in advance), eg FreedomAir, and I think VirginBlue or something like that.
Hope that helps.

Talk to a travel agent who knows their stuff and you should be able to get to Oz on either a Cruise Ship (P & O, etc) on a one-way leg or better still on board a freight ship. A massive amount of freight is shipped between these two countries and it is always possible to grab a cabin. Freight travel is a great way to get around as it is cheap and you get to see how a freighter operates.

Bon voyage

If you follow this link you will find the Container Ships leaving NZ for Australia for the month of Feb 2004:
http://www.australiatrade.com.au/Shipping/Timetable/Imports/New%20Zealand.htm

An example from this table, shows a ship leaving Auckland on 02/02/04 scheduled to dock in Brisbane on 05/02/04. You must be aware that in the case of industrial disputes your ETA could be delayed by days or longer, so always first investigate the politcal environment in both countries before attempting a crossing. That said, from this table you will see you are spoilt for choice on sailings.

Make a few phone calls and ask the question - you could save a shed load of money while taking part in a unique experience. Better brush up on your "port and starboard" now!