Do i need a visa to go and visit New Zealand from Canada?

My room mate has citizenship in NZ and also has family that owns an orchard, and we are planning on going there and working for them next september for 6 months or so. what im wondering is do i absolutely HAVE to apply for a working holiday visa to go? and if i do that how long am i allowed to stay for? I'm trying to avoid it because to be eligible it is required that i have $4200 dollars NZ and a return ticket home, and I'm poor and don't know when i would be leaving. any help in the simplest of terms would be greatly appreciated, as i have looked online and don't really understand all this technical, political, citizenship visa mumbo jumbo.