New Zealand this summer

Shots

Hey Guys
I am considering heading to NZ for a month/few months this summer, just wondering if anyone else has done this how much i can expect to pay for the basics (flights accomodation lift pass).

Where are the best resorts to go to (for price and good snow)?

Did you try to get a job in resort and if so did you get one? did u have the job before you went over as I see a few of resorts are going to be taking applications in the next few weeks? Are these very competitive? What would my chances of finding a job over there be? I see that there is a one year working holiday visa avalible, does it take long to be approved for one?

Bring my gear or buy new stuff over there? Is gear expensive in NZ?

Who did you fly with? how much did it cost? Stopover in Sydney?

Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated, Thank you :cool:

Static M.e.

Ok, I'll answer some this information is from 2005 though but I hear its only got worse since then.

Where are the best resorts to go to (for price and good snow)? -- Depends on your level \ Skill \ Wants. I know the Wanaka based ones. Cardrona is a general all rounder, its has good pistes, decent park and some gets good snow. The SnowPark is just for Tricks, its very small for a resort but big for a snow park. You will see a lot of Pro's riding there. Treple Cone (?) is a large off piste mountain with few lifts and more for the intermediate - advanced (I would say)

Did you try to get a job in resort and if so did you get one? did u have the job before you went over as I see a few of resorts are going to be taking applications in the next few weeks? Are these very competitive? What would my chances of finding a job over there be? --- Yes, in Wanaka jobs are like gold dust, get to the resort as early as possible to try and find accomodation which is also extremly difficult to find. My friends who were following Winter use to book thier accomodation a year in advance to make sure they secured something. When I was there even the Hostels were booked up with long termers for the whole season.

I see that there is a one year working holiday visa avalible, does it take long to be approved for one? -- mine was very quick

Bring my gear or buy new stuff over there? Is gear expensive in NZ? --- Yes, relatively. If you have decent gear I would bring it.

Who did you fly with? how much did it cost? Stopover in Sydney? --- I flew pretty much direct and it cost around 1100 I think..

A couple of people from here have done it now, you should do a search here and see if you can find some good links

robinph

^ What he said.

I don't know about the situation with getting work down there though.

I took my gear down with me, Air NZ take them for free but I did have to pay for the BMI leg to London on the way out. The route I went was via Hong Kong each time. think it was around the €1200 make for my flights.

Best ski area I think was Whakapapa and Turora in the North Island.
Best places to stay for any length of time would be Queesntown with two ski fields opposite sides of town, or Wanaka with a couple in easy reach as well but a smaller town.

Bilb

Yo, im thinking of doing the same thing and im wondering do you need a PPs or social security number to work there. if so how do you get one?

derrycosgrave

Hey,

I'm moving to Wanaka in June. I'm currently living in Perth, Australia. I have enrolled in a ski instructors course with Cardrona. A couple of things that I have learned so far.

1. NZ working holiday visa is easy to get. I think it was $150. No need for a pps number however you may need a TFN like in Australia. But you apply for that when you enter the country.
2. Jobs and accomodation are very difficult to get from July onwards. "Early bird catches the worm" I have put in applications with all of the estate agents in Wanaka. To date we have had no success in obtaining a winter rental however we are very confident that we will. We have posted on Gumtree to see if anyone would like to house share. Be warned when renting you need to pay two weeks up front, 4 weeks bond (deposit) and a letting fee.
3. Travel insurance for more then 60 days which covers winter sports is proving a real difficulty.

I have been told that Wanaka is amazing and that the ski resorts are some of the best in the world. Cardrona, Treble Cone and Snow Park. Queenstown is the party capital of the South Island and has two ski fields.

At the moment I can't get travel insurance. Irish insurance companies won't cover me because I have left Ireland and now live in Australia. Australian insurance companies wont cove me because I'm not a resident and dont have medicare. Can anyone help with my problem. I need travel insurnace which will cover winter sports for a minimum of 4 months.

poconnor16

Where are the best resorts to go to (for price and good snow)?



IMHO - Whakapapa, North Island



Did you try to get a job in resort and if so did you get one? did u have the job before you went over as I see a few of resorts are going to be taking applications in the next few weeks? Are these very competitive? What would my chances of finding a job over there be? I see that there is a one year working holiday visa avalible, does it take long to be approved for one?



I didn't work on the slopes, but in a local hostel in the town (National Park). This worked out waaaaaay better, I worked in the early morning, had all day off to ski, and worked in the evening. I was living in Auckland when I got the job, I contacted the hostel directly and enquired in about May. Dont think the Visa takes that long, but you could certainly start contacting people now re work.



Bring my gear or buy new stuff over there? Is gear expensive in NZ?



Buy second hand over there. Hostel I worked in rented gear out to guests and I had free use of same. I was able to pick up a nice second hand board then for cheap.



Who did you fly with? how much did it cost? Stopover in Sydney?



Not much help to you here as this was a few years ago, I flew to Sydney for a year, then on to NZ for another 2...





do your best to make this happen - best 7 months of my life, an experience I will never forget. And try do some travelling in NZ afterwards; its one hell of a country. Whakapapa is mid way between Auckland and Wellington, so handy location for travelling. Only about an hour away from Lake Taupo and Rotarua etc.

AndRoiD

I'll be in Cardrona, managed to get myself a job as a liftie, ima already in Oz so I go cheap flights from there. Visa took no time at all to get. 2 days from what I remember. Planning on picking most of my gear up over there probably second hang altho I do think I'll fork out for proper boots.