General Info About Skiing And Snowboarding In New Zealand
NZ is an awesome place to spend a winter/summer, the people are friendly the place is beautiful; just ask anyone who has been here. On the whole New Zealand is a very safe place, and with English being the main language there are no language problems.
The winter season starts in June and runs through until October.
Where Is The Skiing/Riding In NZ?
SITCo´s program is based in Queenstown, South Island, and we will do most of our skiing at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables. Nevertheless it is good to know that there is a lot of other skiing in NZ.
North Island - Whakapapa (pronounced - Phakapapa) and Turoa are the biggest ski areas and are on a great big volcano called Mt Ruapheu. It last erupted in 1997! Quite spectacular.
South Island there are lots of "ski fields" - so lets start with the big ones - Coronet Peak and The Remarkables (based out of Queenstown), Cardrona and Treble Cone (based out of Wanaka), Mt Hutt (Methven), then there are lots of others - Craigieburn, Temple Basin, Mt Cheeseman, Mt Dobson, Mt Olympus, Broken River, Round Hill, Ohau, to name a few.
Can I Work When I Am There?
To take part in a SITCo's training program you need a visitor´s visa.
If you wish to take part in one of our internship out side programs then you must apply for a work visa, this process is completely independent of SITCo.
If you are unsure about what you need contact your local NZ Embassy.
A Working Holiday Scheme Visa can be arranged for those under 30's for many different international passports. Including UK, Australia, USA, China to name a few. Check NZ Immigration website to see if you are elidgable - click here.
If you don't have a work visa UK and many other passport holders, are allowed to enter NZ on a Visitors Visa for a max of 6 months.
One option to think about would be to come to Queenstown and travel when you are doing our program, and then look into getting a work visa for the next year because by then you can think about working as an instructor!!
Nightlife in Queenstown?
Queenstown is a great party town and there are bars restaurants and clubs to suit all tastes and budgets. A lot of fun can be had!
