Why Queenstown
A Second Winter, While Home Has Summer.
Queenstown is a small town on Lake Wakatipu with two ski areas on its doorstep. The southern winter runs from June to October, so you can qualify here and still be home in time to teach a northern season.
Mountains
2
Mountains on one lift pass
Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, with transport included
Size
665ha
Of terrain between them
280ha at Coronet Peak and 385ha at The Remarkables
Height
1,943m
At the top of The Remarkables
Three sunny, north-facing bowls
History
1947
The year Coronet Peak opened
New Zealand's first commercial ski field
Night skiing
3
Nights a week under the lights
Night skiing at Coronet Peak on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
Season
Jun to Oct
The southern winter
So you train through the UK summer
New Zealand's First Ski Field, On Your Doorstep.
Coronet Peak opened in 1947 and is about 25 minutes from town. The Remarkables is about 45 minutes away, with three sunny bowls and the big terrain parks.
And the people who train with us
Mountain figures from Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, rounded where published figures differ. Checked October 2026.
01The mountains
Two Mountains, One Lift Pass.
You train on both. Your lift pass covers Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, and the transport up and down is included.
New Zealand's first commercial ski field. Rolling, varied terrain, snowmaking across the mountain, and night skiing three evenings a week.
- Top lift
- 1,649m
- Vertical
- 460m to 480m
- Terrain
- 280 hectares
- Night skiing
- Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
Higher and sunnier. Three north-facing bowls, off-piste chutes and the big terrain parks.
- Top lift
- 1,943m
- Vertical
- 468m
- Terrain
- 385 hectares
- Bowls
- Three, all north-facing
02Your winter
A Queenstown Winter, Month By Month.
The southern winter runs from June to October. Here's where every course sits, from your first day in town to your last exam.
Ski or snowboard, Level 1 and 2
Level 1 And 2, Ski Or Snowboard.
About nine weeks, from July to September, with Level 1 after the first four weeks and Level 2 at the end. Skiers and snowboarders share the same dates.
Level 1 and 2, about 9 weeks11 July to 9 September 2026. NZD 21,999.
Level 1 only, 4 weeks11 July to 8 August 2026. NZD 11,800.
Level 2 only, about 5 weeks8 August to 9 September 2026. NZD 12,900.
TrainingFour days a week with senior NZSIA and SBINZ examiners, at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.
ExamsLevel 1 at the end of the first four weeks. Level 2 at the end of the course.
These are the 2026 dates and prices, as a guide. We'll confirm 2027's as soon as they're set. Orange is training and the dark blocks are your exams. The bars are approximate.
Level 2 qualified, Level 3
Level 3, With Or Without Paid Work.
For instructors who already hold Level 2. Work and Train puts you in the snowsports school through the busy holidays, then into Level 3 training. Level 3 Training is the coaching without the job.
Level 3 Work and Train20 June to 9 September 2026. NZD 16,400.
Level 3 Training, no workTraining 27 July to 14 August 2026. NZD 14,450 with accommodation, NZD 7,390 without.
OnboardingSettle in, then sign up with the snowsports school.
Paid workTeaching for the snowsports school at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, through the school holidays.
Level 3 trainingTwelve days over three weeks on Work and Train.
Work and Train needs the right to work in New Zealand, and the snowsports school interviews you first. These are the 2026 dates and prices, as a guide. The bars are approximate.
Before you book
You need to be 18 or over. Not sure your skiing or riding is ready? Send us a video and we'll tell you honestly.
Getting here
Fly into Queenstown. Your airport pick-up is included, and the flights are up to you.
03Living there
Your Base In Queenstown.
You live in shared accommodation in Queenstown with the rest of your course, and the transport to the mountain is sorted for you. Training is four days a week, so there's time to free ski, rest and see the South Island.
- Where
- Shared accommodation in Queenstown
- Training
- Four days a week
- The mountain
- Transport included, to both
- Not included
- Flights, food and insurance
Four days of training a week. The rest is yours.
Included on Level 1 and 2
- Accommodation in Queenstown
- Lift pass for Coronet Peak and The Remarkables
- Transport to the mountain
- NZSIA or SBINZ exams
- Membership and manual
- Airport pick-up
04Days off
The South Island On Your Days Off.
Queenstown sits on Lake Wakatipu, with Fiordland one way and Wanaka the other. Four training days a week leaves time to see both.
Milford Sound.
A day into Fiordland, by road or by air.
Arrowtown.
An old gold-mining town about 20 minutes away, for a quieter afternoon.
Wanaka.
About an hour over the Crown Range, with Cardrona and Treble Cone close by.
The Kawarau Bridge.
Where commercial bungy jumping started, in 1988.
Lake Wakatipu.
The lake the town sits on, and the view from the gondola above it.
Worth knowing
Queenstown Isn't Cheap.
It's a busy resort town, and food and a night out cost more than in most of New Zealand. Your accommodation is in the course price, so it's food and going out you need to budget for.
The Pros And Cons.
Queenstown ski instructor courses are brilliant for the right person, and not for everyone. Here's the honest picture.
Why Queenstown works
- Train in the UK summerJuly to September, so you can still teach a northern winter.
- Two mountains, one passCoronet Peak and The Remarkables, with the transport included.
- Coaches who examineSenior NZSIA and SBINZ examiners, who know exactly what the exams ask for.
- A real ski townQueenstown is busy all winter, on the mountain and off it.
Worth knowing
- A long way from homeThe flight to New Zealand is long, and it isn't included.
- Priced in NZ dollarsThe price is set in New Zealand dollars, so the cost in pounds moves with the exchange rate.
- Paid work needs the right visaLevel 3 Work and Train needs a working holiday visa or the right to work in New Zealand.
- 18 and overYou need to be 18 to join.
05Your course
Your Queenstown Ski Instructor Course.
Our Queenstown ski instructor courses: NZSIA Level 1 and 2 for skiers, SBINZ Level 1 and 2 for snowboarders, and Level 3 for instructors who already hold Level 2.
Ski or snowboard, Level 1 and 2
Level 1 And 2 Ski And Snowboard Instructor Course, Queenstown
About nine weeks of coaching with senior NZSIA and SBINZ examiners, four days a week. Level 1 after the first four weeks, then Level 2 at the end. Your accommodation, lift pass, transport, exams and membership are included.
- Starts
- July 2027, dates to be confirmed
- Length
- About 9 weeks
- You leave with
- NZSIA or SBINZ Level 1 and 2
- Where you live
- Shared accommodation in Queenstown
- Price
- NZD 21,999 in 2026
Level 2 qualified, Level 3 with paid work
Level 3 Work And Train, Queenstown
For instructors who already hold Level 2, from any system. You interview with the snowsports school at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, teach as a paid instructor through the busy holidays from late June, then train for your Level 3 from late July. Accommodation for most of the season is included.
- Starts
- Late June 2027, dates to be confirmed
- You need
- Level 2, and the right to work in NZ
- Work
- Paid, with the snowsports school
- Price
- NZD 16,400 in 2026
Every course, every price
Level 1 and 2, ski or snowboard
11 July to 9 September 2026. About 9 weeks.
See the ski course ›See the snowboard course ›NZD 21,9992026 price
Hold my placeNZD 11,8002026 price
Hold my placeLevel 2 only, ski or snowboard
8 August to 9 September 2026. About 5 weeks.
Ask us about this course ›NZD 12,9002026 price
Hold my placeLevel 3 Work and Train
20 June to 9 September 2026. Level 2 and the right to work in New Zealand needed.
Ask us about this course ›NZD 16,4002026 price
Hold my placeLevel 3 Training, no work
Training 27 July to 14 August 2026, with accommodation from 11 July 2026.
Ask us about this course ›NZD 14,4502026 price
Hold my placePrices are in New Zealand dollars, as invoiced. These are 2026's, as a guide, and we'll confirm 2027's as soon as they're set. Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 can also be done as training only, without the accommodation, if you already live in Queenstown. Ask us.
On a UK passport
Visitor Or Working Holiday.
On the Level 1 and 2 course and on Level 3 Training you come as a visitor, so a UK passport doesn't need a visa, just an NZeTA before you fly. Level 3 Work and Train is paid work, so it needs a working holiday visa or the right to work in New Zealand. Check the latest with New Zealand Immigration before you book.
Prefer a northern winter? See our CSIA ski instructor courses in Canada, or all our snowboard instructor courses.
Still deciding where to go? Compare all our locations.
What Past Interns Say.
Read Before You Choose.
Free guides, written by us for people in exactly your position. Start with the real cost of a season, because New Zealand is a long way to go.
The Real Cost Of A Canadian Season
The whole sum, from flights and insurance to food and kit.
Read the guide ›
Skiing Ability Guide
Are you good enough yet? The standard, in plain words, with a way to check.
Read the guide ›
How To Book Our Courses And Internships
From first chat to first chairlift, step by step.
Read the guide ›
Insurance Guide
What cover you need, and what to check before you buy it.
Read the guide ›
Travel And Flights Guide
Flights, transfers and getting to the mountain without stress.
Read the guide ›
Fitness Guide
Turn up fit. The plan that gets your legs ready before you fly.
Read the guide ›
What To Take
The packing list for a winter in the mountains.
Read the guide ›
Clothing Essentials
Layers, gloves and what is worth spending money on.
Read the guide ›
Girls On Tour
For women heading out on a season, by women who have done it.
Read the guide ›
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