Ski Instructor Course in New Zealand

Cool sport, cool town, cool country

New Zealand is a special country and Wanaka is a special town within this special country. Join a ski instructor course with SnowSkool in Wanaka and we'll wager that it will instantly become your favourite place on earth. And the south-facing slopes of Cardrona offer the world's best skiing - between the months of June and October that is, when the southern hemisphere is in the grip of winter! The trainers assigned to the SnowSkool programme are super well-qualified, some are local lads & lasses from NZ, others are hand-picked from the northern hemipshere whilst it beds down for Summer.

But no trip to NZ should be about just one thing, even if that one thing is skiing...our favourite thing! It is a "choice" country and the off-snow activities are as exciting as the skiing. The scenery in New Zealand too is awesome and the people are lovely - noticeably more friendly than anywhere else in the world. And so we always advise clients on SnowSkool NZ to “go native”. This means that if someone turns round to talk to you in the supermarket queue, don’t look at them as if they are going to relieve you of your mobile or wallet, take a chance and talk to them. You might just enjoy it!

Our Ski instructor Courses in New Zealand

  • - Train in Cardrona, Wanaka
  • - Gain the NZSIA Level 2 Ski Instructor Qualification
  • - 11 weeks of world-class training
  • - Between the months of June & October - the NZ winter
  • - Work in NZ or globally after qualifying

Who chooses this course?

Age profile

Average Age
21
  • 17-20
  • 21-24
  • 25-35+

Recommended minimum experience

  • 2 weeks
  • 4 weeks
  • 6 weeks
  • 8 weeks

Gender profile

  • Male
    65%
  • Female
    35%

Nationalities

Australasia
25%
China
10%
Rest of the World
10%
UK
45%
Europe
10%

Course Dates

2025
    • Duration
      11 weeks
    • Start Date
      28/06/2025
    • End Date
      10/09/2025
    • Flights included
      No
  • Price
    £9,750
  • Deposit
    £450
Book course

Slopes

The first thing you notice when you stand at the top of Captain’s Quad (at 1860m the highest lift-served skiing at the resort) is the stunning view down to South Lake Valley. Reach out and you can almost touch it! Cardrona offers the perfect location for a ski instructor course – plenty of mellow terrain that is ideal for nailing your drills and, for those looking for a little more gnar, areas such as Captain’s Basin, Arcadia Chutes and Tulips offer some nice natural features, steeps and moguls to allow you to work on ski technique. One of Cardies stand-out features is its range of freestyle terrain parks; four parks including the biggest one in the southern hemisphere…with kickers up to 85ft, an Olympic Superpipe, a skier-cross circuit and a whole range of jib features. 

Accommodation

Slap-bang in the centre of Wanaka, amongst the bars & restaurants, close to the shops (& supermarket), within spitting distance of the stunning lakefront & famous Cinema Paradiso lies The Bothy which SnowSkool students will call home for eleven weeks.     

  • Free WiFi
  • Fully-equipped kitchen
  • TV lounge with DVDs & Netflix
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage room
  • BBQ
  • Drying room for ski wear

Standard rooms are six-share
There is the option to pay a fee for a four-person or two-person room
Evening meals are served 4 nights per week

Tuition

On the SnowSkool New Zealand course, tuition is provided five days per week by instructors from the Cardrona ITC – Instructor Training Centre. More training than any other course in New Zealand. It’s more than a Ski School, the trainers employed in the ITC have been hand-picked for their experience and their ability to train future instructors. It’s like a who’s who of NZ ski instructing – 50% of all NZSIA Trainers in New Zealand and 50% of the NZSIA Interski demo team are based at Cardrona. This means that the 20-some other resorts in New Zealand have to share the other 50%!  

Qualifications

NZSIA is the national ski instructor qualification. Those on the 11-week course will sit the Level 1 & Level 2 ski instructor exams of the New Zealand Ski Instructors’ Alliance. NZSIA Level 2 is very well-regarded throughout the world. SnowSkool can also offer a Park & Pipe exam. 

What’s Included?

Accommodation
Yes
Dinners
4 days per week
Hill Transfers
Training & Exam Days
Lift Pass
Cardrona & Treble Cone
Level 1 Tuition
4 days per week
Level 1 Exam Fee
Yes
Level 2 Tuition
4 days per week
Membership Fees
NZSIA
Instructor Shadowing
Yes
Regular Individual Feedback
Yes
Video Analysis
Yes
First Aid Course
Optional
Avalanche Awareness Course
Optional
SnowSkool Recruitment Service
Yes
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