New Zealand Instructor Course
Resorts
The South Island of New Zealand offers some of the best skiing in the Southern Hemisphere; our ski instructor course is run in the Craigieburn range in the Canterbury region and from your base in the town of Springfield you will have access to 11 ski areas, more than any instructor training course in New Zealand.
Porters resort
Porters is the closest ski field and is where you will do most of your training. It is known for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, offering something for everyone, with cruising runs ideal for instructor training drills and steeper terrain like the mighty Big Mama and Bluff Face, which are the longest and steepest off-piste runs on a commercial ski area in the Southern Hemisphere, ideal for advanced skiers.
For those looking to work on their freestyle skiing Porters also has a newly constructed terrain park, the Community Park. The terrain park is made up of the mini park and the upper park. Both offer riders the chance to hit up to 10 features in a single run comprising of jibs, small jumps, medium jumps, rails and boxes.
Spectacular NZ scenery
Typical training day
The Club Fields
You will have access to 11 ski areas during your course. Porters is the largest but the club fields are renowed for their off-piste terrain, great snow, crowd free skiing, and great atmosphere. The most well known are:
- Broken River
- Mt. Olympus
- Mt. Cheeseman
- Craigieburn
Skiing at Porters
Club Fields powder
These regions offer an off piste paradise with some of the Southern Hemisphere's best free skiing through steep untracked powder. They provide a unique experience with panoramic views free from development allowing you to enjoy steep chutes, drop offs, powder bowls and no grooming. Added to this, the slopes are practically empty resulting in fresh lines all day long on a powder day.
One thing that never changes between any of the resorts is the warm, local hospitality, and great skiing available.
Action from Temple Basin (one of the club fields)
The Town
You will be staying in the town of Springfield which is surrounded by rolling farmland with the mighty Torlesse mountains towering above. There are a couple of restaurants for those wanting to eat out, as well as a convenience store for groceries. The area around the town is home to national parks, lakes, and rivers offering a full range of activities from rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, jet boating, horse riding and quad biking, making it ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.
Added to this the city of Christchurch, the South Island’s largest, is only an hour away so weekend trips are often available for those that want to explore what the wider region has to offer.
