Backpacking around Australia is one of the most exciting items on your bucket list, and finally getting to make it happen is a dream come true. But as you travel around this beautiful country, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to go for months at a time without funding your travels. Unless you have saved up for years in advance, you will need to work!
When is Australia’s ski season?
- From June until October across five major resorts
Australia’s top ski resorts
- Mount Buller, VIC
- Mount Hotham, VIC
- Falls Creek, VIC
- Perisher, NSW
- Thredbo, NSW
Here, we take a look at six of the best ski season jobs for backpackers:
1. Chalet Host
A chalet host is one of the most iconic ski resort positions and requires you to provide top tier customer service with a smile. A chalet host will look after one chalet, take care of housekeeping and provide the guests staying in that chalet with all the care they need. This might involve suggesting and booking their activities, and working with a private chalet chef. This can be a wonderful way to enjoy a quieter job that allows you to make personal connections, but some guests can be very demanding and there isn’t really any “down time” during the time when guests are staying.
2. Chef
Are you a talented cook? You may be able to work as a chef at a ski resort. There is a range of restaurants, bars, hotels and more that require chefs to create delicious meals. You will need to prove that you can cook to get this job, naturally, and be used to working under pressure, as a kitchen is a very busy and hectic environment. Chef work is best suited to those with previous experience on the line, but there are some kitchen roles suitable for those with less proven experience. You may also be able to work as a chef in a private chalet, which means you will need to provide a bespoke menu.
3. Housekeeping
Hotels are a major part of the ski resort environment, and there are many housekeeping positions available each ski season. This isn’t a role that requires a lot of previous experience, and will mainly include keeping the bedrooms clean and fresh, as well as the common areas. It is a role with a heavy emphasis on providing positive customer experiences, so you should be happy with this and be used to some quite physical and dirty work! However, this can be a good job for those who want to work earlier in the day, as morning shifts will be available in many cases.
4. Bar Work/ Waitressing
Bar work and waitressing are classic jobs that backpackers take on while in Australia. While you might mostly associate these positions with beachside towns and the summer sun, you can also do these jobs during the ski season. The popular resorts have plenty of bars and restaurants where you will be able to bartend and waitress, enjoying shift work and a flexible schedule that lets you explore the surrounding area and even hit the slopes if you want to. However, this might lead to a lot of nighttime work, which might not be ideal for your lifestyle.
5. Ski/ Snowboard Instructor
Speaking of the slopes, do you love skiing or snowboarding? Then there will be some opportunities for you to put those skills to good use during Australia’s ski season. If this is something you would like to take advantage of, then you should consider timing your trip between June and October (with the best snow being most common during July and August, in the depths of the Southern Hemisphere winter). You can learn new skills and improve your expertise while teaching visitors how to get the most from their snowy break. Of course, this can be extremely physically challenging work – and you need to feel confident in your skiing or snowboarding, and be a great communicator with a wide range of people.
6. Ski Shop Retail Assistant
Working in retail might not be something you immediately think of when taking on a fun backpacking job, but there is plenty to keep you busy during the ski season! You can head to one of the resorts and work in a ski shop, which can be wonderful for those who love skiing but haven’t got the skills to teach yet. If you want to enjoy skiing or snowboarding and learn more about the industry in general, working in ski hire or as a boot fitter can get you into the heart of ski season – and perhaps next time you might want to be an instructor. Or just put your friendly, outgoing retail skills to good use!
Working during your travels isn’t just a great way to earn money, it can also give you the chance to learn more about the local area and give you a glimpse of “real life” in Australia. Ski season is a particularly amazing time to work in Australia, and any of these six jobs will be a wonderful way to experience everything Australia has to offer.
