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Would you like to chat to Cold Candy, who manages this programme? Just call +436763864408 or email: info@cold-candy.com or click to WhatsApp!
Wanaka · Treble Cone · Austrian Level 1, 2 · Gap Year & Career Break · 5 Weeks · August 2026
Cold Candy’s ski instructor course in New Zealand is the only programme in the Southern Hemisphere where you can complete Austrian Level 1, Level 2 in a single five-week course. Level 4 coaches, small groups, daily video analysis, exams in English.
It’s a popular gap year ski instructor option for a straightforward reason: you qualify in September, and the entire European ski season is still ahead of you. The August–September timing also fits neatly around most career break and gap year schedules.
Would you like to chat to Cold Candy, who manages this programme? Just call +436763864408 or email: info@cold-candy.com or click to WhatsApp!
📅 Dates | 2 August – 5 September 2026 |
📍 Location | Treble Cone, Wanaka, New Zealand |
🎓 Qualification | Austrian Level 1, 2 |
👥 Group size | Small groups, max 8 per coach |
🗣️ Exam language | English or German, your choice |
🌍 After the course | Worldwide job placement support |
The qualification that
The Austrian Anwärter (Level 1 & 2) is one of the most respected ski instructor certifications going, recognised at ski schools across Europe, North America, Japan, and beyond.
Cold Candy’s New Zealand programme is the only one in the Southern Hemisphere where you complete Level 1, Level 2 & train towards your level 3, putting you a step ahead when ski schools are hiring.
And the exam? You can sit it in English. No language barrier between you and your qualification.
Five weeks. Twenty-two days on snow. Small groups so every session is actual coaching, your Level 4 coach knows your skiing and adjusts accordingly. Every day finishes with video analysis so you can see exactly what to fix.
Treble Cone sits above Wanaka on the South Island. Long runs, serious terrain, uncrowded pistes, the kind of conditions that let you actually focus on technique. New Zealand’s largest ski area is on your doorstep by skiable terrain, with south-facing slopes that hold snow reliably through August and September.
Wanaka itself is a proper town with a lake, good food and bars and a decent vibe. It makes a five-week course feel like an adventure rather than just a training programme. Queenstown Airport is 45 minutes away.
You need to be a confident, competent all-mountain skier before you arrive. Beyond that, the course is for:
You finish in early September. The Northern Hemisphere winter starts in December. Cold Candy’s worldwide job placement puts you in touch with ski schools across Austria, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Argentina and the USA, all of which recognise your Austrian qualification.
The training towards your level3 puts you ahead of most Anwärter-only graduates when ski schools are hiring. As a working instructor, expect around €1,000–€1,200/month in Austria to start, plus accommodation usually arranged by the ski school.
Small groups mean you actually get to know the people you train with. Most people arrive solo. By the end of five weeks, you’ll have mates across three continents who’ll be working the same mountains that winter.
Cold Candy
Yes. The exam can be taken in English or German, you choose. Most Austrian qualification courses assume a working level of German; Cold Candy doesn’t.
Competent, confident all-mountain skiing, comfortable on red and black runs in varied conditions. You don’t need to be a racer, but you should be able to ski any piste comfortably before you arrive.
Yes, it’s a popular choice for both. You finish qualified in early September, just before the Northern Hemisphere season begins. The timing is ideal for going straight into work.
Most people do. Small groups mean you actually meet your course-mates and we’ve seen many a longterm friendship founded from this course.
Same Austrian certification, same exam. Main difference: location and timing, Southern Hemisphere winter (August–September) rather than November–December in the Alps.
Most nationalities can enter on a tourist / visitor visa for a five-week course, but requirements vary. Check the New Zealand Immigration website for your specific situation. Cold Candy can provide a letter confirming course enrolment if needed.