I am writing this intro quickly as the snow at the moment is fantastic and I am sitting on the couch in my pyjamas. I have to get out there! haha
If you're considering getting a working holiday Visa to live in Whistler, GET IT!
As it is a huge deal to leave your country and live abroad, I will take you through some steps to get here as well as post about my experience.
If you want to come here to make lots of money, it may take a while. Pretty much everybody starts at the bottom, no matter how qualified you are. One of my friends managed the Bavarian Bier Cafe in York Street and Manly, she is a hut worker over here on minimum wage. 15 years over here will get you a General Manager position, and that would be fantastic!
VISA
Do this early. I thought about 8 weeks would be okay, however, little did I know we needed police checks as well (which were going to take another 5 weeks). So, what you need for your VISA:
- National Police Check - http://www.afp.gov.au/what-we-do/police-checks/national-police-checks.aspx It's about $50 and if you do everything in PDF form, it will be processed usually quicker than 5 weeks. Make the effort to format it how they want and you will be rewarded with short processing times.
- Visa - This costs $150 for a two year visa. Make sure you have all documents needed and in the correct order. This can take 6 weeks or less. However one of my friend's Visas took 12 weeks! So once again, do this early.
- You will receive a letter of approval for your Visa and then a Letter of Introduction (both will be emailed). The Letter of Introduction is what you need to take to Canada.
FLIGHTS!
Get here early to mid November. If you cannot, do not worry, just be proactive about finding jobs and accommodation and knuckle down! We arrived November 23rd and found accommodation and jobs within the first week.
Air Canada or Air New Zealand - both are amazing and the flight goes quickly because of entertainment, meal breaks, etc. We flew NZ and went through Auckland. Tickets = $1600 return per person. Get return as it is basically the same price as one way and you can alter the return date (check for fees though).
If you're flying through America you will need an ESTA ($14 Visa) https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/
Transfers from Vancouver:
Greyhound is the way to go. They leave from the Pacific Centre and tickets are about $24 each. Much better than other companies who charge up to $80 one way per person! http://www.greyhound.ca/en/WinterSpecials/Whistler/Rates.aspx
OK...That's all for this morning. I HAVE TO GO RIDING!!! I'll do some more tonight if I haven't past out from exhaustion.
HEY!!! I'm back. The mountain was amazing! So much powder and for the 23rd of December, it's not that busy. I am trying to upload some videos however I think if I went outside and watched the grass grow, the videos still wouldn't be uploaded. Never fear! I will keep trying.
Travel Insurance - this is very important as people over here are injured EVERY DAY. There are sadly a number of deaths as well.
Budget Direct - the way to go that covers everything for the cheapest price. Let me know if you find cheaper :-)
Some other things:
Accommodation - Set yourself up for a week in a hostel or similar. This will give you a chance to find long term accommodation and a job. If you have a group of people going...great! You can find a chalet or townhouse and split the rent.
You can also live in either staff housing (if you have a job with the mountain) or in a private residence. Shop around and do some contacting before you get over here. Expect to pay between $600-$1400 per month for private. Staff housing is a little cheaper but oh so noisy! We live with a local and he has been amazing and generous. His knowledge and willingness to offer help has been incredible and has made our transition pretty easy.
Transport around the village - Buses cost $2.50 for about 7km of road. It is so expensive! Monthly passes are $65 and unlimited travel. If you live in the village then a pass isn't necessary. There is also a valley trail so you can walk between suburbs.
Oh yeah...bus drivers do not give change. So if you get on the bus with a $20 note (instead of $2.50), the little machine will eat up all your money and it will be the most expensive public transport you've ever been in.
Food - Also expensive. Expect a good loaf of bread to cost about $6 and up. The cheaper ones are packed with sugar and melt in your mouth. Haha Australians always comment on how sugary the bread is over here. Costco in Vancouver or Walmart in Squamish is a great way to buy bulk and reduce costs. Fresh stuff have relatively good prices. For example, broccoli in Australia is about $5-9 a kilo. Here it is about $2-4.
Bank accounts
Banks in Whistler:
- Scotia Bank
- North Shore
- TD Canada Trust
- Royal Bank of Canada
- I am finding things everyday so I may have forgotten one
TD is pretty good and monthly fees are about $4.
Some ways to get funds from your Aussie account to a Canadian account are paypal, cash advances, getting a bunch of money out in Australia, exchanging it and then putting it in your Canadian account, or internet transfers which will probably have a $20-$30 fee and exchange rates will be so so.
Cell phones
Rogers and Bell are like the Telstra and Optus in Australia. If your phone is unlocked...great! You only need a sim card.
I am with Bell. I bought a phone over here and it cost $50. I pay $40 a month and get unlimited messages, free talk to 5 nominated friends and other random stuff. You can also cancel this without charge when you leave (just do it 30 days before you go lol)
The fun part...Jobs!
If you want a job with the mountain and a free seasons pass, check out their website
Dusty's Bar and Grill
Working with the mountain also gets you other bonus stuff like 25% off stores, 45% off helmets, 50% food at certain outlets and if you join club shred for $2 a pay check, you get free trips to Vancouver, discounts on events like Cirque Du Soleil, ice skating, food and drinks and heaps more!
Pay - all I can say is do not expect what you get in Australia ha! You come here for the experience and not to be rolling in cash. However, in saying that, the benefits with employment for Whistler Blackcomb help keep your expenses down. I have a Masters Degree and 5 years of tertiary education behind me. Back in Oz I can make in one day what I make in one week over here.
Tips on getting a job:
You can apply for 3 jobs at one time, however you will only be considered for one job at a time and in your order of preference.
Only apply for what you have experience in. For example, I applied for a Ski Instructor position, a supervisor position in a retail outlet and a lead hand for a f&b hut. The Ski Instructor was a throw away as I have no experience in that and do not have the qualification. I had supervisor experience but not enough retail experience (even though I did 6 years). I have heaps more f&b experience so I was rewarded with the Hut position. Yay! Job done and free season pass...check.
There are also hundreds of people competing for the same job as you. Make sure you stand out!
So how do I do that?
This took me a while to get right. I think I applied for about 12 jobs and after many, many rejections I finally have one.
Your resume. Make it short but list all your jobs, the dates you had them for and a DETAILED description of your responsibilities, especially if they are relevant to the job you are applying for.
It also helps if you know the manager who will be hiring/interviewing. A quick phone call to the store will give you that :-). Everybody should know their general manager's name, unless they have been living under a rock.
Your resume is read first by the recruiting team, and if that checks out, then your cover letter is read and you may be contacted. Keep applying. Do not give up after a few rejections. I cried after about 7 rejections haha (yes I am occasionally a pansie) but you will eventually get something if you are positive.
Non Mountain Jobs
Look at Craigslist, the pique magazine and the Question. Note...many of these jobs do not include a seasons pass and pay about the same as the mountain anyway. Really consider your pros and cons because if you came here to snowboard and cannot afford to buy a seasons pass, you will not be a happy chappy. Most businesses are part of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, which brings the seasons pass down to $1300 (called a Spirit pass), provided you complete a 3 hour course.
Clothes
Skimping on quality for a cheaper price = not good. Brands like North Face, Patagonia, Arcteryx, Kathmandu, Dale of Norway are great. A little more money will put a bigger hole in your pocky but you will not regret it. The most important things to bring over = baselayer (thermals), a fleece lightweight jumper, good woolen or snowboarding socks, gloves, scarf, beanies, an outerwear layer with good breathability, insulation and waterproofing. Here's mine (the North Face Baker Deluxe):
Clothes
Skimping on quality for a cheaper price = not good. Brands like North Face, Patagonia, Arcteryx, Kathmandu, Dale of Norway are great. A little more money will put a bigger hole in your pocky but you will not regret it. The most important things to bring over = baselayer (thermals), a fleece lightweight jumper, good woolen or snowboarding socks, gloves, scarf, beanies, an outerwear layer with good breathability, insulation and waterproofing. Here's mine (the North Face Baker Deluxe):
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| Chics you may need a pair of Sorels |
There are probably more things to talk about but it is Chrissy Eve and I wanna eat some chocolate, have a few drinks and chill. I really hope this information helps you guys. I cannot believe nobody has done something like this before considering the amount of peeps that come here every season.
Gimme a yell if you have any questions :-) MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Our beautiful tree with many prezzies!
Love the creative gift wrapping (bin bag wrapping paper)
One of our roommates. This bloke will get you a beer from the fridge or turn the lights off! Nothing like an extra helping hand around the house
One of his better angles hehe
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| Spreading the Christmas cheer! My partner and our housemate decorated this tree on Whistler mountain the other day. It's in between little red run and franz's trail. I wonder if there are still candies on it? |
