Advanced skiers from all around the world come to Wanaka every ski season for the thrill, rush and heart pumping exhilaration of free-skiing the Southern Alps and Mount Aspiring National Park in Wanaka, located in the South Island of New Zealand.

What is Heli-Skiing?

Heli-skiing is off-trail; back country, downhill skiing that is accessed by a helicopter, not a ski lift or snow mobile. It represents freedom and exhilarating adventure for skiers and boarders. There are no crowds or lines like at a ski resort, but rather untouched pristine natural snow and long steep runs. Wanaka’s Mount Aspiring National Park and the Southern Lakes mountainous terrain offers an assortment of open bowls and valleys to steep chutes and faces.

Powder skis are recommended for maximum enjoyment while free skiing. Clothing requirements are similar to ski resorts: layered clothing suitable for sub-zero temperatures, goggles, hat, ski gloves, and neck warmers.

Why is Heli-Skiing Recommended for Intermediate /Advanced Skiers?

This style of skiing requires skiers to be able to manage all types of terrain such as long descents; natural terrain contours and features, and also be able to get down the hill in all possible snow conditions. Snow conditions can range from powder or corn snow, to the most difficult of snow such as breakable wind crust. Heli-ski operators will source out the best high altitude adventure runs and dry powder snow for you to test your snow skills. Advanced skiers and boarders can get between 6-8 runs as part of a package deal, specifically catered to their skill set level and personal goals.

The major risk and primary safety concern of heli-skiing operators is the danger of avalanches. All reputable heli-ski operations will employ guides and pilots who are professionally trained and well experienced in evaluating snow conditions, snow stability, and risk management. Many operators will equip you with shovels, probes and Avalanche Transceiver and show you how to operate it.

If you’re a confident skier and have planned on visiting Wanaka this ski season why not try a heli-ski? A few tourism operators that you may be interested to check out include Backcountry Helicopters NZ and Southern Lakes Heliski. Experience the magic for yourself this winter.

Volunteering opportunities can be found everywhere you look so why travel abroad? Culture, adventure, excitement… need more reasons? Read on…

If we’re honest we can’t think of many reasons not to volunteer abroad, but then we’ve read all the volunteer stories and seen what a great experience everyone has had! There aren’t too many things that are fun and worthwhile and fewer still take you to some of the world’s best locations. As hard as it is, we’ve narrowed down the list of reasons to volunteer abroad to a top 5. If we’ve missed off your top reason for slinging on a backpack then let us know!

There are plenty of worthwhile things to get involved in without going abroad to do it, but why not do both? Our hope is that volunteering abroad will give you a real taste for it and that you’ll continue in the same vein once you return home. While it’s true that volunteering is something that can be done at home, it is also true that the wider world is the battleground for the biggest issues in the fight to stop climate change , protect traditional communities and increase social development .

1. Make a difference to people
If you’ve watched many Hollywood films you’ll be familiar with the basic story; traditional culture is swept aside by big business and erected in its place are huge constructions better equipped to shake the last few lira from the tourist’s pocket. Unfortunately it’s not just fiction, but a very real problem for countries around the world. Helping to create sustainable tourism by taking part in volunteering projects helps make international travel work for tourists and locals. Volunteering abroad is your chance to get to the heart of a quintessential problem of the modern world; how can somewhere survive economically without losing its traditional way of life?

2. Make a difference to the environment
There are people around the world living in poverty that we can’t possibly imagine and places of extraordinary natural beauty in real need of volunteers. It’s a real irony that the areas of the world that attract the most visitors are normally those least equipped to deal with them. The world’s most beautifully lush places are mostly found thriving in the tropical heat of developing countries which lack the infrastructure to either protect them or survive without the tourist industry. Add to that the fact that the most diverse and stunning eco-systems are often the most fragile and you have a recipe for disaster. All of these reasons make it essential that more of us donate our time and effort to helping the most vulnerable places around the world.

3. Personal development
Traveling is not just great fun; it’s also the best way of developing personal skills (unless you’d rather tackle assault courses on a company bonding weekend!) Managing difference, dealing with new places and overcoming the inevitable twangs of homesickness will furnish you with the confidence to tackle most things in your life. How difficult can a new job be when you’ve helped build houses in the monsoon or taught a classroom of noisy children?

4. Get recharged
They say a change is as good as a holiday, but why not do both! There’s nothing like doing something entirely different to put the spring back in your step. Whether it’s the clean fresh air, the excitement of traveling independently or the inspiration you get from making a real difference in people’s lives, we find that people who go traveling return with even more enthusiasm for their lives at home.

5. Make friends and have fun
Volunteering abroad is a great way to make friends because it brings together people with the same interests and places them in a situation where teamwork is essential. Whatever the nationality or age of the people you meet, the chances are you will have plenty in common; they will be people who care about the world, want to do something positive with their lives and enjoy traveling. One of best surprises volunteers get is just what good friends they make while they are away and so many of them tell us that they’ve kept in touch long after they returned home. Make a good impression on volunteers from around the world and you may even get some free holidays!