And a working holiday isn't a working holiday without getting a job as a minimum wage paid "Liftie" or getting a more prestigious job as a Level 1 Snowboarding/Ski instructor. (I am one of the exceptions to the rule - I did my working holiday in Vancouver rather than Whistler years ago). Bu be prepared accommodation in Whistler is limited and often basic - you go to Whistler to work for the lifestyle not to fund your travels hence the perks of a seasons pass in lieu of above award wages.
Everyone knows about Whistler but be warned what happens in Whistler stays in Whistler! To read instead of Welcome to Whistler - "The Australian Ski Capital of The World!" it read Welcome to Whistler - "The STD Ski Capital of the World!" would be a futuristic public relations nightmare.
Whistler has changed remarkably over the past 18 years I have been staying there. What was once 2 separate mountains owned by 2 separate organisations is now 1. Whistler Blackcomb was hailed from a former rubbish dump site. Since the Winter Olympics in 2010 hosted in Whistler Blackcomb, there has been an expansion of its lift system to include the Peak to Peak Gondola, expansion of its runs on the mountains and installation of an outdoor/indoor ice skating rink near the Olympic Plaza in the village. Whistler has become unfortunately what can only be described as "overly commercial" ie expensive however quite an achievement for a former rubbish dump site. I can only ask the question "How much more expensive can a lift ticket get?"
Whistler may have been voted #1 North American Ski Resort time and time again but you notice I mentioned # 1 North American Ski Resort NOT #1 Canadian Ski Resort - that's because literally the Americans own it not the Canadians.
Whistler Blackcomb is a year round resort and during the Winter season offers many other activities apart from downhill skiing and snowboarding. There used to be a list of 100 things to do in Whistler and I have probably done most of them. Each year more activities and events are added. Following are just a few of the activities and events I have participated in or attended:
1. Snowshoeing/Cross Country Skiing (Classic and Skate) around Lost Lake. Tip - don't ask a local how far it is to the Lake especially if they tell you it's just around the corner"! (See photo attached)
2. Ice Skating at the indoor/outdoor ice skating rink in Whistler Village. It's free if you have your own skates but relatively cheap if you have to hire them.
3. Zip Treking - there are now 3 different Zip lines across Whistler Blackcomb Mountains - Bear, Eagle and the new addition Mammoth . Each one higher then the other. There is also a day to night Zip Trek tour. All tours have an Eco/Sustainability emphasis. Alternatively there is a a tree trek tour if you are a little scared of heights or do not satify the age , height or weight restrictions.
4. The Film Movement - usually run once a month on a Thursday night at Whistler library, foreign film unseen anywhere else are screened and is free admission.
5. Tubing - take the gondola from Whistler Village on Blackcomb Mt to mid station and walk to the tube park for some tubing fun . Tip : if it's your first time ensure to tell the tube operator at the top not to spin you in the tube down the mountain!
6. Bald Eagle Tour - this an eco tour outside of Whistler. Let the mini bus pick you up and drop you off from your village accommodation for a day trip to spot bald eagles at Brakendale near Sqarmish. Visit lookout points you would normally not stop at for photo opportunities along the Sea to Sky Highway. Visit a salmon hatchery. Spot other wildlife along the way.
7. See a movie at The Village 8 Cinema in Whistler Village. Latest movies usually screening.
8. Visit Alpine Meadows Sports Centre. Before I bought my timeshare and before the indoor/outdoor ice skating rink in the village was built I used to take public transit and go ice skating and use the pool and hot tub facilities there. The centre has also has a gym and squash courts.
9. Visit Whistler Museum and aWhistler Library. The current site of Whistler Museum was the original site of Whistler Library. There is a small admission fee to visit the musuem. If you are after good free wifi then Whistler library is the place to go. Join the library and read a book.
10. Shopping and dinning out. Shopping in Whistler is not all about wintersports gear and clothing although there are plenty of stores catering for this around. Whistler also has 2 Rexall pharmacies or as the North Americans call them "Drug Stores" and a Shoppers Drugmart; an IGA supermarket and a Whistler Grocery Store; several chain stores such as GAP, Lole, Helli Hansen, The Bodyshop, Rogers (the telecommunications store) and
( - not to be confused with) Rogers Chocolates, Lush; fast food chains such as McDonalds and KFC as well as Starbucks x 2, Blenz, bottleshops (very important - most ski resorts will have a bottleshop even if there is no supermarket) - Whistler has at least 2 - BC Liquor and the bottle store next to the Whistler Grocery Store and this is not including shopping at Creekside (where the plebs stay) and The Benchlands ( where the posh stay). Dining out there are plenty of concessions , bars, clubs, cafes and resturants to choose from - examples ARAXI, BLACKS, MONGOLIAN GRILL, THE SPEGETTI VILLAGE, GARFUNKLES, that burito place in Marketplace Village North and that $4 cheap meals place that's always packed on the corner near Main Street? and Earles on Top I think it is or it could be a Milestones.
11. Celebrate Australia Day in Whistler. Australia Day celebrations in Whistler are bigger in Whistler than back home in Australia. People line up in the snow for hours just to get into the famous LONGHORN SALOON. Fosters (that's not even an Australian beer! Who drinks that anymore?) , XXXX, Coopers, Victoria Bitter, flags aound the neck, flannel shirts, shorts, trackie daks, UGG boots, thongs, Akubras, t-shirts, temporary face paint, tattooed flags, lip and nose zinc etc . I've seen it all - Cricket in the snow, Australia's Top 40 played even the rumour of someone changing the "Welcome to Whister" sign to read "Welcome to Australia" and random breath testing on the slopes and people wasted staggering around Whistler Village the day before Australia Day!
12. Indoor rock climbing - unsure if this activity still exists but there were several indoor climbing walls inside the old Rainbow Theatre which was the original cinema before The Village 8 arrived.
13. Watch the weekly fireworks after the Fire and Ice Show in the village on Sunday nights.
14. Take a bus any bus outside of Whistler Village to explore Creekside Village (unless you acvidently take a wrong run and end up skiing down there) , The Benchlands, Alpine Meadows and Emerald Estate, Chekamus (oops unsure how to spell this) and even Function Junction.
The list of things to do and places to see are endless.
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