Best Resort to Work and Live At

NZ has much better skiing and snow than australia but doesnt have any true on snow resorts but has some great ski towns. You would probably need to buy a car for sure.

Wanaka is definetally your best option. Treble Cone has great terrain and usually good snow but is expensive for ski passes but worth the money and Wanaka is an great town.

Queenstown is worth a look also but a little soulless and touristy but lots more work available.

The best skiing is in the Cantabury club feilds (Broken River, Craigieburn, Temple basin). These are seriouslty backward and underdeveloped which is part of their beauty. but the only work is about 6 jobs on the hill.

Australia isnt worth writing off completely. Jindabyne is the main ski town with Thredbo and Perisher Blue near by.

So living and working in thredbo and travelling to NZ sounds like it might be the best option

Thredbo can be a pretty nice village and is right at the base of the hill.
it can get very icy though. Is as good as anywhere when the snow is on, but doesnt happen that often unfortunately.
I think you would find it very hard to get time off working at thredbo for a trip to NZ in August.

My first choice would be Wanaka NZ, there is heaps to do and see when not skiing. and often great skiing.

Hmmm... interesting thread... I'm toying with spending next "summer" in the southern hemisphere. For quality of skiing, I'd be in South America...but I want to sort break-even on the deal (instruct, guide, tech, whatever) so Aus and NZ would offer better money (I think).