Finding people to ride with is very easy, depends where you go, but you'll be hanging around Pleney and Super Morzine for the first few days, almost everyone is friendly, or English. They love the Aussie's so it'll be easy to get hooked up.
As the other chap mentioned, a big bike is better. Spend a bit of time there and you'd end up switching to all mountain to access the limitless terrain there, but big DH bike at first for sure, there's enough to keep you hungry for years!
Make friends with a bike shop, you'll need access to parts, and they don't come too cheaply! There are afew good ones in Les Gets Morzine but fairly limited in stock. To be honest I haven't been back in summer there for over 6 years, though before that I spent 6 years living in Les Gets, so I can only imagine the setup is getting better. Le Boomerang in Les Gets used to have good relationship with Ride-on, which was being re-kindled now JM, the former owner has bought it back, they had the best selection back in the day, and very good mechanics.
Chatel seem to be getting on with it, Les Gets falling behind a little, and Morzine just going trough the motions as far a trail building goes/maintenance but Morzine is the most central, and has the most going on. You'll find an apartment there easily enough, but it wouldn't hurt to put your name out there to share something? If you want to work, PM me, i have quite afew old friends out there who may want a dishy, cook, bartender, mechanic, tiler, painter, carpenter, even guide depending on what your good at/qualified for and willing to do. Visa can be an issue though.
It was always a very friendly spot, with a killer scene, if get out there, you'll fall into the right things soon enough.
