Wow, those are great videos mate, I know you reckon the camera makes it seem fast, but mate, I still say that your really moving alright!
What's the story with getting work over there in Whistler, did you arrange that from Aus before you went over?
What's the cash burn rate like if your happy to live a tight arse lifestyle most of the time but do enjoy the odd night out
)) ?
Is there much shared accommodation available near the village or do you have to live out of the village...?
Getting work here is pretty easy, I didn't arrange it before I came over. I just found a job advertised in a retail shop here and applied for it. Getting accommodation is more difficult, but in summer you can just stay in staff housing (ask for Brio rather than Glacier, it's way easier to get to in summer and it's newer/bigger/nicer) which is cheap, 5 mins ride from the gondola, and super convenient. If you want to stay for winter things get trickier. If you do want to be set up before you come over, the best way to do it is to get on the OWH program. Whistler run job fairs in a few Aussie cities in about July each year (usually for winter cos that's why most people come here), you have to apply beforehand to get an interview slot, but from there as long as you convince them you're reliable, honest, friendly and not completely retarded, you should be able to land a job working for Whistler Blackcomb itself. If you can do that you're pretty much set - you get lift passes covered, access to staff housing through winter (not available to the general public), half price food in any resort-owned businesses, staff discount on pretty much everything in any resort-owned businesses, etc etc. Basically it makes your life much more affordable, though you do get paid pretty badly (normally around $10/hr, yes for real). Rate of pay everywhere here is craptacular though.
Cash burn rate - it's not pretty. If you never had to fix your bike, you can do food + rent for about $1000cad per month if you're tight, plus booze/riding expenses on top of that. But you break SO much bike stuff (including stuff you never even imagined you'd break - a guy I know got the TOP half of his chainguide boomerang bent yesterday!), you have to budget for it. Tyres disappear crazy fast, so do brake pads, wheels cop an absolute hammering, seals die like it's the first day of clubbing season, shocks blow up on you, DU bushes go from "brand new" to "completely fucked" on a fortnightly basis, etc etc.
Also, you will probably find yourself drinking all the time once you get here - it's just too easy to do. It's not particularly cheap though.