I’m from Queenstown, and have worked seasons on a couple of other big NZ fields- Hutt and Whakapapa.
There’s no comparison with Scottish skiing- the main commercial fields are far larger, both in terms of lift capacities and piste/off piste, and the seasons are longer and pretty much 100% reliable.
Oz is more like Scotland imo. 🙂
If you’re thinking of doing a season it’ll probably be bloody good fun if you pick the right area, and do your skiing no end of good, but there are a few pitfalls.
If you’re only going to NZ for a few weeks, then it’s not worthwhile spending time and money for field skiing- my rationale is pretty much along the lines of if it’s not worth getting a season pass, it’s not worth doing.
Having said that, the heliskiing is world class from Queenstown and Methven/Hutt, albeit bloody expensive now with the exchange rate.
If it were me I would however spend the money on skiing the Tasman Glacier- cheaper than a days heliskiing and one of the most memorable days on skis I’ve ever had.