Summer is the time to chill out, and like these youngsters, there may be no better place to escape the heat of Hong Kong than taking to the snow at Perisher down under during their winter.
While many international schools take groups of students to Europe or North America to ski and snowboard, Australia offers a closer alternative nearer our time zone. Ski schools in Snowy Mountains resorts of New South Wales and Victoria play host to thousands of local school parties and can take overseas groups.
'Students can do so much in one location and at one time,' says Don McInnes, director of the ski and snowboard school at Perisher Blue, New South Wales. On the slopes they can learn a sport to enjoy for life, test their courage and benefit from socialising in a group. Perisher has a number of instructors with specialist language teaching skills, so students can also brush up on their English.
Ski and snowboard courses for students range from two-hour daily to all-day programmes running over five days.