depends on how many days u wanna get skiing. once you add up flights etc new zealand will get expensive. and there is not really accomadation on the hills, u gotta get expensive buses from queenstown or wanaka.
As for perisher stay at the station in jindy. its actually quite cheap as far as hotels go. Before i had contacts in jindy i stayed there and it was 650 which included everything including lift 5.5 day lift pass. that was in peak season. otherwise there is snowy mountain backpackers.
Perisher is sometimes realy annoying as all teh weekend warriors go there and u get the stereotypical boarders that really dont want skiers in the park as a result alot of the top guys and pros ride at thredbo