We go to university from March to November. Then get 3-4 months off over Spring-Summer seeing as it's both semester break plus Christmas and New Year's break combined. Enough time to get a job and work or go for a few months overseas; kiwis love travelling.

Spent last year's summer in some back-end Australian town boxing fruit and working in wineries in balmy 40 degree weather (err, that'd be 104 degrees in your crazy measurements). Wouldn't mind that kind of weather right about now.