Buying my first board!

Chucky’s suggestion is a good one and it’s always good to consider all your options. Here are my thoughts on the Blender vs Feather:

The big difference is the sintered base on the Blender and the extruded base on the Feather. In a nutshell, the sintered base is better/stronger/faster. If you have never ridden before, and you were only doing a few days this season, then the Feather might be a decent option. But, you’re doing a season in Australia and you also want to take it to Canada. A sintered base in deep or heavy powder (Canada) is way better than an extruded base. This alone justifies the price difference to me.

The Blender is a twin while the Feather is directional (board shape). One isn’t “better” than the other but if you want to progress your freestyle skills and get into the park a bit, a twin shape is going to be more versatile as it rides switch better.

As chucky pointed out, the Feather has more forgiving edges and a softer flex. However this can also be a bad thing, depending on your riding level and where you’re riding. In Australia, you’re going to appreciate the added edge hold (grip) you’ll get when riding hardpack or ice, so the Blender wins here. Likewise, the super soft flex can be great when you’re learning to ride, but this also translates into a lack of stability as you get better.

Given your situation, the Blender wins hands down in my opinion. If you have never ridden before, and you were only riding a few days here and there, the Feather would be a great option. However, you already know the basic skills of snowboarding, you are doing a full season, and you want to ride overseas. Definitely step up to the better board, with better performance. The Blender is still going to be super easy and fun to ride, but it will support your progression as you continue to improve.

I missed the part about you doing a full season. As that’s the case, the extra money for the Blender would be well spent, because there’s a chance your riding level will exceed the Feather’s capabilities after a while.