I'm headed to Christchurch for the week before Christmas and Bluff/Invercargill for the week after Christmas and am wondering whether to take my Kite gear?
I like flat water locations and am Beginner/intermediate.
I was bought up in Bluff before I moved to Melbourne to take an Aussie's job. But I have never kited over there.
Does anyone know where people kite in Christchurch / Southland? especially flat water spots. I see Kamikuza mentioned Christchurch estuary in a similar post. Is it a popular spot?
Cheers
AussieDave.
Yep, that's the main one AFAIK. Depends on tide and wind direction, but is reliably good when it's on. Nice park, shower and a field to set up in. Even a crapper.
I asked about Lake Ellesmere last time, and was told it was polluted badly -- but then they had a comp there....? Dunno.
Any beach on the Brighton side will do fine. Waves usually aren't big enough to be an issue, and there's flat water between them 
North a bit, there's another estuary that's kiteable but the launch is a bit hairy. Massive waves over the other side of the spit too. I'd have to look at the maps to figure it out.
Most people kite in the Christchurch estuary, it's a nice flatwater spot. It is also a bit windier there than off the coast. NE sea breeze is predominant.
Southland is really windy, lots of 30+ knot westerlies. Oreti Beach is open, onshore wind. I have kited a bit at Colac Bay, which is cross shore and the waves can be big.
My home town is Oamaru and there are some really good kite spots down that way but almost no local kiters.
Drove down to Dunedin last year, spotted some nice beaches on the way... Oreti and Colac are a bit far though!
It's looking like I have left it too late to get an affordable rental car with a roof rack so either the kite gear or the kids might have to stay home. I like to use Apex because they hire Subaru Legacy (almost identical to my outback). But they don't have roof rails. WTF don't they rent cars to people who snow ski?
Go rentals do roof racks, but there are no cars available in the size I want.
Not sure I am going to get out enough to warrant trying to carry my own roof rails in the overhead locker.
Select to expand quoteKiwiDave said..
It's looking like I have left it too late to get an affordable rental car with a roof rack so either the kite gear or the kids might have to stay home. I like to use Apex because they hire Subaru Legacy (almost identical to my outback). But they don't have roof rails. WTF don't they rent cars to people who snow ski?
Go rentals do roof racks, but there are no cars available in the size I want.
Not sure I am going to get out enough to warrant trying to carry my own roof rails in the overhead locker.
How much luggage will you have?!
