Following a course (work related) this week past in Whangarei, I decided to stay on for an extra day and try out the sailing scene at Ruakaka. I was desperate to get a sail in on my new board, which hasn't touched the water yet, as conditions haven't been great for sailing in Auckland. I managed to sail on Friday off Karoro Road at One Tree Point. Had an awesome time sailing all by myself until the wind dropped off in the late afternoon. I would highly recommend this area to anybody looking for a sail when the wind is no-good elsewhere. They have a spot for every wind direction within a few km's apart. Just make sure to stick to the rules for each spot as they are having a tough time with people trying to get the kiters banned. Accomodation can be cheap. I stayed at Uretiti campsite, a DOC campsite, which only costed me $7 per night. The following link shows all the spots and the rules for the area:

www.ruakakakitesports.co.nz/Ruakaka_riding_guide.pdf

Don't forget to visit the local kiteboarding shop too.