Hey, can anyone advise me on the wind strength on Lake Dunstan , Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wanaka at this time of year, living in WA and are heading home for a holiday and really only want to cart one or two kites with me.
Cheers

I've seen Dunstan fully out of control windy, like you'd new a 3m2 kite. Don't know ho usual that is I've only driven past on the way to QT. Wakatipu is usually all or nothing. If it's Nor West at GY then small small small but you can get mellow SW over at the Jardines side of the lake too. No idea on Wanka, other than the locals don't kite there they got to the nearby lake whoose name I forget but it starts with an H. Hawea?

Chris

Yep it is Hawera. I pollboarded on Lake Dunstan a bit before I moved to chch and started kiting. Id have to say Richie that of the places Ive been Lake Dunstan would be one of the most inconsistant and unpredictable places for wind. Like chrisb said it can really blow down there when it wants to. But most days the wind is up and down and you just end up getting pissed off.

Yep Wakatipu is all or nothing. Wouldnt know much about Wanaka. Hawea would be my pick for any of the Lakes around there. Im sure Ive seen some kiters from Wanaka in this forum before..... hopefully some of those boys will get back to ya. What about the dunners crew too, you boys must have ventured inland for some central otago wind aye??

Where ya originally from Richie?

Peace

I'm actually from Cromwell but haven't lived there since 1996 . I do remember that sometimes it use to honk down there when we use to go water skiing . Lake Hawera sounds good , forgot it existed.
Not looking forward to icy cold water...

Hey Richie
Cromwell is well placed for kiting, with four major lakes within an hour.

Wakatipu is the best, caters to most wind directions.

NW - go to Glenorchy if its mellow....had a lot of good days there cruising on a 12m, and a lot hanging off an 8m. world class flatwater speeding. If it gets too ballistic retreat downvalley to the 25 mile point which works in a wider range of wind angle, around to westerly, best spot for this wind as it comes out of the Dart valley across the lake.

Or if it's true NW Lake Hawea is clean with a long fetch for big lake swell.

SW - go to the one mile roundabout just on the edge of QT... very public, watch out for the Earnslaw, the captain is cool but they were getting a bit tweaked and looking at banning the spot years ago.
Don't be fooled by false SW wind there, it can look primo but it's a low level valley sucker wind if the clouds are cranking NW or W over the top, can suddenly have waterspouts as company. I got hammered one evening in 99/00 snapped lines and had a long cold swim and some old biddy up the hill must have rang the police too as seen in my stomp vid.

If it's really persuasive true SW as in cranking, go to the shallows at the end of Frankton arm, warmer blue shallows, but I think now the airport got tweaked and you have to ring them to ask each time you want to ride there.

S - If it's sunny anticyclonic (or Southerly frontal) Jardines sucks in a 25-30 knot 'seabreeze' as the locals call it. Very consistant spot, has been riden 25 days in a month in summers gone by.

N - Dunstan half way along the west bank where it's grassy.

that would be Lowburn I think. I reckon I would stay well away from any spots in the Cromwell Gorge.

Wanaka locals tend to go to Dublin Bay which is out past the lake outlet. I kited there twice and was seriously powered (unusual that is!)

Wanaka Main Beach is suspect and onshore gusty most of the time.

Glendhu Bay on Wanaka is usually average to unsailable. But maybe doable with a boat.

Makarora can be great in light S apparently.

Windy Point (by Makarora) in a S or NW

Or Hawea but I've never sailed there but the locals do a lot.

Craig

most of us locals have a 12 and something smaller 8/10 there are a few good spots on both lake wanaka and hawea but it cna be over the top sometimes I tried to rig my 9.3 today but it was so windy I couldn't even turn it over after blowing it up anyway hope to see you around here also 1.5 hrs drive from wanaka is lake aviemore great thermals when there is no wind in wanaka but you may need 16 to really have fun just depends on the day