hi all
just wondering if any one knows of some spots to kite in the manakau harbour???
ive seen a couple of bays thay look promising from mangere bridge, but havent tried it out yet, as there are lots of power lines and channel markers near buy!!!
if any one could shed some light on the subject i would be most greatful!!!!!

cheers
mike

apparently riddell road works at high tide ish on any west winds, but the carpark can be dodgy if youre worried about your car.
and also launching from the paddocks in the northwest end of ambury park farm on a southwest at mid tide is good too.
I have not done either but heard they work, a few sting rays around but nothing much else to worry about.
cheers

manukau spots are closely gaurded (and you have to belong to a secret klann of kiters and wear speedos under your wetsuit,) in order to kite them.,,,,,, I, of course would know nothing of any spot to kite in the manukau.

There are none.

what if i boought a hot swedish nanny with me!!!! i bet some kite spots would miraculously turn up!!!!

ha ha

my one and only weakness.

however i know of only one person who actually has a swedish nanny and if they asked me i would tell them for free.

unless your real name is Magnus then you must have the only other swedish nanny in the country.

beer will loosen lips as well though.

D

im sure some nice crispy cold kronenberg's could do the trick!!!!

ahhhh my only other weakness, .

K bergs bloody lovely.

mate, i'm in onehunga and it breaks my heart to look out on the harbour through the towering pylons and power lines (aka kite traps) at the white caps and sandbars. more potential than a Swedish nanny school, but it's all about access.

i'll wear nothing under my wetsuit if it gets me some info.

im not sure if this place would be a go, but looking from mangere bridge there are 3 bays and the last point you can see might be promising, at low tide it looks like sand bars.
i was looking on google maps and there seems to be a point just before ambury park that looks like it would get good wind in a SW. im not sure if there is access but it could be worth checking out, and should be well away from all the horrid kite traps!!
im keen to check it out if any one else is keen.

hey wiz
well i had today of work and decided to go for a drive to see what i could find, and long behold i found something good.
not far from those bays i was talking about is a real good spot. it has a grass are to pump on, and would be knee to waist deep FLAT water.
access is no problem, you can drive and park on the grass right by the waters edge, and its miles from any houses so our cars and gear would be safe.
it looks like it would only work at high tide, and im guessing you would need a SW wind, but apart from that its all good, no kite traps for miles!!!!!
its kind of muddy like pt chev, and a couple of small patches of oysters, but nothing major.
i looks like there is no obstructions, and i talked to a local and they reckon the wind is pretty clean- not like pt(gusty) chev.
if your keen to try it next time the conditions are good let me know, because im hanging out to try it now!!!!!

mike

Go careful down that way bud...

If it is where i think it is then this extract from a local website might be of interest!!
<i>
Two artificial shell islands lying off the coast in the area formerly occupied by the oxidation ponds are important roosting sites for waders at high tide including the threatened endemic wrybill and Northern NZ dotterel.</i>

hey mate, thanks for the info, the link hasnt shown up, and i am interested to read what it says. dont want more grief like whats happening up at ruakaka!!!!!
the spot i found today is in ambury park, the park ranger was sweet, she said we can drive down to the water threw the farm land, real nice lady.
where is the spot you are talking about?? im all for keeping the peace!! dropped tooooo many sports in the past from politics!!
cheers mike

it was the ambury park website as far as i can remember. If you spoke to the ranger there though I cant see it being a problem. Maybe stay away from the shell islands though just in case!

May even head over that direction to check it out at some point as chev is a pain in the arse on gear!

hey mike,

i think i can see on google maps the area that you're talking about, inside ambury park where it curves around to face north westish? satellite pic makes it look a bit sandy. lucky for me i get away to ruakaka every couple of weekends so don't get withdrawals too often. keen to go out on the manukau when it's on, it looks so mint some days. apparently end of ihumatao road can be done on high tide as well.

hey wiz
i took a drive down the end of ihumatao road today after work, looks like a primo spot, sandy and no rocks or oysters!!!!
have to try it next time theres wind, looks like it will work S threw to W, but only highish tide.
but for now, i will hope that windguru is telling the truith about this weekend!!!!

hi guys

good to see some keenness for kiting the Manukau - i have often been amazed to see white caps out there while the rest of the city is relatively calm. that harbour is seriously windy!

the shell islands in question are on the south-western side of the peninsular (you can see them clearly on google's sattelite pictures) so no worries there if sticking to the northern side. would probably need to walk accross the paddocks though as vehicle access looked pretty marginal when i had a look the other day.

or what about the boat ramp just around the corner though - has anyone tried kiting from there? easy access, good rigging, all-tides, and once you were out a bit it looks like the wind would be very clean in a west or south-westerly.

i'm keen to go and have a look at both spots next time the wind blows. any other takers?

cheers
Roger

ambury goes off! watch out for the sheep when you launch your kite, and the rays, and volcanic rocks, and hidden oysters, and random steel poles, but what do you expect its the manukau harbor

just checked out windfinder, forecast is for a reasonable W or SW. high tides at 6am on saturday and about 7.20am on sunday. i 'm pretty sure Ihumatao Rd is a high tide spot only, not sure about ambury? i'm keen to give it a crack this weekend if the wind comes in.

I'LL TAKE YOU TO MY SECRET SPOT THIS WEEKEND BRO ITS A SW 20 KNOTS YOU'LL LOVE IT IF YOU LIKE ambury. BUT ITS MY SERCET AND ILL HAVE TO BLIND FOLD YOU AND SWEAR YOU TO SLINCE OTH. COMING FROM A SURFING BACK GROUND IM PRON TO ADVENTURING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THERE IS ONLY 3 PEOPLE IN OUR KITE GROUP THAT NO OF THIS SPOT AND WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY NOT BEING SELFISH BUT IT TOOK US AGES TO FIND IT AND DONT WANT TO FIGHT FOR KITE ROOM LIKE AT PT CHEV. I'LL TEXT YOU TOMO WITH THE PLAN BUD

021 650356

hey wiz
ooohhh the secret spot ay!!!!!!
where gonna try my spot on sunday aswell if you keen??

Yep, I'm keen for that.

Hey Mike - i am keen to give Ambury a go on Saturday or Sunday arvo so i might see you guys there. i went down to have a look today and i think i found the place you are talking about. i parked at the end of Kiwi Esplanade then walked about 5 minutes west accross the paddocks. probably the best place to get in is at the end of the little penninsular that sticks out towards the north west. i was there 2 hours after low tide and it was do-able, but waiting till mid-tide would be better. getting to the water looks a little tricky but oh-so worth it once you are in. and how is that mint looking sand bar!! looks perfect for jumping...

i also had a look at Ihumatao Rd and Renton Rd while i was there. extremely clean wind but would need to be almost full tide and i was a bit concerned about the rocks etc that would be hiding just under the surface waiting for an unsuspecting fin to bust off. really not comfortable about the car parks though. fully dodgy.

I might cruise over and check out ambury on the weekend too as im just round the corner, im thinking the northwest corner, launch in the paddock, go and slide over the sting rays behind the sand bar.
even if you have a kitemare you just drift down to the bridge and get hooked by a fisherman ! sweet

what tide we taliking about, outgoing to complement the westerly?

i went out this morning to check a few places out. parked at the end of kiwi esplanade and walked around the ambury coastal walkway. plenty of room to rig and launch on the grass avoiding the sheep, a few rocks around but not too bad, wouldn't want to hang around close to the shore though. i would think a high to mid tide would be okay. had a look at the boat ramp at the end of kiwi espanade. plenty of room as well but tide would have to be mid to high as well, looks pretty rocky close in. there's another big boat ramp a couple of bays back towards the old bridge as well. that has potential, more inner harbour but plenty of water and good for the SW to W.

went and parked at ambury park carpark as well and walked SW down the coastal walkway. plenty of open space again on the grass, a few rocks but I would want to do it on a high to mid tide. water goes out a long way. i didn't walk west from the carpark to the sandy patch that google maps shows, that looks alright if they don't mind people walking through there. saw a kiter out there, looked like they had come from green bay or thereabouts on the other side.

anyway, seriously considering going back to one of those spots tomorrow morning. probably early to get the high and outgoing tide. anyone keen as well?

hey lads, just interested to hear if any of you went to any of the spots we have been talking about over the weekend???
i went out to the west coast, it was kick ass!!!!!!!

i could only do the morning so parked at the end of kiwi esp and walked to a pretty good spot in ambury to lauch from but decided against it. was just a bit too much especially in the gusts for a self launch & land with the 13m. i'll go back there again though, or one of the boat ramp areas.

Someone was out this afternoon but I only saw them landing so no idea if any good. Sounds like similar spot to where wiz was. Maybe he'll log on soon and give a report (if so - no I wasn't going to steal your baby buggy )

hey wiz
you dont need to park at kiwi esp, i spoke to the park ranger and there fine with us going through the paddocks, they even said we can drive through them down to the water, might need a 4wheel drive in winter!!!
im keen to try it next weekend if its westerly, if your keen, one of the other guys will be coming to, we just had a different spot to we had to try this weekend!!!
how flat was the water at high tide??

that sounds good, i like that kind of ranger. the spot i was sizing up was actually closer to the kiwi esp end i think. it was about an hour after high when i arrived and wasn't quite gusting up as much as later but the water looked awesome, only a little more than a ripple. think i'm heading up to ruakaka next weekend, unless plans change. keen to catch up with you guys though.

hey guys

i went out at Ambury yesterday arvo and it was bloody fantastic. it was about mid-tide and there was plenty of water and it was nice and flat due to the massive low-lying sand bank just upwind. the wind was a WSW and very clean, and i'd say it would be even cleaner if just a straight SW. i launched at the north-western most point of the peninsular, just SW of the big white triangle pipeline markers. there is plenty of room to set up either on the sand or on the grass.

i think this spot has a lot of potential. it is certainly windier than the Waitemata - i know this because i went to Ambury straight from Point Chev which was almost still yet Ambury was a steady 15-20 knots. the only down-sides are needing to walk there (unless like Mike says you have a 4x4) plus you need to walk accross a short section of oysters and mud to get to the water. otherwise it is all good!!

hey roger
thanks for the feedback on the spot, it makes me even more eager to get out there and try it!!!
it looks good how its a pretty big area, so even if a few people went out it wouldnt be to bad!!!
have to get a couple of us out there next time theres a SW!!!!
onto another subject- went down to pt chev on saturday and it was gusting up to 35, wathced a guy pump up a 12m and go out!!! needless to say he got pumbled!!! not really that stoked to see people trying to kite like that, so im all for finding lots of spots that arnt to crowded, i deffinately dont want to be at a spot and have to call an ambulance when someone gets hammered, ive geiven up several sports in the past from idiots ruining it for everyone else. heres hoping we dont see to much of that in the future.....
but im glad ambury good!!!!!!

i went out that day! i saw that guy he was a newby he was on a 12m co2 black tip 2006 c kite he had his lines tangled and was a mess 3 of us held him down when he was trying to land his kite I was on a 10m blade vertigo and was lit and i've been riding for years and wouldnt put up a 12m. It was a good day crusing around with lance untill i got cocky and messes up a trick and tangled my line cutting it short any hoooo wind looks good for next week bro lets shoot it up i need to perfect some unhooked tricks and going to try and hold on to the kite through the f16

Hey Toy Boy - I was one of the others holding that guy down and was out on the Naish. Was talking to that guy afterwards and he has picked up the kite on trademe for $180 and reckoned it was a good deal. Despite him being quite scared I still couldnt convince him a lesson might be in order. He reckoned it would be ok if he was in the water next time.

There was also another new guy out there too that did no more than rig up, launch and quit.

Hey - was it you that clipped a fin on the shell bar and stuffed it? If so I was close to running out there as from the shore it looked like a bit of a nasty one and the kite looked like it inverted?

I have kited Ambury park quite a few times, usually just launching from the reserve by the boat ramp. In this part of the estuary the wind direction has gotta be just right and its not a place for beginners, but has awesome flat water and best of all, no one is there !! Its nice to have company there so anyone want to kite drop me a line, 021938426, but I don't think this spot will get too crowded as it can be quite challenging, and it you screw it up you get flushed to Manukau heads.

Having said that there are kite spots all over Manukau, google it and go for a drive.

Woohooo

epyscs wrote:


Hahahaha yep that was me lol i landed on the shell bar at one stage jumping it was all good done it a few times before nothing major.

And the last one was i hit a huge gusty patch going full speed over the oysters and the kite buckled and twisted and inverted and its was gobbidee goopy yuk yuk lol that was my fault i under inflated it but pulled the safty and had it all under control

yeah 180 isnt bad for that kite but more the fact when it was launched he flew may pay just to get a saftey lesson off dean at pt chev board store

hey sammy/toyboy
im real kean to get out, but i still dont have my board back, it turns out underground arnt very good at sorting out boards when they break, its been 3 weeks now!!!!
at least i can ride the old beast, shit foot pads and all!!!!!
we should head back to the elsecret spot!!!! i have friday of work, or saturday? you keen?

hmm could be tempted will see how my shoulder goes i dislocated it and tore my rotor cuff yest at shoal bay attempting an s bend it went rather wrong hahahaha didnt get any hieght and plowed in to the water lol was a laugh and good fun

So secret spot is it i shall brake out the deep heat and see you there 21 knots north east sure you want to go back there and not south head ???

ah yes the exalted da Man Harbour. Us eastsiders have been kiting that place since early 2003. i know of 4 spots that do kick ass on that eastern fringe. Ihumateo Rd, Ambury Park, Stonefields and Renton Rd.

hey mark
just wonsering where stonefeilds is??
i have checked out the other 3 you mentioned and they are all good.
cheers
mike

stonefields is on the little tip just to da SE of Puketu island on da mainland... a tidal channel exists between the island and da mainland with a venturi effect of da wind as well... the wind is freakin steady and can be done when nuking or thermal (15-20 etc)... works at high tide till 1/4 tide... best when going out if you want that current helpin ya out... its a pretty safe spot... just a bit hard to get to.... the classic manukau harbour access... barb wire fences, electric fences, cows, sheep etc etc

i found a spot up by te atutu might be good on easterleys i only found it by chance after chasing a pukeco around with misses dog lol its at the end of luck reserve prob best to water launch but any one kited there before ?

Easterlies? where abouts is this spot? I know of cornwallis which works in easterlies but thats out by the heads... but that would kick ass in an easterly though. wouldn't mind hookin up a sesh there sometime if others are keen.

i know most of the spots that i've kited at are at the eastern side of the MH but by the heads there are some good spots too.... and they are quite safe. Kited Huia b4 which is great... gets the SW sea breeze really good, shallow and WARM water in the summer. high tide mostly but other spots nearby at low tide work good.

there is of course Kaitarakihi which is rumoured to be akls windiest beach but its prob one of the most dangerous too lol...

oh ok i see where you mean... not in da manukau but opposite meola reef? yeah i've seen that spot b4 and it looks wicked... but access?

wouldn't mind giving te atatu a crack one of these days. no high tide easterly spots out my way apart from Duders... and i think thats a dodgy spot due to those dotterels that hang out there?

So in short i'm keen on te atatu one of these days... also for a cornwallis mish...preferably when its NUKIN easterly

i could see my 7m ozone doin da deed there woop woop