Hello there,

My name is Ben and me and my girlfriend Caroline are coming to New Zealand at the end of september for a year under a working holiday visa. I have been kiting for 6 years now and eager to discover all those spots you have! We are planning to base ourself in Wellington at the moment. Is it a good location regarding beaches?
What location do you recommand for starting kiting? My girlfriend is just standing on the board and (i hope :wink: ) got the virus for kitesurfing. Any where handy around Wellington?

I am loking forward to discover all those beaches and meet the kiting comunity who by the look of the forum sounds good!

Thanks,
Ben & Caroline

I will leave Wellington to someone from Wellington. But this will help you...

Talking for the North Island NZ - kiting beaches are the exact opposite to hangout beaches like Tarifa or Cabarete. There are so many good beaches and the wind changes so frequently (direction and strength) that you really need to be on the ball with the forecast (tide is very important too - lower tide usually means more beach). (see 'is it on' on www.nzkiter.com for weather links ). You could not do better than to becoming nomadic road trippers living out of a Van or whatever. Not even the forecasters know what is going to happen here quite often. My pick has been www.buoyweather.com 9/10 metservice.co.nz 5.5/10




I read on a UK forum about some poor rider from the UK who came for 2 weeks and got one kite session - and yet nearly every day he got somewhere someone said you should have been here yesterday it was going off - I think the above info is why.

NJOI

Hi Ben

Check out the Location guide at:
www.kitesurfers.co.nz/

The site hasn't been updated in years but most of the info is accurate.'

Get in touch closer to the time and i'll sort you out with some contacts.

Thank for the info,
We have the same preoblem here in Ireland, on the main dublin spot you have a sw 9 knt forecast (shitty gusty cross off!!!!) and a clean south east 20 knt turn up from nowhere... I suppose you have those seabreeze effects as well.
Ill be in touch closer to the arrival day
thank again
Ben