hi all my name is matt im looking into emigrating to new zealand, just finding out were the best beaches are, is there any kind of kite buggy racing going on in new zealand. i race pkd centuries and have a tornado buggy.

anyone know of any construction jobs im a self employed joiner.

matt

Hey Matt some good beach up in Auckland and a great beach in Christchurch are probably the main centres i.e. the most buggiers and landboarders in one place. But there are guys all over NZ some on ther own others in small groups i.e. Nelson, Dunedin, Southland, Wellington, Palmerston North and Northland. Though in saying that there is only a small number of guys that buggy here in total nothing on the scale of Britain and Europe. And considering This is the home of kite buggying there is a surprising low number of buggiers here!!! I think thats partly due to the increased popularity of kite surfing. Though don't let this put you off coming to NZ. So not much racing here though Perrin and the guys in Auckland where trying to get some going last summer and i feel if there is enough interest this may change.

I am also an Expat scotsman moved here 5 years ago form London were i was working. Also work in the joinery business as a kitchen assembler if you can check out the press.co.nz for jobs in Christchurch and seek.co.nz for nationwide jobs though there is a bit of a slow down in the industry at the mo and in chch some joinery firms are laying guys off. Also try contacting the joinery firms direct either by phone or email as a lot of jobs go by word of mouth. This is because firms in NZ don't have to advertise there jobs by law like the UK.

I hope this helps let us know how you get on and if find yourself in Chch Pm me on here or on racekites(if windjammer is your handle on there to that is) Also if you need any help/advice email me i will PM you my email.

Richard(Skypirate)

auckland has about 7 buggies meetintg regularly and we can kite year round with west coast and east coast only 40 minutes apart, 30 mins away is a 45km long beach and at the top of that beach are large sand hills , ala sand yetti territory. There are a few of us making our own buggies. On the job front Auckland has 1/3 of the population of NZ and work is slow on building right now, but construction is still strong with a good few larger projects going up in the main centres. if you end up in auckland you will be most welcome to join our racing as it happens. We have dropped some flags in the sand a few times now, but nothing like the clip boards and stop watches etc, we also have no rules

Hi there,
I'm a pom that emigrated out here about 7 years ago, best move I ever made, don't regret a single second of it.
Your in for a bit of a shock as far as kiting goes, nothing like the UK, no bans or restricted flying zones here (yet)!!. In fact if your not in one of the main centres like myself it can be a struggle to find anyone else that kites at all.
However, that for me is a blessing in disguise, I can pretty much kite anywhere I like and don't have to worry about a thing. Even the locals are friendly....No chav's....lol
Seriously tho, Kiwi's are very welcoming and are always willing to help you out provided you fit the mould.

well what can i say, thanks for the replys everyone, im off to a expo in october to find out about jobs in new zealand.

been to the beach today had a go at doing kite 360 they are well fun,if i come out id be happy to set up some kind of race series for all the buggiers out there.

this is what our races look like, im k877

www.goodwinds.org/temp/2008_08_09/

www.goodwinds.org/temp/2008_08_10/

i haven't been to chch yet but i here theres a crew down there. not sure if they buggy race.

nelson has some real nice beachs.
the kapiti coast has beach for close to 100km (can't do it all in one run as theres rivers)

auckland has it pretty good because its a 40min drive from one side of the island to the other. you can pretty much guarantee if theres wind you can find a beach to buggy/board on.

mind you a pack of 1000 angry wilderbeast couldn't drag me to auckland to live.... but thats just me.

its a good think Paul and i have been slowly building the herd to 1001 then, phew ! i thought we had lost you for a min..

our beaches are long and narrow in general , much higher gradient than the one in the photos matt

hehe... remember they have to be angry. well fed docile wilderbeast won't cut the mustard

abit of a thread hijack here.

but since theres no buggy racing rules i'm gona race you on my board with the my new speedy manta. and if you do manage to pass me (i'll be swerving eratically) i'll pelt you with grapefruit as you go past.

hahaha.

Well this is all news to me Matt, and I'm shocked to hear this news. I for one will be very sad to see you leave these shores

Matt happens to be one of the nicest guys out there involved in buggying, a big guy, and a true gentleman who will do anything to help anyone. If he does make this move you guys are in for a treat. I have had many many happy hours buggying with Matt....what ever you choose to do mate, I wish you every success.

Matt

Come to CHCH, we go silly and jump stuff!

But seriously, the biggest and most impressive wipeouts happen in CHCH. :twisted:

[quote="Blizzad"]Come to CHCH, we go silly and jump stuff!

yeah....sheep!!!.....lol

although it wasnt the perfect pitch to matt southies matt , Christchurch has a good lot o buggy people and KGB too, wind needs to blow particular ways to make chch good but there is a good crew there. Apart from all the aucklanders for buggy riding and racing us lot are a bit better off with a beach within 1 hour to suit any wind direction , but to be fair most wind is NE (4km long hard sand beach 35mins) SW 45 km long 45mins beach and countless more (one 90 km long 2.5hrs ) and our fair share of sand hills. as far as i know we have the only yaks in NZ so far and will have 5-6 racing buggies by christmass , most of us have 2-4 buggies ea . one for small beaches and jumping, one for dunes, one sand racer XX and usually an old buggy if it hasnt been sold

no centuries so far or combats that i know of but i dont know everything , heheh

Hello Matt
I thought you had less hair than in your photo...lol
So also thinkin about a move down under...We nearly there..just waiting to sell 2 houses and then we off I cant wait to be powered up up on a new beach..
Perhaps we could start a new kite buggy race series....
Or even the Kite Buggy World Championships..
I am very sure there would be a few interest folk from Europe that would love on Race in New Zealand..
Good winds
Nick

I will out-jump anyone in a buggy, any day of the week.

pic7.piczo.com/Popeyethewelder/?g=44377916&cr=7

jumping on the link above from the auckland crew.. yes its real

post up a pic or two of your efforts Blizzard , preferably send to popeye for the nz page ! See you at the moose ?!

Im pretty sure that was a great contribution to the thread.

But in competition i would take you on only i have to pay alot to fix my buggy if i break it so it doesnt go as crazy when i do it....

what about today?

(in the zero wind that there is out there )

That's unfair, I need at least 20 knots. Anything less is just "cruising wind."

Shaner, how did your boards come out? I've made 4 or 5 now. :twisted: It's an obsession.

Cheers, Will

i cant believe my ears.
you cant race boards against buggies in a kite buggy race,plummet, its just wrong.
you have to have a buggy to go in buggy races.thats why they call it kite buggy racing....next we will have the rollerbladers in drag races with us down murawai an have to take them to hospital when they cant hold the apparent an end up in the dunes an it will all be your fault.
whats the world coming to.

e latest one is a 500km 12hour attempt. up the moose back , up back up , dune riding, then back up back up back up back then hoon around until high tide. easy if you say it fast. Boarders welcome for the long hauls, maybe not so good for the course racing though

hi matt,

when were you looking at coming to nz ? I have a buggy bags seat in mind but currently the freight doubles the price which is a shame, as you know Jon i was wondering if you could drop a seat in your container ?!

haha.
i say those roller bladers can join in too. it'l be like old skool bathhurst where all makes and models of cars raced each other.....
madness i say.

ps i'm hoping the wind swings from 10 knots to 25 in the fang down muriwai beach. you guys will be changing kites kite like theres no tomorrow i'll be zinging along on the manta sweeet as.


sorry more thread hi-jacking. come to nz. you may miss the racing but yourl love the massive long beaches and the lack of people getting in the way.

Hey matt, I JUST got here from the UK.

You wouldn't regret the move provided you like life a bit more chilled out.

Hope to see you round maybe

-Martin

hi martin,

getting a bit fed up with england at the moment bought myself a book on emigrating today,my parents are currently touring new zealand i got a postcard this morning of them in a shotover jet boat, it looks wicked. the only thing keeping me in england is so i can compete for a place in the british kite buggy team other than that id move over.

i have made friends with a female mountain biker in dunedin,if i did venture over id like to bring my tornado buggy and full set of yakuzas

matt

I can say this from having lived here a while now.

It's good.

Weather has been a bit iffy last week or so, but other than that it's been sweet as. People here tend to be nicer, it's a hell of a lot cheaper to live in general and you get much nicer beaches with no restrictions for sure.

But it is a huge thing to up and move round the world so you're wise to consider it, took me around a year to get everything sorted out about it.

Try a working holiday and go from there