OK, we're coming to CHCH to do some house shopping and we'll be bringing kite gear (kites and landboard for now) too so we can check out the beach and maybe meet some peeps.

We'll probably only be there mon-fri so looking for an afternoon/evening meet up with anybody interested in saying hi and having a chat (and maybe a drink if there is a good pub nearby). Give us a day and we'll fit stuff around it, of course we do have a bunch to do so it might only be one day, then I'll post if we are going for a random fly

Where's the best bit of beach to go? Right now middle of marine parade looks good enough but if there's a better spot say so!

Of course we'll be moving in a few weeks so I'm sure I'll get to meet anybody who reads this at some point.

Let me know

-Martin

(p.s. also posted at extremekites.com.au in the meets section)

Hey Martin i'm keen to meet up with you i'll PM you my mobile. I am on hols all week so anytime is good for me. Now for the the beach we usally meet at the North brighton surf club on marine Parade which is to the north of the peir thats when its a good NE that is. So flick me a txt and we can tee up a meet.

Hey Martin PM sent

Awesome! Ill be around and heading to the beach whenever the wind allows.

The beach is absolutly massive and so is marine parade. Come to north beach its the best (more because thats where we all kite from) so thats the happening place for land. But we cruise down to the pier and back.... so no biggie if you set up somewhere else (we will track you down )

Let us know when you arrive and if you give richard (skypirate) a text ill just get him to text me when hes going out...

cool, we'll probably head for the pier and go from there.
today bummed me out so bad, went from next to no wind to 30+ and massive gusts, really bad stuff.

Hopefully I can get some actual riding on the board before I come down there or you''ll get to see my first actual ride with it!

I got a sweet water sesh in today after umming and arring all day about the wind... was the best yet as well.

What a way to see out the old year. Tomorrow will be a sweet day too hopefully to welcome the new year!!

Bleh, with all the letting agents shut, we might not be able to get there next week, we'll try but not so sure. Week after should be good though, fingers crossed and we'll keep in touch

OK, defo next week now, probably monday on wards we'll be there.
Then we'll be back in time for the Nelson kite fest, yay

Awesome, hopefully the wind will get better by then lately its been just crap. Fingers crossed it will be all good and we will see you next week.

worst part is it's looking like I'll be living on the opposite side of town to where I'll be training/working eventually.

What's cross town traffic like outside rush hour?
I my even have to rely on busses etc which are pretty good there at least

Get a motorbike or even a scooter....best means of transport through the city at rush hour.

Its not normally too bad but it can be frustrating at times normally best to travel before the rush and afterwards just live next to the beach then you can wash away the frustration with a relaxing kite each day...

That's the thing, living near the beach would mean I have to go clear across town to get to this place

It's not a huge worry though, we'll probably end up in the middle somewhere and be real close to the beach anyway, but I got like 6months before I can get my restricted yet...

Hey Martin i wrok in Yaldhurst and live at the beach so i have to cross town every day and its not that bad its about 30mins from North Brighton to Yaldhurst thats at rush hour it can be as little as 20mins on a good day. though this route isn't through the city centre which i try to avoid unless I need to go there that is.

But Chch is fairly small and traffic is quiet light in comparison to the cities in the UK usely its 20mins at most from one side of the city to the other that excluding Sumner as it can take that long just to get out of sumner somedays. Don't really know what the buses are like as i hardly use them and they can't get me to work from here easily.

Where abouts will you be working?

i work in riccarton, live in brighton. cycle 99% of time but when i do drive i notice that during rush hour things can get pretty jammed up.

but rush hour lasts from like 5.00 till 5.25... leave work outside of these hours and you just sail home

In actuality I'll be training at CCEL then teaching there if all goes well, in Ilam, but not till juneish.
I will also be working at a leisure centre of some description as a lifeguard and teacher once I get my NZ equivalents sorted out and that will be as far as I'm willing to cycle.

Well chchs biggest leisure center is QEII stadium and that is like 5mins from north beach by bike.... little more to Brighton. You will be fine anywhere in town.

You wont be worried really whereever you end up living, its not as bad as it seems. I live 20mins from the beach and that can take 30 at rush hour. Everything rolls pretty well... You could also take the longboard approach like Blizzad and I, they are an awesome means of transport too but not good if you have alot of stuff to carry.

Cio

I've been itching for one for years, but the places I've lived have too many hills with crossroads making them death traps or just really bad sidewalk that's unskatable.
It might be something I get eventually, after al the furniture we gotta buy