Hey,
Bit off topic but i am heading to NZ for 10 days in early july to Wanaka, probs hitting up cardrona or snowpark as im travelling with my family i was just wondering if anyone else will be in wanaka from teh 3rd to the 12th july??
Pete
Would be nice place to be on the piste shreding on a snowboard, not to late to book.
.
hey mark,
thanks for the tips!!
I think i will be mostly going to cardrona but might give treble cone a go as well! i have only snowboarded 3 days b4 in NZ in 2007, i loved it, have bought all my own stuff!
also will be my first time back on any board since my knee reconstruction in november last year!!
SHould be fun
Hey Pete,
I'm heading over the Wanaka first week in August to have a crack at snowkiting at Snow Park.
Hope the knee holds up
Ian
..
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I second treble cone - my favourite mountain, cardona is more family tho as its just one big unbroken slope - not many fast wee gullys. I'm going in August.
Snow kiting sounds sik, let me know how u go. Can u use a normal kite - say DNA 9...
Paraglidings pretty big there too - lots of thermals:)
G'day Mark,
I'm taking a 7m Airush Flow '07. It has a great wind range and heaps of de power.
I've never snow board / snow kited before, should be a rush.
We are staying in Chritchurch for a few days before heading down south. Hope the geat some snowboarding done around there first.
I'm told some farmers around the Methven area let you snowkite if there's snow. Bring it on.
Ian
Hey,
Im looking to go last week of August/first week of September with a mate from the UK. Im looking to get a crew together as its always more fun kiting/snowboarding/drink/talking **** with others. If your keen give me a bell
Pete, not shore when but your cousin Brad is heading over that way as well, he has all his snowboard gear from living in switzerland, he may be able to help you out. He is working in Adelaide but flys home on weekends. Jamie.
.. YEEEEEOOOOW!!!!!!!!!
I'm over here scoping the place out now. Floating around Wanaka and Queenstown right now after spending a few months checking out the rest of the islands. They say around here that the snow in May doesn't stay, but it seems some of the fields are opening early this year.. so maybe they think it will stay. Hopefully I can stay long enough to get some snow kiting in. Anyone else hoping for an early start?
Ash
recon-mission-nz.blogspot.com
Hey Jimbo,
Haha didnt know brad was into the snowboarding! yeah might get onto him and see what his movements are, i just got a heap of new 09 burton gear!
I live in adelaide now too, so yeah might see him round!
I was also thinking about taking a kite over aswell, but dont know as im with my family
and would be doing it by myself, mabe hotham when i get back with mates,
Hey Jimbo,
Haha didnt know brad was into the snowboarding! yeah might get onto him and see what his movements are, i just got a heap of new 09 burton gear!
I live in adelaide now too, so yeah might see him round!
I was also thinking about taking a kite over aswell, but dont know as im with my family
and would be doing it by myself, mabe hotham when i get back with mates,
Definitely check out Treble cone, a little more expensive than the others but the nicest most challenging terrain of most the big commercial fields round there. Lucky B#stard.
woohoo .. well I got my first snow kite in. Jon from Boarder Patrol phoned me after I was asking the guys at Alta for some info. Went out to Snow Farm for the day. Near ideal conditions to start out with. A good intro to kiting in NZ.
full story.. recon-mission-nz.blogspot.com/
Hey Crash , I had also had my first snow kite experience last year with Jon at Boarder Patrol and had a blast will definately book again this year can't wait , would highly recommend it gives a whole new dimension to kiting & snow
Wont be in Queenstown till 1st week in September tho so i have a bit of a wait.
SHEESH I'm hanging out to hit the snow.
yeah... for those on the east coast of Australia, its so easy to get there too. I can't figure out why more don't come here.
Mark, yeah a tiring one too. The fitness was a bit under tuned too, as I haven't kited in the several months I've been away. I can safely say everyone was knackered, and only three of us were there until sunset.
No pass was needed at Snow Farm for kiting. Just a $15 honesty style entry fee when the season starts. Not sure when that is exactly. The page at snowfarmnz.com gives a more elaborate listing of the prices, but I can't see what category we were in though.
It seemed to me that my 6m and 8m Flysurfers (which tend to be similar to 7/8m and 9/10m tubes) is what I was thinking. Jon thought the Ozone 10m Manta open cell foil was a good kite to go with if you only had one (so that's probably the best advice). The day started with what I reckon was 12-15 knots and dropped off to nothing over the 7 hours we were there. I started on the 6m (especially while just getting a feel for it) and then up to the 10m. I think overall you need less "pull" on the snow. Going up hill didn't seem to require much force either (I'm 84kg). Jon got home on the 10m and I could barely feel any wind.
By the way, the wind was surprisingly smooth and apparently any wind direction is good at Snowfarm. Cardrona works on SW apparently, but more info in the links above (see the "drift" one for very specific info). Southerly is the prevailing wind direction.
Jon might be able to offer more specific info. At the moment, my local knowledge of the wind around here isn't too good and it seems to be hard getting good forecasts. Either its really hard to predict here or its just aweful forecasts. Last two days were meant to be rain, but both were clear skies. Snow forecast for next two days.. we'll see!
I'm hoping I can stay for the winter season, and get a lot more done around here... like another similar sport.. paragliding.. time will tell. The landscape around here is truly amazing - you'll like it - snow kiting or not!
Ash
recon-mission-nz.blogspot.com/
Hey Ash i would agree with you on peeps not going to NZ, the people are friendly, it's not that expensive to get there especially if you get onto those early bird specials. Lots of stuff to do whether it be extreme or not! Then the MOUNTAINS, absolutely awesome!! SOWBOARD SNOWBOARD SNOWBOARD or if your into skiing is some of the best in the world. I have been going every year since 2001 for snowboarding & cant wait to get back!!.
Thanks for the info on the kites you used Ash, looks like the 8m is booked in & confirmed.
When ever i go there i always see paragliders in Queenstown launching off next to the gondola or on the way up to Remarkables ski field. Looks scary the way those dudes launch them selves off the side of a mountain, big balls i suppose!! good luck with that matey.
So i can get in contact with Jon though Alta about hooking up for a snow kite sesh?
If you are still around the Queenstown or Wanaka area maybe we can hook up for a snow kite or snowboard sesh then beers?
Have fun dude!
Mark
Snowfarm only charge you $15 which basically covers the road I think. Remember, this does NOT cover getting rescued. Snowfarm extends a looong way in both directions and it's easy to cover a large distance in a short period when the wind is good. It's just as easy to find yourself stranded if the wind dies or if you break something.
I might be stating the obvious, but it's not like the Australian fields where the padded people come and get you/bollock when you head off the beaten track. If there's a group of you, do a headcount every now and then, and keep an eye on the weather.
Also it pays to check with snowfarm before you go if they'll let you on (most of the time it's fine) but they do other things there, like filming for car adverts etc, (happens more often than you might think) and it's a long drive up there to be told you can't go out because they're testing or filming or something.
Treble Cone is widely considered the best non club field in the area for snowboarding/skiing. Snowpark (on the road up to snowfarm) is entertaining too but mainly for those sitting on the picnic tables at the base of the field, watching people break themselves on the terrain park above. It's like ten years of edited JackAss highlights, all in an afternoon! A note for daredevils - they won't take the ambulance down the hill half empty, so if you're the first in the ambulance, you have to wait for another victim to join you before you get off the mountain. This normally takes about five minutes.
Mark,
You can get in contact with Jon at snowkitesurf.com, kiteforum.co.nz or "WS" on this forum. You could go to Alta also, as I think there's some kind of new relationship going on there with some of the guys there are keen to add a kite to their snowboarding. At the very least, if you don't have a snowboard and boots, I'd head in there for a rental - it was also the best rate in town (they do everything that's snow related). So far they are the only spot where a shop knew anything at all, and they are a great bunch to deal with. See Jamie or Dave.
And yes, send me a note when you're over here. As Kiter789 confirms, this isn't something you want to be doing on your own. I'm planning on being around Wanaka, although the paragliding starter is at Queenstown.. so far that's not been happening due to not enough wind in the right direction for it... choices choices...
Ash
Thanks Ash.
I have all the go gear for snowboarding & snow kiting.
I will be looking to hook up with Jon or anyone who is keen to go snow kiting as a group as it fun & safer! Or snowboarding if no wind.
So yeah i will pm you with contact details where & when i will be staying in Queenstown.
Hope to catch up..
Cheers matey have FUN.
Mark.
In New Zealand at the moment, no low level snow yet, pretty much only Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt are open in the south at the moment have been up to Mt Hutt a couple of times, it was the 1st to open on the 30th May.
It's been pretty cold so really icey up there and not the best conditions off trail.
It looks like most other fields will open from the 20th June onwards.
Heading down to Snow farm this wkend for some kiting so hopefully the wind is on!!
Friggen cold here though..........................
I'm all booked to spend a couple of weeks down around the Queenstown in August. Drop me a line if your keen to hook up.
