Am getting excited. Have booked my trip to the Cocos Islands with Zephyr Kite Tours for the 3rd time. Am leaving in 6 weeks and can't wait. Kited in Melbourne Bay yesterday (bay temp was only 12 degrees). I need something better than kiting in the middle of winter.
Cocos Islands is paradise on earth for kitesurfers, especially in August and September due to the reliable tradewinds. I have been there twice before; so, I know what I'm talking about. Consistent winds, warm weather, waist deep warm water, dead flat as well to try all your tricks, white sand and palm trees, etc... what more can we ask for! I have had awesome holidays there, not only becasue of the kiting but also because Jen organises the tours so well. Mike adds a bit of flavour too. This year, Evan joins the Zephyr team as well (Evan is the guy in all those pics kiting with the manta rays ... I was kiting just 10 meters ahead of him when those famous pics were taken). Doing awesome downwinders with mantas, turtles and (very) small cute sharks is really fun and something you won't forget for years to come.
On top of that, you leave all your worries behind. No mobile or blackberry reception; so, no one can harrass you, either work or partner (there is a telecom centre on the island if you can't do without). There is plenty of activity and the booze is tax free. If you want to know more, go to Zephyr's website www.zephyrkitetours.com/
A few pics below to to whet your appetite.
No, this is not a spot for kiting in waves. Most of the kiting is done in the lagoon. Some locals surf on the ocean side but it is not recommended for kiting as the reef is very rocky on that particular ocean side.
the latest issue of kbm has a 4 page spread on COCOS -
It looks awesome I was frothing on the pics of this place plus a great place to take your missus
She can chill or snorkel etc
Oh and there is a good surf wave - I saw footage of the left - it is a bit offshore to kite
But really good to surf -
Why don't you contact them if you want to know more?
www.zephyrkitetours.com/
It would be cheaper to do it yourself, but you would have to organise more.
Do they still try and make you "pay" to use the beach if you don't book through them?
I was hoping Big Did could give an indication of what a trip costs ex: Melbourne including transporting kite gear, etc. It's his third trip so he should know.
The web site has a 14 day trip at $3500. Airfares between Melbourne and Perth are about $500 return. Add in meals and drinks and you're looking at $5-6000+ for a two week holiday. Not bad for an adventure of a lifetime but not a "... so cheap I'll sign up tomorrow ..." deal.
Gorgo, last year and the year before, I was able to do it within $4k. In addition to the tour cost, I paid $70 insurance, $200 flights (I had frequent flyer points to get to Perth, but not to come back), plus expenses locally which from memory was only about $500. This year, the 10-day package costs $3,140, which means all-up, it should cost less than $4.5k. In terms of gear, I took 2 kites, 2 bars, etc. My gear weighed 22 kg last year (i.e. no extra luggage expenses). This year, the trip to Cocos is managed through Virgin and you're entitled to 23 kg baggage allowance plus 5 kg for sporting equipment which is plenty (that's because Richard Branson is a kitesurfer too). As I said, I have been twice and no one has ever complained about the cost. Hope to see you there - it's worth it!
Its bloody expensive, but I struggled to do 14 days much cheaper by organising it myself. The kite tour would have cost over 7k for 2 of us just to get there. Probably 8.5k after 2 weeks of food and drinks.
Found a travel agency company advertising 10 day trip for $1.6k per person which included flights and budget accom. However when I actually asked for a quote it came in at about 3k per person for pretty much anytime during July/August.
Would love to go, but cant justify the cost.
That's pretty comparable in terms of cost to the trip I'm doing to PNG. It's going to cost me about $3500 for 10 days.
Cocos is awesome. Best diving/snorkelling I've ever had, great people, cheaper booze than airport duty free (got addicted to cocktails every night while I was there...).
There are 2 main things I didn't like about Cocos:
1. Basically no where to swim on the main island - it's all too shallow/rocky/coral
2. There are better places to kite on Australian mainland or nearby islands. The main kiting location at the yacht club is full of coral bombies and there is a strong downwind sweep. It's not choppy but def not butter flat either.
If I was coming from Melbourne I'd definitely look at FNQ - spend a few days on islands and then up Cape Trib and Cooktown. Great wind, way more things to do for non-kiters.
There are comparable spots in NW WA but generally less well advertised (thanks WA crew...)
I would be afraid of being eaten by crocodiles on FNQ. I guess you guys would be afraid of white pointers down south but there's something primal about the idea of a f.cking big lizard having you for dinner.
I did a paragliding trip to India in 2008 and that was very cheap for a high level of service. I guess it's not comparable given that India is ... well, India.
There is nothing wrong or sketchy about kiting in Far North Queensland... As long as you never fall.....[}:)]
That's some serious pimping Big Did................
I spent 3 weeks at Cocos with Zephyr last year and had a great time. Its a beautiful place, met a great bunch of people who i kited with all last season back here in WA and i'll go again.
FNQ looks the goods too and is on my list 
What about the Cook Islands, its around the same price, if not a little less and now there are direct flights from Aust.
