Snowkite at Snowfarm

Last night I get an unexpected call from Jon from Boarder Patrol. He says that Jamie from Alta's passed on my message asking if he gets anyone in the store asking about snowkiting to contact me. I'd known that Jon runs the camps, lessons etc at Snowfarm, although I thought that this wasnt happening until July at the earliest, and certainly didn't know that he has base around here a well.

So, next morning I head back into Alta to see Jamie (who sets me up on a twintip snowboard to suit my style and grab a snug set of boots too) and also meet with Dave (a ski instructor) who also works at Alta.

Dave, is very experienced on the snowboard, but hasn't used the kite before, so he's up for kite lessons, and I get to hitch a ride with him out to our rendezvous point at Crown Range, where Jon takes us up the mountain (via Cardrona) to Snow Farm which is about 2/3 the way to Wanaka from Queenstown.

We also meet up with Elijah (another snowboarder looking to attach a kite for the first time), Richard and Jenny who have some experience kiting on the water and are also both paragliders and have done a fair bit of snow skiing.

Richard gets going first. He's picked up a kite from Ozone (that now have a head office in Raglan) as he's been doing some software development for them. Meanwhile Eli and Dave get the basics on using the training kite with Jon.

Wind and weather is near on perfect for having a first go on the snow. I estimate the wind for the first few hours was 12-15 knots. I get started on a 6m Ozone, which I'm wrapped about as this is practically identical to the Flysurfers I use on the water. However, one thing that is clearly different is the steering lines connect together to form a "brake line" which reverse lands the kite with one hand. It also has a safety release on the front lines which collapses the kite so that it falls straight down. I tried this once and it worked beautifully and even better was that is was easy to put back together, even while wearing gloves.

The kite was extraordinarily simple to launch. The standard procedure is to do a hot launch. I was expecting to get launched in the air like a catapult, but the control on the brake line allows you to control the power very easy, and this was a cinch.

I strap in the snowboard, with the kite flying - that's a bit of a challenge. What's needed here is one of those step in and/or quick release systems.

It hasn't snowed here for about a week, so the top layer of snow is a bit icy/slippery, but workable even for me, who has never snowboarded before. It will be nice to do this on some fresh powder. Fortunately, snow is forecast in the next few days, so maybe I'll give it another go then.

I find this quite easy, and kite up and down the small hill area. I forgot the kite was there - it behaved exactly as I wanted it. All I had do was get used to using a snowboard. The most difficult part was dealing with some new muscles in the leg and back, requiring some frequent rest breaks. In the end most of us are at it for 7 hours, as we stick it out 'til the very last bit of light at around 6pm. For the last few hours the wind had dropped down to about 3-5 knots and I was struggling to get going, but Jon manages to save himself a gruelling hike back to the car (mainly because Dave and I were just totally worn out), by kiting downwind. A nice reminder to let someone know where you're going because tramping through knee deep snow up and down hills for a few hundred metres will wear you out in no time. Imagine if you were 10 or 20 kms out with equipment failure and you didn't know which way it was back to base as well.


The video above is Jon showing me that it is possible to do some kiting in virtually no wind conditions on the 10m Manta Ozone!

So here's the summary of what I found out to get going before the season formally starts:

Check kiteforum.co.nz (Jon has started this one up to help pool together the knowledge)
If you're in Queenstown, see the guys at Alta for a good deal for boots and board.
If you want an intro to the area and you forgot your kites and harness, contact Jon at Boarder Patrol.
If you're heading there with your own wheels, Wanaka is closest, and you'll have no problem finding Snowfarm (it's right near Cardrona).
If you can't find some wheels, they run shuttles there daily from Wanaka. See Snowfarm (contact us -> getting here) for full details.
When the season starts make sure you check-in at Snowfarm and let them know you're there (and pay your $15).

Nevis 134m Bungy

"Nevis?" the driver calls out. There's that kiwi accent again. One UK potential jumper is quick off the mark and realises the play on words - "yeah - a little bit.... nervous".

We're all hanging about watching the promo vids in town awaiting the bus to take us out to the Nevis High wire which is about 40 minutes in the Wanaka direction.

It's a perfect day, and I've shelled out the $240 (the scariest part by a slim margin) to leap into the abyss of the canyons outside of town. I've done a few skydives solo so I'm thinking this shouldn't be too much of a task, and realistically only do it because this has got to be one of the best places around to do one and its the biggest one in NZ and is up on the short list of the biggest around the world. There's a nice wind up to tension all the way out there. The driver is kind of funny/scary looking and makes use of all the jokes you could think of on the way out there. "We've not hurt anyone... yet". The last kilometre of the drive out to the canyon is right in line with the risk here, being a one lane gravel travel that edges along the side of an abyss on its own. We get to the top, and I'm first to get into the harness. I'm all ok with everything just so long as the harness stitching is intact. Some of us venture off to the viewing platform that looks across to the launch pad which hangs out in the middle like a cable car, and some might even think that catching the cable car out there is an experience in itself. The cable car that travels out the wire is a nice lead up to the jump too.

The first of us (about 4 at a time) dock onto the station out the middle and we get our leg harnesses put on. A quick wrap of what really doesn't seem enough to be considered safe (they're going to wrap something else on there also?), but in fact that's it.. I'm going to launch off this thing with a wrap of nylon and velcro around my ankles?

ok.. so it's launch time. I'm not first, but not far off it. You sit in what feels as comfy as a lounge recliner as the jump crew attach the bungy cord to my feet. I'm watching him as he feeds it through, and adds, "but you don't really know if I'm doing it right though do you?". About 30 seconds later, I'm up. I waddle as best I can with my ankles strapped together to get a first real look into the abyss below. There's the usual moment, where you think.. frick that's a long way down, and I'm tied on... right? and then with the reasurring count down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... off I go.

Initially it's like .. ok it's like jumping off something tall... but then the speed develops, and you kind of want to wail your arms as if to think I'm going to steady or direct my fall in some way ... and like the initial jump out of a plane, it just keeps on going. This would have to be the best part of a tall bungy.. the way you just keep on going and going, hurtling towards the ground which really will make a mess without something to pull me up.. I try to catch it all in.. try to make sure I'm checking out the surroundings, but realistically the feeling of the accelerating fall really is the focus.

When the bungy kicks in to break your fall, you can hardly feel it. It's a real gradual pull, but nonetheless reassuring to know it was attached. I've heard others say that the dangling down the bottom is very disconcerting but maybe due to the length of the stretch of the bungy cord, it was actually a very easy and soft dangle around, so much so that it was near impossible to tell if I was on the upward or downward bounce. Just before jumping out, I was reminded that I should pull one of the lines when I get down the bottom, which releases the foot line, so that you hang upright (rather than hang upside down like a bat while they hoist you back up again). I quickly scan some of the ropes that are around, with the brief thought of.. pull the wrong one, releases everything maybe? but I pull the cord at the right moment and I swing around upright. That seems really good, but heh.. I'm still hanging by a thread in the middle of a canyon. Lets assume the hoist works right, because it's still a long way down from here.

Dart River Jet at Glenorchy

Weather is looking good for just about anything except paragliding, so it's time to decide which of the jet boats to try out. Everyone looking for a thrill does the Shotover, but its a short run of only 25min, and I'm looking for something to make better use of the day, so I have a look at the 3 hour version on the Dart River in the nearby town of Glenorchy which is about 30min away. The Shotover is more a stunt ride which runs close to the canyon walls while the Dart River ride is more of scenic run through a lot of shallows.

Royce, our jetboat driver takes us upstream about 35km at full throttle from the town of Glenorchy through the shallow river to a point where you couldn't travel much further even by kayak.

Sun returns to Queenstown

After some short periods of snow in town, today and the rest of the week is looking better to get out and about again. The sun around here never really seems to rise very far. We are of course on the 45th line of latitude (halfway point between equator and the south pole), so midday looks a lot like 9-10am in the morning, and is exaggerated even more with the town surrounded by steep mountains. Top Left is looking out from Southern Laughter towards the mountain where the gondola goes up yesterday while it's snowing. The remaining pictures are from close by around the lake today.

Ben Lomond.. well part way

It was one of those days where the weather forecast was contradictory, and after another nice breakfast down at Thai Siam, I met Ken back at Southern Laughter and suggested we go climb the mountain out the back. It looks a bit dodgy outside, but we make the call and off we go to the DOC for further information. They tell us we should be able to make it to the "saddle", but maybe no further. It's already midday, so we realise that we're pressed for time, so that's fine, we'll just go as far as we can. We head on over to where the gondola normally runs up (closed t'til June 7th) the slope to the Ledge Bungy, Luge and Skyline Restaurant part way up, and take the steepish track up. Eventually it changes into a 4WD track which is an easy walk up.


No big task here, and we arrive at the top at about the same time that the weather starts to clear and a small bunch of sight seeing tourists arrive with the bungy company just to have a look at the snow covered bungy ledge in action. Seeing as they aren't going, I offer to jump for them if they allow a free one, but instead the operator of the bungy goes for a running jump instead.



We settle for making it up this far, but while discussing with the bungy operators, they say the track up to the Ben Lomond peak is just around the corner, and say it would only take about 2 hours, but maybe not in this weather. So off we trot. They shout out, "we'll read about you in the paper!"


The track starts out going out via the top of the Luge with a light dusting of the forest in snow, and gradually gets thicker and thicker. As we leave the forest behind, we hear what sounds like sheep... sheep up here? No... mountain goats it seems.





The weather is staying good, and now every step is deep in snow and in parts up to knee level. Ken's not too keen as he's wearing jeans so he's now wet and cold. Realistically, we didn't expect to see snow this thick so soon. Maybe up towards the peak, but not near the "saddle".



As it turns out, the cloud starts to return up at our altitude, and the snow starts falling. Looking at the GPS, it seems we're not far away from where the track splits into the Moonlight track and the continuation up to Ben Lomond peak (1748m) which is what we understand is the beginning of the saddle, so as expected we'll have to leave the full track for another day.

Skifields Road Trip

Seeing as the weather isn't looking too great for the adventure activities, the Stray Bus guys decide to rent a car to see where all the ski fields are. Mareks and I also come along which makes five of us squeezed into the Nissan Sunny.





With some trepidation, Nick (yellow) drives Ken, me, Mareks, Richard and the car all the way up to the Coronet Peak ski field. Fortunately, the road is good all the way to the top, with only the actual carpark being too slippery to venture onto without snow chains. Interestingly, it seems this is the ski field which opens up first which is apparently 6th June.



We cruise on over to the North towards Wanaka to see Cardrona and Snow farm, but the access roads are closed, but at least we now know where they are. The road out there is a nice drive and we grab these shots through the Crown Range.

Ken, Nick & Mareks (Richard wondered off to make yellow snow)





And thanks to Nick for the artistic shot of the tree.


See Yakers for good snow kite spots around NZ.

Te Anau and Milford

The next day, we squeeze into our pregnant rollerskate (apparently the real car that was booked got stuffed up by Jucy) so onward we go via Te Anau (that's said like Tee Ah Now) to Milford. Weather is good - a little bit cloudy, as we drive by the snow covered farms. Driving is interesting, with one of our drivers showing us that the zig zag feel of tightly winding road can be experienced on nearly straight ones (rest assured the neck muscles will be in good shape for the shotover jet boat that I hope to do soon and doing the Nevis Bungy will seem like a past time for fairies). We're initally advised that we should take chains for the tyres, but the hire car company ran out of those too. It didn't matter in the end, as by the time we got to Milford we're lucky with the weather, and got to see some amazing scenery enroute but missed the 1:30pm boat by a whisker due to some sightseeing on the way. Instead, we check out the only evidence of civilsation in the area - the Blue Duck Cafe for a few hours where I get a snap shot of our passenger Helen and our drivers - the dynamic duo Sarah & Sarah.

The boat cruise is great. Not too surprising as the scenery here is world famous, but still great to see and as they say, no tour of NZ is complete without a trip to Milford Sound.



It's getting near sunset, so we head back to Te Anau to stay at the YHA there. I don't normally like the YHA's, but I do like this one, and if I can find 4-5 days of clear weather here again and a foot that is up to the task I'd easily stay here again while doing some tramping in this area.

Some shots above from Te Anau and the last one is out the back of the YHA.

Queenstown Quickee

The weather in fiordland is looking hopeful for the next few days so I catch the Magic bus onto Queenstown to hopefully get on over to Milford Sound before it closes back in again. Even better, the long range forecast suggests that some of those sunny day activities might be looking good for Monday/Tuesday of the following week.

While I'm down at one of the tourist offices in Queenstown, I get the low down on the best day to get transport over to Te Anau and the cruise through Milford Sound and out to the Tasman. It seems I've got everything sorted, and just as I'm about to hand out the plastic to pay for it, two evesdroppers ask me if I'd like to share a ride with them instead. My trusty tourist advisor behind the counter advised me that I should do that, so what more can I say.

Wintry Wanaka

Although not officially winter here just yet, the temperatures are. Yesterdays max at 8 C and overnight min at -1 C with tomorrow snow expected down to 300m (and apparently Wanaka is at 300m above MSL) with temperatures 2 C max and 0 C min.

A very nice place to take it easy and check out the bike trails around the lake. Picture below is the outlet river from Lake Wanaka along the eastern trail. Most striking along the paths is the architecture of the homes around here. There are hardly any standard type legoland homes around here, with nearly all the buildings from the last 20 years clearly under the direction of architects.

The outlook from the kitchen of the very accomodating style of Matterhorn during the afternoon (with the snow tipped mountains a few kms away) and the other from the next level up at dusk. Nice and quiet here with even less people than earlier in the week. Apparently May is low season for here, being midway between summer and ski season. Tracey (who is running the show here) noted also that the incorrect values published on their website(overpriced) for staying here probably isn't helping things either! Naturally a few quick tips on remedying that one and getting IAC to remove the rate limiting due to a cap being reached.


Despite being cold, its mostly sunny skies with a lot of cumulus floating on by slowly in the still conditions. It seems the routine here is that the cloud builds up and the breezes kick in the afternoon and then rains overnight.

Continuing on to stay at Matterhorn South until the fronts pass over NZ and then do some paragliding with the thermals. In the meantime Tracey has offered her car so I can go and check out the surrounding area here. I'll probably take her up on that offer and find out where the ski fields are for when they open next month. Then if I can see a few days straight of clear skies head on down to Queenstown and Milford Sound for a quick peek.

Wanaka Wonderland

Wanaka doesn't seem to be a place where too many other visitors have heard about, so most continue on the bus, despite the jaw dropping drive in via the Hawea and Wanaka lakes. It seems it also makes it into Time's top ten Dream Destinations. Grand ice covered mountains shooting out of these big lakes its easy to see how this is one of the main adventure capitals of NZ (although apparently an unknown one). The town buildings are all quite new with very pleasing architecture, with construction mostly of the wood and stone type. Everything here has an ultra fresh feel and super tidy and clean like the air.



On the way in I sit up front near our driver Cameron. It turns out this is his favourite town. He's a bit of an adventure man himself it seems. It turns out he had his paraglider packed in the bus too!

It looks expensive here and it probably is. Front page news story lists Wanaka as the 2nd most expensive place to live in NZ. That seemed to be confirmed when I went looking for a bike. Where I might normally go and pick up something quite basic from a department store for around $70, the cheapest I could find here was $900. Fortunately after checking myself out of Purple Cow because the internet was of the $6/hr variety, I checked into Matterhorn where I can use IAC (they have hotspots at most backpackers, motels, resorts etc) on their $40/mth system. Here, the relief manager sold me one of his bikes for $50 (around here it costs $20/half day to rent one - you can rent a car for that!) Matterhorn seems good. It's one of those smaller house type backpackers where there's only about 6-7 people here and $20/night. Purple Cow was very ritzy, but just a bit too big for my liking... well and the internet was going to run me broke and it didn't work on wireless anyway and I think its called Purple Cow after the receptionist.. not sure if it's part of the act there (it was certainly consistent).. but I think if there was a quiz on why the place is called Purple Cow, I reckon she'd rank high on the list.

I haven't decided yet if I'll stay here until winter or just scope out the place for a week while the weather isn't looking too flash for the best part of a week. That will suit me fine while my toe fixes itself up.

The picture above the map of South Island is how it looks from Purple Cow. It's not quite that close to the lake shore, but the picture came out better with a quick walk across the open grass area in front of it.

By the way.. the best naming convention I've heard yet of renaming the islands instead of south and north is to rename them Hundreds and Thousands because of the relatively fewer numbers that live in the south island. Not sure if it will make it into any official maps though.

Here's an overview video from Lake Wanaka Tourism