12 days in the doldrums and some dream spots not kited as a result can be damn hard. But today is Christmas, and my wish comes true: the tail of a cyclone is pushing a lot of wind onto Lake Taupo. It’s blowing from the north-east at a nice 15-30 knots. The only kiteable beach in the wide area is 5 kilometres south of Taupo on the eastern shore.
The beach is full of people. But because of the shape of the bay, it is the only safe launch zone, even for me. Beyond a 200 metre long headland there are only 20 kilometres of open sea with uninhabitable and uninhabited coasts to the east and west. The 13er is far too big, the 9er a little too small in places. Only on the second start do I catch a good gust that takes me away from the beach.
This is followed by almost two hours of kitesurfing bliss. Sun and clouds, crystal-clear blue water, jungle and the mighty Tongariro volcano 20 kilometres to the south. My 9er Crossbow has its premiere today. The 2009 jumps differently to 2008 and 2010, only just before the end do a few jumps work out quite well. But in the end there’s not enough wind for the real big airs. No matter.
In the morning we hiked for 2 hours along the Waikato to Huka Falls. The sun was blazing. The forecast was for lots of rain. On the way back we pass freely accessible hot pools and jump straight in. In the upper pools the water is easily 50°, in the last one before the Waikato it’s still 40°. Just 10 metres further out, the Waikato is only 10° – an extreme change.
I’m pretty exhausted in the evening, but the night is still going to be long and bloody. The travellers are good – we mix with English, Australians and Asians. As always, the remaining 75% of the guests are German. At some point I have to find out why our small country sends more travellers to New Zealand than all the other countries in the world put together.
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.