We were actually just looking for a suitable kite spot east of Auckland in the last foothills of the three-day storm. But today, summer has arrived in New Zealand with a vengeance. The sun is blazing, the wind is dying down. Endorphins are dancing in my head, triggered solely by the beauty of this place.
The wild Tasman Sea lies before me. Seagulls circle in the sky, a few anglers stand on rocks in the hard surf. A cool stream meanders across the black lava sand beach of Whatipu, shimmering in the heat. The sun flashes in 1000 crystals. Behind me, the Waikere Ranges with their fern-covered jungle slopes.
The diversity of New Zealand is always incredible. This secluded beach is just 45 minutes from the outskirts of Auckland, a city of millions. A gravel track leads for 20 kilometres through the mountains to the east, you think nothing of it. You arrive at a place that has never been reported. And suddenly nothing else matters.
Food prices have doubled to the German level within five years? Never mind! A beer now costs 6 euros in the pub? Never mind! I’m already tired and exhausted after three days of travelling? Never mind! There’s not enough wind for kiting again? Never mind! Even right-wing radicals ride on the left here? Never mind! All that matters is the moment. Speechless beauty…
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.