Kitesurfing on the Southern Lakes

Forget Queenstown for kiting! Completely overcrowded beach, almost never enough wind. One boat after the other. And the more remote boardwalks: thick trees every 10 metres and nice big rocks everywhere on a 5-metre-wide launch zone. I’m really pissed off that someone seriously gave me the “tip” to come kitesurfing here. Then I hire a car.

I drive 45 kilometres north along the adjacent Lake Wakatipu. There are more and more white chops on the lake. Wind!!! I’m coming!!! The end of the lake is reached in Glenorchy. Isengart used to be here, and the Routeburn Track still starts here. The only important thing for me: the wind is chopping at up to 30 knots. Very gusty, sometimes only 5, but it’s blowing. Kite on the gravel bank and off we go.

A nice Danish guy with a zodiac gives me a start and takes a few pictures. The scenery is so stunning that I can hardly concentrate on kitesurfing. Which is the order of the day. Sometimes the kite almost falls out of the sky, then I’m torn mercilessly downwind. I almost miss a jetboat, a wakboarder almost misses me.

I test the Vegas for jumping. It’s somehow completely different to the old Nitro. You have to really power up, pull a lot harder. Then it slowly goes higher. On the last line inland, the wind almost dies out completely. I power up fully and sink. Just as I’m about to give myself one last little boost, a gust catches me. I would have taken off anyway, so it was a worthy finish. The height was good, as was the crash. Off to land. Happy kite after 3 weeks in the doldrums.

I’m back to Queenstown again. My new car: a small Corolla with a groovy stick-shift. Much more fun. The sound selection after the ride: Queen. Made in Heaven. I buy the best cherries I’ve had in years in Queenstown: from a one-kilo bag, every single one could have been immortalised visually on a Capri Sun packet. The flavour was light years better anyway.

I pick up another Israeli hitchhiker. I continue southwards through the plains of Rohan. The landscape is massively reminiscent of Colorado or California. After two hours we arrive at the last big one of the Southern Lakes: Te Anau. I drop the Israeli off and check into my little hostel. In the middle of a sheep pasture, lots of wood and a fireplace. The view: Sunset behind the fjord mountains. Magnificent.

Immediately on to the lake. Check the beach and wind, set up the kite, find the starter and head out. After two lines I give up due to lack of wind. What the hell? I kited for almost an hour today at probably one of the most beautiful spots in the world…