The Best For Last: Skyline Kiting!

In our three months in New Zealand, we didn’t give ourselves anything, lived frugally and hardly did without anything. We were able to compensate for the 50% increase in prices since 2008 by camping more and eating out less. Good living, almost 14,000 kilometres of rental car and a few adrenaline passes ended up costing us €1,800 per person per month plus €1,000 for the flight.

For one of the last three days in Auckland, we treat ourselves to pure luxury. The SkyCity Hotel is located right at the foot of the Skytower in the centre of Auckland. Huge rooms high up, even bigger beds, the latest cinema films on demand. A Korean barbecue at the table with 50 delicacies. We savour until our brains fail – and then even further.

The next morning’s breakfast is the most extensive international speciality carnage I have ever survived. There are more than 100 delicacies to choose from: Grapefruit from Spain, kiwis and roast beef from New Zealand, eggs in memoriam Benedict, honey from honeycombs, French blue cheese, passion fruit and mango compote, fresh tomato juice, Indian dahl, Chinese hoisin noodles, baguettes, croissants, German apple strudel, French toast and much more.

Just four hours later, our brains slowly resume their function. How did we get to this park? We come up with about 35 things that each of us tried. Brain failure, for the second time. As well as two kilos of walking muscles, a few more will come home with us. Memories of the casino come flooding back. We won five dollars playing roulette using the outlawed method from the Facebook advert. Why were we still not expelled from the house?

We buy our last presents in a dozen or so shops. All of them are Chinese. I understand the New Zealanders’ fear. China is buying up their whole country. The shopping was the easy part of the trip. The harder part was our 360 kilometres of walking. An average of four kilometres a day doesn’t sound like much, but it feels exactly the opposite. My knees are pretty sore, but fortunately not completely destroyed like after the last visit.

Kitesurfing was clearly neglected at the beginning, there was never any wind. But from midsummer onwards, there were always good unexpected spots. No matter where, no matter when: I always went out when the wind was good and the spot was reasonably safe. Uli went along with everything. Without her, I would never have managed the 200 kilometres and 15 hours on the water. Even that doesn’t sound like much for three months. But take a look at Uli’s pictures: they included some of the most beautiful kite spots in the world. Seconds become hours.

We’ve saved the best for last. Windfinder gives perfect wind for the last day in Auckland. I spend half a night searching for the best kite spots in Auckland on Google Maps. There are quite a few, but none of them look really good when zoomed in, and many are just totally out of the way. I want more.

So on the penultimate day, we drive many kilometres through Auckland’s Victorian villa suburbs. I’m looking for my dream kite spot, the spot that will be a worthy end to a wonderful three-month road trip. After a good three hours’ drive, I find it at the end of Charles Street in the suburb of Hauraki. A shallow bay full of mangroves, with a small sandbank full of shells at the end. The orientation is perfect for the predicted south-westerly wind.

After a hike through the Auckland Domain, we return to the spot the next afternoon. The well-known launch site is located in southern Shoal Bay. A few kiters are out, but they are missing something. From Charles Street, the entire Auckland skyline is three kilometres upwind. You can’t get a better panorama in the city of sails. I set up and head out.

The wind is weaker than forecast, initially blowing around at 12 to 15 knots. But it gets better the closer I get to the skyline, harbour and Harbour Bridge. After just under two kilometres, I’m as close as I can get. The skyscrapers are trailing heavy lee vortices behind them. I kite between a few mega yachts anchored in the bay, and a navy base is just around the corner. Any closer to the skyline would surely cause trouble in New Zealand too.

A short downwinder through the bay and 30 other kiters. A few last small jumps. Wading through knee-deep mangrove swamp to the shore. Land the kite, look into the sun and grin broadly. Two hours and burning arms are a worthy end to this trip.

In the evening, we dine at the highest restaurant in the southern hemisphere. At a height of 190 metres, the Orbit Restaurant in the Skytower rotates to the lights of the big city. New Zealand has no stars for food. We award them for the three works of art in the outstanding menu. We’re going home tomorrow. We are sad that our journey through New Zealand has come to an end. We are happy to have made it all and survived. And we’re looking forward to home: family, friends, roast pork and our own bed. Farewell, New Zealand!