Hey,

Bit off topic but i am heading to NZ for 10 days in early july to Wanaka, probs hitting up cardrona or snowpark as im travelling with my family i was just wondering if anyone else will be in wanaka from teh 3rd to the 12th july??

Pete

peter_boarder said...

Hey,
i was just wondering if anyone else will be in wanaka from the 3rd to the 12th july??

Pete

I would like to be there then but i couldn't get time off work to go till the first 2 weeks in September. Make sure you go to Treble Cone, its sick!!!!!!!!
Snow Park is a wicked freestyle haven, AWSOME!!!!!!
Cardrona has the best pipe's tho.
Let me know how you went.

Cheers Mark.

Hey Pete,
I'm heading over the Wanaka first week in August to have a crack at snowkiting at Snow Park.

Hope the knee holds up

Ian

high as a kite said...

Hey Pete,
I'm heading over the Wanaka first week in August to have a crack at snowkiting at Snow Park.

Hope the knee holds up

Ian

Hey Ian

What kite & size are you taking?

Thinking about taking a kite myself. 8m Havoc.

Cheers Mark.

G'day Mark,
I'm taking a 7m Airush Flow '07. It has a great wind range and heaps of de power.

I've never snow board / snow kited before, should be a rush.

We are staying in Chritchurch for a few days before heading down south. Hope the geat some snowboarding done around there first.
I'm told some farmers around the Methven area let you snowkite if there's snow. Bring it on.


Ian

high as a kite said...

Hey Pete,
I'm heading over the Wanaka first week in August to have a crack at snowkiting at Snow Park.

Hope the knee holds up

Ian

Hi Ian
I m heeding to Queenstown and Wanaka 2nd week in August, let me know what the snowkiting is like and I may bring a kite too.
Cheers Steve

Durks said...

I second treble cone - my favourite mountain, cardona is more family tho as its just one big unbroken slope - not many fast wee gullys. I'm going in August.

Cardrona is bigger than one big slope, much bigger than treble cone. You never went over to the captains valley on the other side? lots of fast runs over there. Treble Cone is still a great field, but Cardrona is much better, higher and more runs, but dose get alot more wind.

Locals in Wanaka mostly buy season passes to both areas, and when its too windy at Cardrona they head to Treble Cone for the Day.

Thanks Mark,
Yeah I plan on a couple of lessons first.
Can't wait.

HAAK

Hey Jimbo,

Haha didnt know brad was into the snowboarding! yeah might get onto him and see what his movements are, i just got a heap of new 09 burton gear!

I live in adelaide now too, so yeah might see him round!

I was also thinking about taking a kite over aswell, but dont know as im with my family
and would be doing it by myself, mabe hotham when i get back with mates,

Definitely check out Treble cone, a little more expensive than the others but the nicest most challenging terrain of most the big commercial fields round there. Lucky B#stard.

Hey Crash , I had also had my first snow kite experience last year with Jon at Boarder Patrol and had a blast will definately book again this year can't wait , would highly recommend it gives a whole new dimension to kiting & snow

yeah... for those on the east coast of Australia, its so easy to get there too. I can't figure out why more don't come here.

Mark, yeah a tiring one too. The fitness was a bit under tuned too, as I haven't kited in the several months I've been away. I can safely say everyone was knackered, and only three of us were there until sunset.

No pass was needed at Snow Farm for kiting. Just a $15 honesty style entry fee when the season starts. Not sure when that is exactly. The page at snowfarmnz.com gives a more elaborate listing of the prices, but I can't see what category we were in though.

It seemed to me that my 6m and 8m Flysurfers (which tend to be similar to 7/8m and 9/10m tubes) is what I was thinking. Jon thought the Ozone 10m Manta open cell foil was a good kite to go with if you only had one (so that's probably the best advice). The day started with what I reckon was 12-15 knots and dropped off to nothing over the 7 hours we were there. I started on the 6m (especially while just getting a feel for it) and then up to the 10m. I think overall you need less "pull" on the snow. Going up hill didn't seem to require much force either (I'm 84kg). Jon got home on the 10m and I could barely feel any wind.

By the way, the wind was surprisingly smooth and apparently any wind direction is good at Snowfarm. Cardrona works on SW apparently, but more info in the links above (see the "drift" one for very specific info). Southerly is the prevailing wind direction.

Jon might be able to offer more specific info. At the moment, my local knowledge of the wind around here isn't too good and it seems to be hard getting good forecasts. Either its really hard to predict here or its just aweful forecasts. Last two days were meant to be rain, but both were clear skies. Snow forecast for next two days.. we'll see!

I'm hoping I can stay for the winter season, and get a lot more done around here... like another similar sport.. paragliding.. time will tell. The landscape around here is truly amazing - you'll like it - snow kiting or not!

Ash


recon-mission-nz.blogspot.com/

Snowfarm only charge you $15 which basically covers the road I think. Remember, this does NOT cover getting rescued. Snowfarm extends a looong way in both directions and it's easy to cover a large distance in a short period when the wind is good. It's just as easy to find yourself stranded if the wind dies or if you break something.

I might be stating the obvious, but it's not like the Australian fields where the padded people come and get you/bollock when you head off the beaten track. If there's a group of you, do a headcount every now and then, and keep an eye on the weather.

Also it pays to check with snowfarm before you go if they'll let you on (most of the time it's fine) but they do other things there, like filming for car adverts etc, (happens more often than you might think) and it's a long drive up there to be told you can't go out because they're testing or filming or something.

Treble Cone is widely considered the best non club field in the area for snowboarding/skiing. Snowpark (on the road up to snowfarm) is entertaining too but mainly for those sitting on the picnic tables at the base of the field, watching people break themselves on the terrain park above. It's like ten years of edited JackAss highlights, all in an afternoon! A note for daredevils - they won't take the ambulance down the hill half empty, so if you're the first in the ambulance, you have to wait for another victim to join you before you get off the mountain. This normally takes about five minutes.

Thanks Ash.

I have all the go gear for snowboarding & snow kiting.
I will be looking to hook up with Jon or anyone who is keen to go snow kiting as a group as it fun & safer! Or snowboarding if no wind.
So yeah i will pm you with contact details where & when i will be staying in Queenstown.
Hope to catch up..

Cheers matey have FUN.

Mark.

Flux said...

Friggen cold here though..........................

uuhhh... it's called winter.





(I'm just jealous.....)

check the article out in the new KBM - you will find a good guide of where to go