Hey MG,
First bit of kit you will need is a car/wagon/van... be prepared to travel a bit, depending on the weather, and you will kite in some great and varying locations. Melbourne offers access to the bay and open coast in east and west directions. Travels times of 10 mins to 3 hours will give you some World class spots, so day-trip or weekenders are amply catered for. Lots of gear space is handy if you want to be prepared for whatever the weather throws at you.
Next bit/s of kit is a big kite and/or a big board... (let's face it, you're a big fecker) you wont need this all the time, but if you like to kite often you will need some light wind weapons. The Victorian seabreeze can be a bit thin sometimes. A 16m bow/SLE or a 18-20m C kite should do, but only if you're that keen. A big mofo early planing twintip or a nice floaty surfboard will help.
A shorty suit for the heat of summer, or a 3x2 if you feel the cold, but you can get by with shorts and a rash top if your good at staying above the water. You'll want a 4x3 and booties for winter outings. The booties will be handy at some bay locations due to sea urchins etc.
Other than that you should be OK with a 13-14m kite, and a twintip suited to your height & weight, for most of the season. A 9m kite for ballistic days, probably wont get too much use, but it will last you for more than just a few seasons.
For details on historic weather stats etc, go to the BOM
www.bom.gov.au/ more specifically
www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/ca_vic_names.shtml The most important bit of kit will be your AKSA tag. You can get it from
http://www.kbv.org.au/ for your kiting pleasure in Victoria.
Cheers,
AzzA.
PS The KBV website also has lots of Victoria specific kite goodies on tap.
