KW riding was great!

Went to visit a few lads and checked out the KW on Muriwai Beach located on the West Coast 20 minutes North West of Auckland. To get there, get onto the North Western Motorway running out of City Center and drive towards Helensville, the motorway continues up through Kumeu, Huapai and Waimauku, as you get to the township of Waimauku, turn left towards Muriwa beach..

For those into mountain biking you head another 2 miles North and drive into the forest on left... for those who like their wines, go tasting at Coopers Creek, Matua, Selaks and Kumeu River to name a few wineries on the way to Muriwa. Bring your own food, or eat at the summer food hut close to the beach- the only takka here is deep fried fish and hamburgers. The best wind for this spot is the SW and Westerly.. and for your wing I recommend a 15 knot day upwards..

Muriwai beach goes for miles (approx 35 miles long), and at mid to low tide the sand is perfectly hard for awesome riding, but if you venture the distance of the beach be sure the tide is going out and that the wind doesn't drop...

Only 40 minutes North of Central Auckland is Orewa Beach. This place best suits a NE- however it can be a very busy beach and offeres shorter rides, it is a perfect place to learn again head there on low tide to get the best ride.

An hour and a half North of Auckland along the East Coast past Orewa lies a small township called Mangawhai, a surfers spot. There are two areas you can use your kw, on the south side of the river acces through the forest is awesome, golden sand beaches that stretch for miles. Low tide is best and winds need to be about 15-25 knots NE, E, SE.

To the north of Mangawai township head to Mangawhai beach (surf club) and you are at the famous Mangawhai surf spot- use your kw there too...but here it must be low tide to get the best long rides out of the area. The wind is reall fickle here, so I would not expect a good kitewing ride here, outside of hte fact that there are alot more people to work around.

Go another 40 minutes North of Managawai (about 2.5 hours Norht of Auckland on State Highway 1 and you hit an exit for Marsden Point, the old Marsden Power station. The beach there is long and the wind when up is consistent. Go to the Doc camp site if you want to make a weekend out of it, but bring all your necessities as the Doc grounds are basic. Of course you can always hit the town of Rawhiti for a brew and chips but this area again works best on a NE, E, and ? SE (probaly not SE).

Now if any of you want to keep going up North, for those who want an epic Surf, head on up through Kaitaia to Shipwrecks Bay (for a surf) and for a KW go to any of an array of spots along 90 mile beach.. The wind here will need to blow a solid NE, even a bit of NW on spots, don't under estimate the name 90 mile beach, it really does go for miles (however about 45 miles not 90).

Make sure you go on LOW TIDE and consistent wind carrying your wing back to your car is no fun!

Stopped in a number of places north of Plimmerton and just was gob smacked with the length of beaches here, and better still the consistency of the wind. Those of you in Wellington check out this spot- only an hour north of Wellington but you will get the longest most awesome rides. I spent two days and many hours on the beach riding for as long as my arms could take it...

Best on a West, WNW, and SW as long as the wind is onshore. Just drive to the beach after you hit Paraparaumu, I went ten minutes north of Paraparaumu where the beaches were less crowded and habitated you can ride for miles...

Then checked out the likes of West Coast of South Island. How can you not want to play with your Kitewing on the golden beaches along Golden Bay or up Farewell Spit.

Contracry to popular belief, the Wild West Coast does have its fair share of sunny sterling days, some of those providing you a 15 knot Westerly wind that is just enough for the smaller rider. There are a handfull of beaches running from Punakaiki Beach through to Fox Glacier many of them very rocky and quite a few of them where the sand is too soft for the board..However I had awesome rides in Greymouth, Westport and Punakaiki, as well as a few on the smaller beaches in between, it is a matter of stopping at a beach that appeals to you and trialing it..

The winds are fickle on those sunny days. If you are not afraid of a bit of rain you will be a bit luckier with that breeze.. not sure about the man eating vermon (sand flies) they are out in all matters of nature..

If the rest of the South Island is being hit by the South Easters you can bask in glorious sun and lovely sea breezes all along the West Coast. Check out a little place just north of Greymouth 'Rapahe'', sweet and lovely with Golden sand beaches and beautiful blue waters...

Down side is that you need your DEET- sand flies are in full force, stopping for long periods to enjoy the day sadly is not an option here- though slathering on layers of Deet did keep them at bay! the West Coast is a place I would bring my kw to if going there, but I would not be making special trips to this location for kitewing riding. If you are a toy nut then bring it all as there is plenty of other great stuff to do to also fill in your days there (fishing, kayaking, surfing, mountain biking...)

Try just North of Punakaiki at Red Flats; the next best places to use the KW are Nine Mile to Fourteen Mile Beaches (below Punakaiki and approximately at Barrystown (45 minutes north of Greymouth). What's even better after a bit of kiting, you can play on some of the most scenic mountain biking on the West Coast (head to famous little Blackball township out of Greymouth and ride the Croesus track down to Barrystown - great loop!

You will need an understanding driver to drop you off, though they may appreciate missing the ride as it is a 3-6 hour ride deepening on your fitness and stops.

Wind Direction: Best on a North/ North East and South East, beware of other beach users especially weekends.

Wind Direction: Really rocks on a North East, swinging easterly, and can be used on a South West too..but the tide has to be very low..Best thing is this beach has very few people to work your way around.. unlike the more popular New Brighton beach (at surf club)

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