Kite Day puts eyes on the skies

New Brighton beach will come alive with colourful, fluttering kites in all shapes and sizes on Saturday.

The free SummerTimes Kite Day event, on New Brighton Beach from 1pm until 4pm, is a chance for families to get together and fly a kite or watch some being flown. It also attracts kite makers and enthusiasts from around the country.

Julie Adams with one of her colourful kites.

One of them is Julie Adam, also known as ‘The Kite Lady’, who lives in Christchurch but travels around New Zealand running kite making workshops for children with her business Skylines and Bylines. Ms Adam liaises with some of the guest kite flyers who attend the popular Kite Day event.

One of this year’s guests is Perrin Melchior from Auckland who uses the recycled skins of damaged kite surfing kites to make intricate 3D and box kites.

Ms Adam says flying a kite is the best way to raise the spirits and is also a great social activity. “Whenever I fly a kite people come and talk to me. It makes people smile and they’ll come over and tell me stories about kites they used to fly and ask to have a go. There’s a really nice community kind of feeling to it.”

While many children are occupied by technology these days, getting out to a local park or beach with a kite is very beneficial, she says. “It’s being outside and getting vitamins from the sun and fresh air from the wind and being in a green space.

“For me, it’s the connection between the ground, the sky and the wind and being outside and doing something that tends to be quite peaceful and relaxing.”

She encourages children to make their own kites and says one of the simplest versions for young children uses a supermarket plastic bag with a piece of string tied around the handles.

About 5000 people are expected to attend Kite Day this year and Ms Adam says the event has a very inclusive, friendly atmosphere. “Little kids will be flying their kites next to someone that’s flying an elaborate kite that costs thousands of dollars. It has a real community, family feeling.”

Christchurch is a great city for kite flying with its brisk north easterly wind and Ms Adam recommends New Brighton beach, Sumner beach, Hansen Park in Opawa, and the Residential Red Zone as some of her top spots.

About 5000 people are expected at New Brighton beach on Saturday for Kite Day.