Living on the Blue

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Blue Adventures Matakana Coasts premium watersports school

Whether you’re a first time kitesurfer or looking to increase your boarding skills, a coaching session with Blue Adventures can make it all happen at some of the best beach locations from Auckland City to the Matakana Coast.  Owned and run by adventure-lovers Tony and Nina Carr , Blue Adventures is Auckland’s premier watersports school with the only IKO-affiliated kite center in the Auckland region.  The team of instructors are trained to teach using IKO’s safe progressive method’s and their kitesurfing courses are IKO certified. With a fully mobile watersports school, the instructors will get students geared up at the best location for the daily conditions. You can try anything from wake and kite foiling to wing surfing, wakeboarding or kitesurfing.

Blue Adventures prides itself on providing a personalised and exciting experience for all its customers.  Their dedicated team of  instructors are passionate about what they do and will provide students with a safe and fun way to learn water sports.  Tony and Nina believe that their success has been through their teaching technique of small groups, with step-by-step instructions.  They have up to date equipment and will ensure their students progress easily and safely.

“Keep an eye out on our facebook page if we have spots in our lessons and if the conditions are perfect we will let you know so you can join in.”

If you are ready for a relaxing activity, visit their surf shop, Omaha Surf & Supply where locals and visitors can grab a rental SUP or board, enrol in a lesson, or shop from a collection of surf, SUP or kiteboarding gear made, when possible, of sustainable materials. You can also pick up anything you may have forgotten for a trip to Omaha beach: swimwear, towels or reef safe sunscreen.  Where possible Tony and Nina purchase products made with sustainable materials.

After a brief holiday at Raglans tepee resort, The Carrs decided to build three hand-built teepees on their 1.1 hectare property between Matakana and Leigh.  This glamorous camping (or glamping) was a natural fit to their business and is a popular choice for their outdoor-savvy Blue Adventure clientele.

The three Tepees form a small off-grid experience for guests, connected by a wooden walkway but far enough from each other to offer guests privacy and an unobstructed view of the stars.

Be sure to book in advance for your stay and Blue Adventure water activities.

Living on the Blue - Blue Adventures & Tepee

Tony and Nina’s Must-Dos when visiting Matakana Coast: 

If you are visiting over the weekend then you must visit the Matakana Village Farmers Market on a Saturday.  Meandering past stalls of artisanal nibbles and fresh produce is a great experience and helps to fill up your pantry.  Tony and Nina will be found over summer enjoying a BBQ where they will endeavour to purchase organic meat if it’s available.  A visit The Village Butchery in Matakana for meat, fresh bread from Ringawera Bakery along with fresh veggies and cheese bought from the markets makes for the perfect BBQ meal.  Dessert will be watermelon from Omaha and strawberries from Charlies’ Gelato Garden.

A visit to Tāwharanui Regional Park is at the top of their must do list and is a favourite place for teaching.  Waves are suited to beginners (and swimmers) and a offers a beautiful pōhutukawa-lined coastline.

Water-lovers can head north of Matakana Village for diving, snorkelling and kayaking in Goat Island Marine Reserve a crystal clear ecosystem set aside for recreation and research.

Tony and Nina’s waters spots along the Matakana Coast: 

Auckland is home to two coastlines and Matakana covers a large part of the East Coast.  We are spoilt for choice here on the Matakana Coast when it comes to water adventures and enjoying water sports.  The region is popular for surfers, SUP and kite surfers with multiple spots for wave riders to enjoy, here are four of the favourites.

The beautiful Te Arai at the furthest north east point in the township of Wellsford, is well known for consistent and safe surf conditions.  Straddling the line between Wellsford and Mangawhai are two beaches; Te Arai Point and Forestry which sit on the Wellsford side while its northern beach Black Swamp sits in Mangawhai.  Pakiri Beach is popular with swimmers, surfers and fisherman with many Aucklanders drawn here in summer to enjoy one of Auckland’s truly open beaches on the east coast.

The Southern headland is home to a store, and Pakiri Beach Holiday Park.  Omaha is a fairly exposed beach that has reasonably consistent surf with an ideal swell direction from the northwest.  The white sand and rocky north facing beaches of Tāwharanui’s north are a great spot for surfing when southerly winds are blowing.

If you are looking for great flat water for SUP and Kiteboarding our pick would be Omaha Estuary and Snells Beach.

Living on the Blue - Blue Adventures