Mad about the beach
Nelson’s Tahunanui Beach was popular with watersports fanatics this week as temperatures reached the high 20s, writes Amy Ridout. Photos by Luz Zuniga.
Until recently Anja Fritzsche was scared of the water. But a few months ago, just in time for a scorching New Zealand summer, she decided it was time to conquer her fear. She began some ocean swimming and this week the German national took a few days off from an internship studying bats in Pelorus, Marlborough, to try kite-boarding at nearby Nelson.
As the name suggests, kite-boarding involves being pulled along by a kite with your feet firmly attached to a large board through a harness system – a novel way to ride the waves. It was Fritzsche’s third day learning the sport, and fickle winds at Tahunanui Beach, on the shore of Tasman Bay, had made for a trying few hours, she said.
While the beach is more a swimmer’s than a surfer’s haven, kite-boarding proved tough going. ‘‘The wind is bad, very weak, so it hasn’t been going that well.’’ But all was not lost. While she felt there was some way to go to conquer her fear of the ocean and learning to read its quirks and unforgiving nature, she’d gained a bit of confidence, too: ‘‘I really like it, I think I have fallen in love.’’
Nearby, Nelsonians Marcus Leong and Caryn Hee were hosting their niece Hee Xin Tong, 12, and nephew Hee Jin Wei, 9, who were on holiday from Malaysia for two weeks. It was the children’s first visit to New Zealand and after paying a visit to Milford Sound, Queenstown and Nelson, the family hit up Tahunanui.
New Zealand had been the ultimate in experiences for the children: they loved getting up close and personal with farm animals, which they don’t get to do back home, Hee said. And the calm Tahunanui Beach waters made the ideal spot to learn a few kayaking skills.
Also giving a new water sport a go were brothers Simon and Mati Dziubek, aged 12 and 10 respectively. The Polish family moved to the Hawkes Bay a year ago and this week were holidaying in Nelson where Simon and Mati tried out paddle boarding.
It was easier than surfing, which the boys had tried on the west coast, Simon said. ‘‘I like paddle boarding better. I wouldn’t say it’s easy, but I like slower sports, not dangerous sports – like windsurfing.’’
‘‘You’re wrong,’’ Mati said. ‘‘Surfing is better.’’ One thing the brothers do agree on: water was an essential part of a Kiwi holiday.
‘‘It’s cool,’’ Simon said. ‘‘I might try paddleboarding back home, too.’’