Eltham flies toward its 30th annual kite day

Generations have attended the kite day in Eltham year after year and no matter how much time passes the day is always filled with children.

For the past 30 years Eltham Lions Club president Joyce Lawrence has seen the same thing, adults completely enjoying their day out.

‘‘The thing that’s really neat is the kid that comes out in the adult,’’ she said.

‘‘You see these families turn up and the kids got the kite, and next thing mum or dad is flying the kite.’’

The Eltham Lions Club Kite Day has been running since 1987, on the same farm down Neil Road.

Every year the New Zealand Kite Flyers Association comes to Eltham and shows off as much as they can.

‘‘They bring as many kites as their cars can hold,’’ Lawrence said.

The president said the kites can be worth thousands of dollars and stretch up to 30 metres in length.

‘‘Some of them are so big they have them tied to the towbar of a car, and the car rocks with the wind,’’ she said.

‘‘You can see them from miles.’’

Lawrence said that was when the Turners’ property on Neill Rd was chosen because ’’it’s such a great venue’’ and spectators call in after they see the kites while driving along State Highway 3.

The president said she couldn’t pick a favourite kite, but remembered one that stood out - or down.

‘‘A couple of years ago one of them had made a car out of kite material but it was anchored to the ground, so the kids could sit in the car,’’ she said.

‘‘It didn’t actually fly, but the little kids had a ball. It sat on the ground and the wind would wobble it around.’’

The president said it was a ‘‘something for nothing’’ kind of day - welcoming all for free, with or without kites.

The sky high day, which will have stalls too, is on Sunday February 5 from 10.30am.

‘‘Some of them are so big they have them tied to the towbar of a car, and the car rocks with the wind.’’

Joyce Lawrence