Otaki TodayPeter Lynn Kites, New Zealand’s best-known kite manufacturer, will again be a major attraction at the Ōtaki Kite Festival when the popular event returns to Ōtaki Beach on March 14–15.
Founded in 1973, the kite maker has grown from a small local enterprise into a world leader in the design and manufacture of large inflatable show kites. Its product range spans everything from small children’s kites to giant display kites, including the eye-catching maxi octopus, which stretches to 25 metres in length.
Design work at the Ashburton plant is carried out by Peter Lynn and Simon Chisnall. Simon and wife Lyndal are regulars to the Ōtaki festival, usually flying the big kites at the southern end of the kite arena.
Peter Lynn Kites has produced many custom designs, including an 18-metre-long dragon named Toothless for 20th Century Fox, which was flown at locations across the United States and even towed along the River Thames in England, passing through Tower Bridge.
The company has earned international recognition for building some of the largest kites ever flown. In 1997, the company set a Guinness World Record with the “Mega Ray” and “Mega Bite”, kites with a lifting area of 635 square metres. A second record followed in 2005 with a 1000sq m Kuwait flag kite, and the company continues to push the limits of scale and design.
Spectators at this year’s Ōtaki festival can expect to see some of these giant inflatable creations in the air, flown by Simon and Lyndal, and members of the Kite Flyers Association.
The annual Ōtaki Kite Festival, first held in 2013, has become the largest event of its kind in New Zealand, drawing thousands of visitors each year for two days of colourful displays and family entertainment. The free event runs from 10am to 4pm on both days and is staged along the wide expanse of Ōtaki Beach, with the ocean and Kāpiti Island providing a dramatic natural backdrop.
Festival director Kirsty Doyle says the combination of local and international talent is a key part of the event’s appeal.
“It’s exciting to be able to bring such quality kite flyers to New Zealand to showcase their awe-inspiring kites,” she says. “The skies will be full of spectacular kites, from huge inflatable whales and dragons to artistic designs of all kinds.”
More than 50 kite flyers are expected to take part again this year, including special international guests the Phoenix Kite Collective, an Australian stunt-kite team known for their synchronised performances and interactive approach with spectators (see opposite page).
But the festival offers more than kite flying alone. Live music, including performances by local musicians and the popular Taiko drummers, will add to the atmosphere, alongside food trucks, market stalls and family-friendly attractions such as the Kelly and Co Big Dig, a perennial favourite with children.
Kirsty says the event would not be possible without the efforts of a huge number of local volunteers.
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