Katikati John Russell kite flies high in Matariki

John Russell kept a flightless kite for 30 years until one day the disappointing kite turned into a resounding success.

John ‘the Katikati kite man’ was trying to teach his children the joy of kiting – which he always loved as a child – but the stubborn kite refused to take off.

With the help of an experienced kite and a few adjustments, the kite flew and John’s fascination with kites began.

Since then, he has been flying kites and organizing kite events. He also taught kite making in schools.

John has been a 10 year member of the New Zealand Kitefliers Association (NZKA) and has organized over a dozen kite days across Waihi Beach, Katikati and Tauranga. He is the organizer of the Tauranga City Libraries event this weekend and the NZKA Matariki Kite Day.

The best kites in the country will be piloted by members of the association.

Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades which rise in mid-winter and for some herald the start of a new year.

Kites are associated with Matariki because early Maori made and flew kites for fun or to send messages to the gods, believing they connected heaven and earth.

Tauranga Kite Day can include Disney and cartoon characters such as Spongebob, an octopus and other sea animals, personalities, a Covid kite and more. Food stalls will be present.

John will fly his exceptional amethyst kite, aptly named for its shape and color.

”I bought it because it was quite spectacular and when we flew it it’s a sweet kite…it floats straight up in the air. That’s what all kites should do.

Assembling the three-meter-tall, 2.5-meter-wide kite is the hardest part, he says. It’s a two-person job.

So what about the kites that John likes?

”It’s isolation. In other words, you can’t do anything else while flying a kite. You are in nature and the great outdoors… plus, it brings out the child in you.”

What: Matariki Kite Day
Where: Fergusson Park, Matua, Tauranga
When: June 19, 12-4 p.m.