Kite lovers blown away by Bay venue

Malcolm Hubbert launches his kite at Fergusson Park. Photo / George Novak

If you were near Fergusson Park this weekend and thought you saw a giant teddy bear or stingray floating in the sky, you weren't dreaming.

The New Zealand Kite Flyers Association held their national festival over the weekend at the park and hundreds of kites - in every shape imaginable - were hitting the skies.

Avid kite-makers and collectors from around the country waited for the right winds to set up their creations, ranging from the more traditional single-line kites to fanciful designs bigger than buses.

Most kites were hand-made by the enthusiasts, some taking up to 100 hours to complete.

Rosemary McCully, a club member from Rotorua, said the annual event was held in a different location each year.

Mrs McCully said Fergusson Park worked well as there were other activities on offer if the wind was not behaving.

"Quite often, the wind here is a northwesterly and it's unimpeded. We like air that doesn't have to go through trees and hills."

Throughout the year, club members and their families would meet at different locations for workshops.

Many members have hundreds of kites. Mrs McCully said she would not be surprised if, in total, the members had brought thousands of kites to the event between them.

"There would be a couple of hundred thousand dollars of kites here today, easily."