Glider's 600km world record attempt falls 577km short

An Auckland glider attempting to crack a world record 600km flight crashed into a bog after just 23km.

Veteran glider Murray Wardell landed in the swamp near Pouto Point in Kaipara Harbour on Saturday.

Realising he was too close to the ground -- about 30 metres above it -- after crossing the Kaipara Harbour, Mr Wardell set his $20,000 glider down on what looked like smooth ground near Lake Karaka.

But rather than coming to a halt in about 100m as normal, the glider came to an abrupt halt in the mud.

Mr Wardell said he had problems right from the beginning as low cloud forced him to fly too close to the ground.

"If that hadn't been there I probably would have made it," he said.

After crashing, Mr Wardell had to "bush bash" his way to Ripiro Beach, about a kilometre away where he called for help.

"At the end of the day it was an adventure rather than a disaster," he said.

Mr Wardell said he would be back in the skies again soon to complete the record flight.

- NZPA