*Lake Wakatipu - Queenstown
S shaped, 90 km long and 3-4 km wide, road access allows
sailing in all conditions and abilities. Queenstown is a
favourite spot for tourists and it's no wonder: you can go
jet-boating, rafting take a bungi jump or a helicopter ride, dine
on the old ferry as it cruises the lake or at the top of the
chairlift over- looking the Remark- able mountains. You can fly
over the Southern Alps to the Milford Sound and there's ski
fields all around the area.
 Dial-a-forecast: 0900 999 81
 Info Centre: Cnr Shotover & Camp
Sts, Queenstown. Ph 03 442 8238.
 Local Shop: Windsurf Mania. Industrial
Place. Ph 03 442 6590.
      
Access: Right in the main town, there is a
campground, toilets, BBQ, rigging and parking areas.
Suits: Slalom, longboarding. Beginners....
Wind: NW = onshore. On fine days wind builds
from afternoon Westerleys 5-10 knots to evening Southerleys
10-25 knots.
Water: Flat - small chop. Shallow in most of
the bay.
Watch: Other lake users - a popular spot.
Hire School: Available from Frankton Beach
Hire.
In Detail: On Frankton Arm in front of THC
Remarkables Hotel, popular with sailors all abilities, good
learner location with 1-1.5m water, sandy bottom. 2
windsurfer and hobie cat hire firms. Lake breeze 5-10 knots
mid morning to mid afternoon. Southerly thermal 15-20 late
afternoon, dies 1 hr after sunset. N/NW create onshore gusty
conditions, chop if strong. Southerlies are side shore
allowing long reaches up Frankton Arm.
2 WYE CREEK
Access: 10 minutes drive from Frankton down the
south arm of the lake. is the windiest place on the lake.
Camping facilities, parking and grass areas.
Suits: Slalom. Intermediate....
Wind: On fine days, a strong Southerly blows
from 3.30pm onwards.
Water: Wind swell builds up to 1.5 metres.
Watch: Your gear is safe- there are 5 km of
cliffs before the next landing place.
In Detail: about 15km south of Frankton,
windiest spot in South Arm for southerlies/southerly
thermals. Turn down lake just before cottage and bridge,
through gate and across fields. Follow track to creek mouth.
Camping _may_ be tolerated (no dogs).
Access: Exactly one mile from the centre PO in
Queenstown in the direction of Glenorchy. There are toilets,
a car park and a pebbly beach.
Suits: Slalom. Intermediate....
Wind: NW, W, SW can reach up to 25 knots and
more. 90 knots recorded
Water: Wind swell builds up to 4 ft.
Watch: Ferry and yacht traffic in the
channel. Waterspouts in high winds - secure your gear!
In Detail: Just past youth hostel on
Glenorchy road at mouth of Queenstown Bay, beach between One
Mile Creek carpark and Two Mile Creek. Catch westerlies and
Nwesterlies, gusts up to 90 knots! Watch out for williwaws
and waterspouts (hurly-gurlies).
4 Kingston Beach
Southern end, good sailing in northerly cond. A few km
towards Queenstown access via roadside reserves gives good
sailing in southerly thermals which build up to 20 knots in
hot afternoons.
5 Jardines Woolshed
"J-Bay" locals catch evening thermals here.
Access across Dick and Gillian Jardine's station,Permission
required before driving down to beach. See Windsurf Mania in
Queenstown. Good in southerlies, sometimes too strong (how
strong is that?), chop can reach 2m with dumpy shore break.
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