Atawhai Man's Kite Not UFO, Just Very Intense Flying
The kite has dangly bits. The wristwatch cost more than the kite. The wind does not care.
A man on the hills above Atawhai was observed flying a red kite on Sunday afternoon with what one neighbour called "a level of commitment you don't normally see outside a courtroom".
The man, identified as Lionel Beavis, 58, was on the slope for over four hours, consulting a wristwatch between gusts and adjusting the spool with both hands. A passing walker said Beavis had "the face of a bloke landing a plane".
"He's been at it since Saturday," said neighbour Cheryl Goodwin, 61. "Tasman Bay's right there. Lovely view. He's looking at the kite. Just the kite."
This reporter attended the scene following a welfare query from a member of the public who thought Beavis was "signalling someone". He was not. He was, per his own statement, "in the zone".
"It's a competition Delta," Beavis told The Daily Yarn, without looking down. "The watch tracks wind direction, pressure and line tension. People laugh. People who don't fly kites."
A MetService spokesperson confirmed Sunday's breeze was "average to mildly notable". Beavis remains on the hill. The kite, last sighted, was still up.
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Reader Letters
Garry (Halswell)
Back in my day, kites were simple. You threw it up, it came down, and you had a game of backyard cricket instead.
Trev_Hornby
Lionel's a good bloke. Always on about something or other. Used to run marathons but now he's up for flying kites. Met him down the RSA once.
MumOf3_Riccarton
Honestly, I'd rather deal with a kite-obsessed neighbour than my three kids demanding the wifi password every two minutes.
pedant101
Actually, the correct term is 'delta flyer', not just 'kite'. It's a specific design made for stability and control in diverse wind conditions.
couchgremlin
Lol kites are the aerial version of sock puppets.
BarryBishopdale
@couchgremlin imagine living next to someone who thinks they've been abducted by aliens because their neighbour's flying a kite too intensely