Day 16: Te Mata Peak

Bary, the local knowledge from Airplay, was in the supermarket when we first phoned. Eventually we made contact and arranged a meeting at a garage in Havelock North. The weather was looking better and improving so we were eager to get going. Roland from Switzerland was also in the carpark so we convoyed to the landing field. Lots of space with only a few trees and a couple of radio-controlled models stunting in one corner. From here we could see two faces of the ridge of Te Mata which rises steeply from a few lower hills in front. All I'd ever done from this site before were a few top to bottoms on an"Introduction to Paragliding" course, 16 years ago. The main take-off then was a tiny steep slope over a cliff next to the top carpark. Barry was able to point out a "less challenging" slope - still very steep but much longer.
A little while later we were standing above the take off and watching in disbelief as Barry disappeared over the edge of the cliff. Following him we found a path down an almost vertical cliff to the only-marginally less steep take-off slope. "Hold on to the flax" Barry called over his shoulder. He then demonstrated rapid wing deployment and was soon off into strong lift.
I was off next and going up as soon as I'd stepped off. I was up at ridge level and decided to move away from the take-off zone to allow Nigel and Roland to get off. There was lift all along the ridge until, rather carelessly, I dropped into wind shadow behind a narrow spine and sank like a stone. I just made it back over the spine but too low to find any lift and landed under the take-off. Packing up I began the stagger back up the hill. Nigel was still messing around on take-off and I was close enough to snap him taking off.

By the time I got up to take-off Roland had also left and both were high above me. By the time I took off - again into strong lift - they had both disappeared. I spent the next hour and a half bobbing around the front of the hill, travelling between250 and 640 meters above sea level and getting brilliant views across the bay all the way to Napier and admiring the neat vineyard with formal gardens, lake and posh house which had appeared in front of the Peak in the last 16 years. But where was everyone else? I could see Roland's wing on the ground and Nigel informed me by radio that he had had to land because he had a twisted riser. Barry had also landed and was supervising an air steward from Holland who was running down the gentle slopes in the landing field under a beginner's wing.
Eventually Nigel made it back in to the air untwisted. He was getting some lift but wasn't coming up to my level. Apparently his wing is now too old and once his new wing arrives... He hung around for a while and then made for the landing field. I followed him down, over the "middle hill" as I was getting hungry and I thought we might need to move on. But no, Nigel was keen to do it all again so I drove him back up the hill. He was lifted off while still reversed and swung round in the air. A lot of the slope was now in shadow and he didn't stay up for long.
Back in the van and on the road again we were lucky to find a room for the night in Taupo and very lucky to find some very good food in a near-by bar.