From giant monarch butterflies to a scary pirate, kites are fabulous, fun and affordable Christmas presents for young and old. Uptown has its own specialist kite shop and owner-operator Perrin Melchior shares a few tricks to help you have enjoyable and successful kite-flying missions.

The kite

If you’re thinking about introducing kite-flying to your young children, start with a single-line kite. Two-line kites are much more of a challenge and are recommended for ages eight and over. The Peter Lynn Octopus kite has the highest success rate for a kid's first kite and at $15, it is no great loss if your child lets it go.

Where to fly

The next challenge is picking a good spot. The beach at low tide with an onshore breeze is ideal. Parks are fine if they are flat(ish) and don’t have too many trees. If any trees upwind are larger than your thumb at arm's length, they are too close and the wind shadow (turbulence) they cast will make flying a kite difficult. If on a hill, go to the windward side.

Launching the kite

With your back to the wind, hold the kite above your head, release the kite and then allow the wind to take it as you control the kite line. Let it out smoothly. The rhythm of control is a slow release and then a rapid pull of the line to get the kite higher. The idea is to release a little more than you pull in.

The rules

The only rules kite-fliers must follow are no flying at night; no string longer than 120m; and no kites within 4km of a helipad or airport.



Two-line kites

If you do want to have a go at a two-line kite, there are some things you should know. The lines need to be even and unwound all the way before launch. You also need a lot of flat ground that is at least 30m away from anything downwind and to the left and right. Try to keep the kite in the middle and control it by pulling the left or right string and by pulling on the string in the direction it goes to the kite. Don’t run backwards if it crashes.

The best two-line kite for learners is the HQ 1.3 Symphony Beach.

At $100, it is very durable and user-friendly.