Boasting dreamy white sands, untouched sandbars, butter flat water, and blowing a consistent 25 knots every day, Zephyr’s inaugural Far North QLD offshore kitesurfing tour delivered on all accounts.
The newest team member of Zephyr Tours, Folkert, joined us on our first kitesurfing tour to far North QLD. Here, he shares with us his experiences of the trip.
To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from the long weekend trip to far North QLD, but of course, the photos I’d seen of the clear blue ocean waters and white sandy islands, fueled my imagination. With the clarity of a postcard, this became the perfect backdrop for what would be the most epic kitesurfing holiday of my life!
Beautiful One Day… Perfect The Next!
The wall of tropical warm weather hit me as I stepped out of the airport in Cairns. Summer in the middle of Winter; perfect! We loaded up the truck with mountains of kite gear and were soon heading north along the Great Barrier Reef Drive on our way to Cape Tribulation. The road winds along the lush coastline, with tropical rainforests on one side and The Coral Sea on the other. There is an abundance of wildlife to spot on the journey – but watch out for crocs! There was much excitement as we were lucky enough to see a crocodile in the wild; we watched as this majestic creature glided through the water below.
The Ferntree Rainforest Lodge is an environmentally friendly resort designed to be in harmony with the rainforest surroundings. I loved it! It had everything you would need for a weekend trip away – a nice, cozy bar with a pool table, swimming pool, and of course, much-needed Wi-Fi to upload all your kitesurfing holiday pics to make your friends jealous! The two-story cabins were spacious and offered an unexpected luxury for such a remote place.
Offshore Kitesurfing Adventure
Our first day of action had us collected shoreside in our personal rigid inflatable boat (RIB). After an adventure of punching out through the waves, we reached a small sand island in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. This was one of the most stunning places I had ever been to; a place I’d only ever seen in David Attenborough documentaries! I had never in my life seen a sea turtle before, but after just one weekend here, it became almost normal to see them swimming around whilst kitesurfing on butter-flat, crystal-blue water! With the wind pumping consistently over 25 knots, I could not have wished for better kite conditions. For me, this was a dream come true!
Daily Coaching
One-on-one coaching is our specialty, and with Sam wanting to capitalise on this opportunity, small guest numbers meant more time to learn new skills. Within just 30 minutes, Sam was nailing her transitions, and by the end of the day, she was getting some good air time and stomping her landings. YEWW!!! As the afternoon rolled around, with nothing but my boardies and a rashie on, it was time for me to land the longest darkslides with style and stoke.
Butter-Flat Water
Each new day brought exciting variations of the days before; a breathtaking fresh location, different tides revealing new sand islands, and a diverse space of butter-flat water. With food supplied and unlimited access to the latest and greatest toys, not having to worry about the wind made this tour all the more effortless. Each day, we would be on the water as much as we could for as long as we could, with the opportunity to use the newest gear from Duotone Kitesurfing and Naish Kiteboarding.
This trip was by far the best kite experience of my life! Such a stunning location with perfect conditions allowed for so much progression in only a few days. In addition, Ben’s drone footage of your kitesurfing makes for a great souvenir and offers the possibility of bragging rights for that tweaked out, inverted front roll with a tail grab you nailed! I am super happy with the awesome picture of my deadman hanging trick.
I am so stoked to be on board with the Zephyr team and can’t wait to get to the Cocos Islands to experience all that it has to offer!
Thank You To…
A big thanks to Bretto and the Windswell Team for helping make the trip possible.
All kitesurfing gear is made available by our partner, Ocean Addicts. Premium Gear, Personal Service.
– Folkert Bosma
Head Instructor / Beach Manager | Cocos Islands 2020
