Rippa Rita – true blue Aussie kites

Aside from Bundy rum, XXXX beer and Holden Commodores, all of which abound in Queensland, finding fair dinkum Aussie products can be a bit of a challenge. With this in mind, we’d like to introduce you to three Australian-made kite brands and the kite makers behind them. Ground Zero Tasmanian born and bred, Robert Brasington is hugely respected on the kite scene. He is regularly invited to fly at kite festivals and his distinctive cellular designs and fluttering tails brighten up skies all around the world. In addition to these stunning single-line kites, Robert and his wife Tracey produce the Ground Zero range of sport kites. These are super tough, affordable and made in Tasmania. The Ground Zero Sparky ($69) is a fantastic entry-level stunt kite, great for kids and suitable for stacking. These kites can be custom built in your choice of colours. KPQ stocks the following Ground Zero kites (click on the name to view): Sparky, Nipper, Nipper Extreme, Slash, Point Blank, Jester. We also stock the Robert Brasington Sojourn (pictured), a stunning double box-style kite. Click here to see the Robert Brasington Kites website Bob Dawson’s D-Wing II Those who attended the Coolum Kite Festival this year would have seen a magnificent sport kite towing a 40-metre tail and loop-the-looping in the sky. That was Bob Dawson’s D-Wing II, a brilliant paradox of a beast, best described as an ultra-light power kite. Bob, another legend of the kite world, has been designing and manufacturing kites for 20 years. Bob is razor sharp and precise when it comes to kite design and flying. Over the years, he’s won a heap of awards for team flying and is regularly called on to show the amateurs how it’s done. That said, Bob is a big kid at heart and just loves mucking around with kites. The D-Wing II covers a massive wind range – it’s the first kite you’ll see in light wind, but can also handle a good strong breeze when other kites have been packed away. It has a static bridle so there’s no fiddling around, and is meticulously handcrafted in your choice of colours in Coffs Harbour. A custom-made D-Wing II costs $348 plus lines. Click here to see the D-Wing II on the KPQ website Most Excellent Flying Machine When Warren “Macka” McIntosh got his hands on an MEFM (Most Excellent Flying Machine) in 1994, he stopped being a good kite flyer and became the best. Winning two gold medals at that year’s Australian National Sport Kite Championships, Macka knew he needed to make these truly excellent flying machines available to Australian kite flyers. He had soon convinced the American MEFM designer Ray Bordelan to let him make these kites for the Australian market, and MEFM has been going strong ever since. The MEFM is a serious sport kite. Its unique design and construction give it durability and a phenomenal wind range, and it can be fine-tuned to suit your flying style. MEFMs dominate competitive kite flying and are still handmade in Northern NSW. Click here to read the MEFM story Click here to see the MEFM on the KPQ website