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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:30 pm 
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Location: Gippsland Lakes Victoria Australia
I am travelling to NZ early May and wondered whether there are any AI owners over there. I will be spending a week on the North island and another week on the South, based at Taupo and Queenstown respectively. I don't recall seeing any posts by any Kiwis on the AI forum but given their love of all forms of water sports, find it hard to believe they're not there somewhere :roll:

A distant relative of mine is going to manage an outrigger adventure business in Tonga for a couple of months from July. I'd like to join her if I can find a reasonably economic way to get my AI there. The islands in the Vava'u group would make a fantastic destination for some extremely memorable and photgenic adventures in paradise.
http://www.outriggerstonga.com/index.html
http://www.outriggerstonga.com/tonga_-_paradise_1.html

Maybe we need to have an annual world gathering of AIs in some exotic location that varies from year to year like many other sporting events :roll: :lol: I guess the biggest problem we would all face would be how to transport our AIs to the venue.
There seem to be lots in Hawaii so that would be a good place to start.
Whatd'ya reckon Bob :lol: :wink:

Mickey


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:48 pm 
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I've got four in my side yard so Come On Down! (or is it up?) :)

Kayaking Bob


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:14 pm 
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reconlon wrote:
I've got four in my side yard so Come On Down! (or is it up?) :)

Kayaking Bob


Very tempting Bob - I might just take you up on that offer :roll: :)
I'd still like to get an annual get together happening in varying exotic locations.
Perhaps Matt Miller could have a word to Hobart Alter re the possibilty that we just load our AIs onto his 60-foot, foam-core, twin-diesel power catamaran he designed and built himself, and head for the designated location :P :lol:
Mickey


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 5:28 am 
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Looks to me like Hobie could use a few more dealers to cover these idyllic locations.
How do you become a dealer.......... :roll:
Mickey


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:47 am 
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Actually, there don't seem to be very many kiwi members on the forums at all! And those that are are not very active :shock:
What gives :?:

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:22 am 
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Mickey, looking on the web, there only seems to be one Hobie dealer in New Zealand and they don't seem to sell AI's. Go figure.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:02 am 
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chrisj wrote:
Mickey, looking on the web, there only seems to be one Hobie dealer in New Zealand and they don't seem to sell AI's. Go figure.


Thats odd isnt it. Kiwi friend of mine said kayak fishing is HUGE over there I would have thought the AI would be selling like hot cakes.


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:35 pm 
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Maybe they just haven't penetrated that region yet. :roll:
I only discovered the AI while researching kayaks on the net last Oct 08 and was truly amazed to discover there did not appear to be one owner in the Gippsland Lakes area at that time!! :shock: This waterway of rivers, lakes opening up to the open sea is as good as you could get - so you can understand my suprise.
Once I bought mine, there were several subsequent orders, however I think the potential market for them here is enormous.
I was out on the lake a week ago and came across flocks of kayakers who were all from just one of the many private education colleges in Melbourne. They were completing a ten day adventure through the Gippsland Lakes, guided by two outdoor education guides - a young German girl and a Dutch male. They both thought it was quite ironic that a dutchy and a german were guiding aussie kids on an outdoor adventure in their own backyard!!

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:38 pm 
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The posts to this topic are all over a year old and I am wondering if there are now any dealers in New Zealand selling AIs and whether there are any other AI owners? My wife and I are interested in exploring parts of the South Island by water. We have had two AIs since 2007.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:40 pm 
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ray thomas wrote:
The posts to this topic are all over a year old and I am wondering if there are now any dealers in New Zealand selling AIs and whether there are any other AI owners? My wife and I are interested in exploring parts of the South Island by water. We have had two AIs since 2007.

Ray - where are you located?
Do you intend using your own AIs or ?

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:18 am 
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Located in Portland Oregon.

Have not seen any accounts of practical air or shipping options of AIs for short term trip to NZ and so was hoping to hear that a Hobie AI dealer was located in NZ somewhere so we could obtain a couple of boats for a trip in November 2009.

I had a good experience in Feb. 2009 when a friend and I flew to Key Largo FLA and rented two AIs from a dealer for a five day trip down and through the FLA Keys to Key West, about 150 miles after all was said and done.

I am hoping someone is renting AIs in NZ by now; any new developments?


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:33 pm 
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ray thomas wrote:
Located in Portland Oregon.

Have not seen any accounts of practical air or shipping options of AIs for short term trip to NZ and so was hoping to hear that a Hobie AI dealer was located in NZ somewhere so we could obtain a couple of boats for a trip in November 2009.

I had a good experience in Feb. 2009 when a friend and I flew to Key Largo FLA and rented two AIs from a dealer for a five day trip down and through the FLA Keys to Key West, about 150 miles after all was said and done.

I am hoping someone is renting AIs in NZ by now; any new developments?


Ray - I spent a week on each island in May. What I noticed is that there appears to be a well developed Kayak fishing fraternity and the local fishing and game shops in Taupo had some very well designed fishing kayaks for sale. In many ways they reminded me of our Hobie Adventure kayak - however there was one huge difference (in the kayak) - they didn't have the Mirage Drive pedal option! There certainly wasn't any sail or akas either. Strange in some ways - as it's such a windy place and would be well suited to the kind of activities we like - fishing, sailing, cruising, photography to name a few.

One of the Hobie dealers here in Victoria, arranged a fishing expedition in Western Australia and the package included the cost of air freighting your AI from Melbourne to the nearest airport to Dirk Hartog Island and back. I seem to recall the freight cost amounted to approx $750 AU return.

It's times like this when you need a foldup or inflatable - unless of course you come across on your own yacht :P :roll:

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:20 am 
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Location: Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia
mickeymouse wrote:
ray thomas wrote:
Located in Portland Oregon.

Have not seen any accounts of practical air or shipping options of AIs for short term trip to NZ and so was hoping to hear that a Hobie AI dealer was located in NZ somewhere so we could obtain a couple of boats for a trip in November 2009.

I had a good experience in Feb. 2009 when a friend and I flew to Key Largo FLA and rented two AIs from a dealer for a five day trip down and through the FLA Keys to Key West, about 150 miles after all was said and done.

I am hoping someone is renting AIs in NZ by now; any new developments?


Ray - I spent a week on each island in May. What I noticed is that there appears to be a well developed Kayak fishing fraternity and the local fishing and game shops in Taupo had some very well designed fishing kayaks for sale. In many ways they reminded me of our Hobie Adventure kayak - however there was one huge difference (in the kayak) - they didn't have the Mirage Drive pedal option! There certainly wasn't any sail or akas either. Strange in some ways - as it's such a windy place and would be well suited to the kind of activities we like - fishing, sailing, cruising, photography to name a few.

One of the Hobie dealers here in Victoria, arranged a fishing expedition in Western Australia and the package included the cost of air freighting your AI from Melbourne to the nearest airport to Dirk Hartog Island and back. I seem to recall the freight cost amounted to approx $750 AU return.

It's times like this when you need a foldup or inflatable - unless of course you come across on your own yacht :P :roll:


What are we talking about here now Mickey?...Pirate :wink:

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:35 pm 
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Probably the reason is simply cost. Kiwi dollar would make an AI close to 7K NZD. :shock: One can buy a good car or rent a house for almost a year for that. There are a ton of alternative ways to get fishing there, e.g. a nice "tin-boat". They look like scaled down runabouts that are built for the ocean. 8) Truth is the AI is a bit of a rich persons toy.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:59 am 
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Luto wrote:
Probably the reason is simply cost. Kiwi dollar would make an AI close to 7K NZD. :shock: One can buy a good car or rent a house for almost a year for that. There are a ton of alternative ways to get fishing there, e.g. a nice "tin-boat". They look like scaled down runabouts that are built for the ocean. 8) Truth is the AI is a bit of a rich persons toy.
:wink:

Luto, when I last checked,an AI in Australia cost $A4200 and the exchange rate was $A1 = $NZ1.25, giving a price of $NZ5250 for an AI. I don't know where you live, but in Sydney, Australia, that would just about get you a reasonable secondhand motorbike or about 3 months rental of a house in one of the cheaper outer suburbs. Not many poor people own boats of any kind, but an AI is hardly a plaything of the rich - although a lot of rich people on luxury yachts seem to be fascinated when they see an AI go by. I think in their heart of hearts, they'd rather be down at water level sailing by the seat of their pants too :) .

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