A Danish Pilot’s NZ Jou By Lars David Lauridsen
S
ince I was very young, I dreamed of New Zealand.
I have good friends who have travelled around the country again and again who could talk for hours about the nature, sceneries and people down under. For ages I have envied them. Where did their courage come from? I just wished so much to go there and see for myself.
A lifelong passion for flying I have been passionate about hang gliding for more than 35 years, ever since I jumped from a slope and flew for the very first time in 1983 on March 24th. From that very moment I was hooked - and I still
am. I have been flying where ever possible in Denmark and at many interesting places in Europe and on four different continents, but flying in New Zealand remained a dream until this year. As I was 57 I began to realise that if
my dream should come true I should not wait so much longer. And as my life situation and my economy allowed me to take three months off in early 2019, I found the courage to throw myself into it: Without knowing anybody in NZ I bought a three month ticket to Christchurch with a return from Auckland and left Denmark with my backpack, my sleeping bag and hiking boots. I also had a list of hang gliding clubs in my bag and a membership as a visiting pilot of the NZHGPA.
Guided by intuition I did not plan any details in advance. My goal was to travel light
Above; Hang gliders and paragliders in the air at Western Lake Left; Ashley, Kevin and the Dane
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and for cheap with an open mind and ruled by intuition rather than by time schedules. And so I did. On the first day, I met a young Korean man who had rented a car and planned to explore the Southern island. He was looking for company and I was looking for transportation, so we joined forces and were both enjoying the two weeks we spent together despite differences in age and cultural background. We saw end experienced a lot, but still I kept wondering how to get in touch with fellow pilots and how to get to fly. Would I succeed? And yes, indeed I did succeed! Now, when looking back on my journey and my amazing flying experiences with lovely people, I am deeply grateful.
Flying in Able Tasman The first time, I got in contact with
