On the beach, I did spend an afternoon watching a bunch of beginners taking Kite Surfing lessons. Kite Surfing is where you wear a harness connected to a large kite and then slide your feet into a wakeboard and take off across the water and for short periods of time you can obtain low altitude orbits and do flips, spins and spectacular crashes. The women seemed to do better than their boyfriends at learning the sport. Lisa thought it was to do with women knowing their balance better and being more in tune – I think it was because the instructor was a guy and part of learning sometimes involves the instructor and student to be tethered together. Men are dogs…except for married men…and men in committed relationships. What about cheating married men? Now cut that out.
Basically how one learns to Kite Surf is something like this: Learn how to put on the harness, learn how the wires and control bar connect the harness to the kite, learn how to fly the kite on land and control it without being pulled down the beach rolling like a ball, learn how to walk the kite into the surf, learn how to let the kite drag you in the surf, learn how to let the kite drag you in the opposite direction in the surf, learn how to slip a board onto your feet and get up and start kite surfing. Doesn’t that sound easy? Anyways, I wanted to do it, but didn’t have time this trip. One injury per couple.
The Thala Beach Lodge does supply free shuttle service to and from Port Douglas. More about Port Douglas in the next installment.
