Paragliding
paragliding auckland

Imagine an urban environment where everyone lives within half an hour of beautiful beaches, hiking trails and a dozen enchanted holiday islands. Add a sunny climate, a background rhythm of Polynesian culture and a passion for outstanding food, wine, shopping, water-sports - you’re beginning to get the picture of Auckland. Auckland’s blend of islands, Polynesian culture, beautiful beaches, glistening harbours and modern city environment creates an unbelievable lifestyle ranked amongst the best in the world. Extreme Sports Café’s has a new partner Paragliding School based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Paragliding is one of these sports: You will have more fun, succeed a lot quicker and save yourself a lot of trouble if you get the basics straight right from the word go. Extreme Sports Cafe's partner New Zealand Paragliding school's training equipment is up-to-date and the instruction techniques are in line with the best around the world. One reason for this is the fact that they travel to Europe (the " heart of Paragliding”) every winter to fly international competitions and work with the big PG schools over there.

Extreme Sports Café’s partner Paragliding Centre runs a full size sailloft, where they manufacture paragliding equipment for most good NZ paragliding schools and customize equipment for many pilots in NZ as well as rep whatever a pilot may manage to break. The Paragliding Centre is appointed by the NZHGPA and the Auckland Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club to carry out WOF for flying equipment. Besides that they are the appointed Service Loft for the most reputable Overseas' Paraglidiairng companies and several manufacturers for flying instruments.

How do they have the expertise for all these jobs?

Check out the qualifications of the Instructors.

Extreme Sports Café’s partner New Zealand Paragliding School is located on Auckland's North Shore a short ferry ride from Auckland and overlooking the beautiful and tranquil Shoal Bay. There is regular hassle free ferry transport to and from the city allowing you to relax and enjoy the harbour cruise as you prepare to learn all about Paragliding or look forward to your Tandem Paragliding experience.

Extreme Sports Café’s partner New Zealand Paragliding School fly all year around. Most of the teaching is done September - May. 'The most reliable weather is usually January to April.

Auckland has a warm-temperate climate, with warm, humid summers and mild, damp winters. Temperatures are moderated by the primarily coastal climate, but the sun is often quite intense from September to March. January temperatures average 21-24°C. February can be warmer than January, but temperatures rarely exceed 30°C July maximum temperatures average 14-16°C. High levels of rainfall occur almost year-round (an average of 1249 mm per year), especially in winter. Climatic conditions vary in different parts of the city owing to geography such as hills, land cover and distance from the sea.

Tandem Paragliding Flight Experience $120NZper person

Let the Paragliding instructor do all the work!
A Tandem Paragliding Flight gives you the chance to experience a long flight above diverse and beautiful landscapes like the beautiful West Coast Beaches, soaring with the seagulls high above the cliff.
Without any training or experience you can fly like a pro for 20-30 min. You don't need to be very fit or sporty at all, depending on the site we can take pretty much anybody for an unforgettable Tandem Paragliding experience!

Duration of Tandem Paragliding Experience - 1/2 Day.

Tandem Paragliding Experience - $120.00NZ per person.

Generally, you can do Tandems, One-Day Courses, PG 1 and PG2 Paragliding courses in Auckland any day during the season with few exceptions.
More advanced courses are scheduled so please do contact us for dates.
Having 4 fully qualified instructors available, we can cater for all levels at all times.

One Day Paragliding Course $190NZ per person per day

Experience paragliding flight in a simple and safe way. You will be taught the basics about Paragliding techniques and Paragliding safety.

This Paragliding course is a fun and exciting day during which we teach you some basics of flying a Paraglider.
You will start by learning how to inflate, launch and control a Paraglider, while you are initially firmly on the ground. Once that is mastered, you then progress to very small flights and later even to a couple of solo flight should you feel confident enough. You will be surprised how quickly you may progress.
You can also choose to do a tandem flight instead.

Paragliding Course Cost - $190NZ per person per day.

Beginner Paragliding (PG1) Course $570NZ per person

If you have the desire to learn how to fly, then this is the course for you. It is ideal for a first timer who wants a good solid basis from which to learn this exciting sport. It will provide you with the first structured training enabling you to fly under the direct supervision of an instructor.
This Paragliding course gives you very good understanding what paragliding is all about. Within 4 days you learn to launch a glider well in different weather conditions, fly safely, soar along the coast for long relaxing flights and land safely.
You fulfil all the requirements for a learner's rating (PG1) issued by the NZ Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. In addition we treat you to a tandem flight with one of our instructors in order to teach you some of the finer skills of flying first hand, you get to go soaring. We will also cover necessary theory topics e.g. weather, aerodynamics.
Only $390NZ after taking the One-Day-Course

Paragliding Course Cost - $570 per person.

This is what it's all about! This Paragliding course is for those who've got the bug and choose to pursue the beautiful sport of Paragliding. The course typically takes about 10 - 20 days, depending on how frequently you can train, how much good weather you strike and how you progress. You will get to the stage where you can confidently fly by yourself pretty much anywhere you like. You will be soaring along the coast and thermalling at many different beautiful sites. Instructional tandems and the latest international teaching techniques let you achieve this goal in the safest and most efficient way possible. In comprehensive theory sessions you gain knowledge of weather, aerodynamics and flight theory etc. to give you better understanding of the Paragliding sport to make it safe and fun.

The cost of this Paragliding Course depends on how you plan to go about it. Since this is the course for those who are going to get into flying seriously, most pilots purchase their own equipment after PG1 Paragliding Course.
We do offer special package deals, which include a glider, a harness, back protector etc and the PG2 instructions. Package deals cost about NZ$2,500 to $4,000 for quality 2nd hand gear, and about $3,800 to $5,500 for the latest new equipment.
Please do contact us for more information on this.

Paragliding Course Cost: On request

The finer arts of Paragliding!
These Paragliding courses are designed to teach new PG2 pilots and coastal pilots some of those more advanced techniques and skills, which accelerate your progress after your PG2 course. That includes thermalling, confidently flying in unstable air, advanced site assessment and basics of cross country flying.
You will need the skills of this paragliding course for Fly-Ins, Competitions and Cross Country Courses.
Course is run by Jeff Ripley, one of our most experienced pilots in Auckland.

Including: Theory, weather and site briefing, in-flight instructions and de-brief.
4 pilots per course only.

Paragliding Course Cost - $110NZ per person per day.

The next step in flying!
Once you are good at launching, thermalling and landing, it is time to try some XC flying.
Learn about assessing XC weather and sites, techniques, safety issues and performance flying. Where do you go? And when? What do you look for? This Paragliding Cross Country Course will answer those questions for you.

Paragliding Course Cost - $110NZ per person per day.

An essential paragliding skill!

Auckland and New Zealand sites and weather conditions require above-average take off skills. Perfect launching gives you confidence and makes your flying much safer. During this course, we help you to perfect your technique and teach you advanced launch methods. These courses are strictly for maximum 2 participants per instructor (Jeff, Eva, John) to optimize the result.

Paragliding Course Cost - $85NZ per person per day.

Extreme Paragliding Manoeuvres!
SIV courses can beam you into the next category of pilots The big mysteries of advanced flying become easy to understand, you practice to handle your glider better, fly more actively, gain confidence and prepare yourself to react well in every situation. .
Theory discussions are first; we design your personal SIV program depending on your experience level; practical manoeuvres; analyzing the video footage. This is a very valuable Paragliding course of one theory session and 3 SIV flights with video coverage.
SIV Paragliding Courses are held in NZ, Australia or Europe at times.
Please contact us for more information on this.

Paragliding Course Cost: On request and depending on venue

*All Paragliding course prices are in New Zealand dollar unless stated otherwise.

Generally, you can do Tandems, One-Day Courses, PG 1 and PG2 Paragliding courses in Auckland any day during the season with few exceptions.
More advanced courses are scheduled so please do contact us for dates.
Having 4 fully qualified instructors available, we can cater for all levels at all times.
Extreme Sports Café’s partner New Zealand Paragliding School fly all year around. Most of the teaching is done September - May. 'The most reliable weather is usually January to April.

Reuben has sailed competitively since childhood, both in NZ and overseas. He has been a member of 3 NZ America's Cup campaigns, both as a sailor and a sailmaker.
Once paragliding became his passion, he instructed in the most reputable schools in Europe and also worked for several leading European paragliding manufacturers in their development and manufacturing departments.
When it comes to know-how on PG equipment and materials, Reuben is the one who can give you first hand information which is based on a solid background in the sailing/sail making and paragliding industry.

• National Team Member. (3 years running)
• 1st Place 1997 NZ Championships.
• 1st Place 1997 New Caledonian Open.

Kitesurfing is his latest passion. After watching the sport develop while he was in Europe, he has found the perfect kit for NZ conditions and since has been known to be out kitesurfing whenever it is too windy for Paragliding.

Eva has worked with many of the best European schools to learn more about the best, safest and most successful teaching methods.
Due to this experience and her good connection to overseas paragliding organisations, she has been appointed "Training Manager" for the NZ Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, her job being to develop, raise and control the teaching standards in NZ paragliding schools.

For several years Eva flew Paragliding competitions:
• National Team Member 5 year’s running.
• NZ Team Leader World Championships.
• NZ Woman's Distance Record.
• Auckland Distance Record. (Male and Female) 1st Lady 1997
• NZ Championships 1st Lady 1995.
• NZ Championships 5th at the 1995 Men's.
• NZ Championships 6th Lady 1995 World Championships. (best Kiwi at the Worlds)

Can anybody fly?
Tandem Paragliding flights require no training, no special skill and a very low level of fitness. In fact, besides hundreds and thousands of fit and young passengers, we have also taken a lady for a Paragliding tandem flight on her 93rd birthday and flown with people with disabilities. To fly solo, you still don't need to be a top athlete. The equipment packs down into a backpack, which is easy to carry. Still, very fit people will find it easier to walk back up a practicing hill during the early days of training, while older or less fit people may want to take a bit more time.
But - who is in a hurry???

Do you need a license to fly in New Zealand?
Yes, to free fly one needs a PG2 rating which is issued by the NZHGPA (New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association), which in turn is governed by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). We teach to this level and test students accordingly.

Who issues the license in New Zealand?
The NZ Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association issue all licenses.
The CAA delegates NZHGPA to issue Paragliding and Hang Gliding ratings. Certified instructors teach for the NZHGPA and sign such ratings off.

What license do you gain for the PG1 course?
PG 1 = Learners Rating License.
You will still need supervision by an instructor to fly with a PG1 rating.

What license do you gain for the PG2 course?
You get a PG 2 rating. This is an intermediate rating, which allows you to fly pretty much anywhere by yourself.

Booking.
Booking's can be made on line with a small deposit payment to secure your place. On the day, please ring The Paragliding Centre between 9am and 9.30am to get the latest information on the weather forecast for the day and the place and time to meet for your paragliding course.

Where to meet?
You can either meet us at our premises/Paragliding Centre and drive with us or meet us at the flying site.

Where we fly.
We use a variety of paragliding sites around Auckland depending on the wind conditions on the day. Most of them are 30-60mins drive from downtown. Several places are on the coast and some are on inland farms.

What to bring?
You need comfortable cloths for paragliding - maybe shorts and T-shirt - but also a warmer windbreaking top. Please wear ankle-protecting footwear such as hiking boots. Since we spend most of the day somewhere on a beautiful hill in the country side, you also need to bring food and plenty to drink..

Extreme Sports Cafe's Paragliding Center is only 7 mins from Auckland downtown by Ferry. Hence there is every accommodation imaginable.
From Backpackers to flash hotels.
Great B&B's from NZ$90 upwards to very fancy at $200 per night.

• The location is ideal for tourists and visitors, even those without cars. While other public transport is a bit of a disaster in NZ, the ferry takes people from downtown straight to our front door in a few minutes.

• North Shore City is only 30 minutes drive from Auckland International Airport, which is a three and a half hour flight from Sydney, a non-stop overnight flight from the United States, and around 10 hours flight from most places on the Pacific Rim, like Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

• New Zealand's unit of currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZ$). Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at most banks and some hotels in North Shore City. All major credit cards can be used in New Zealand and travelers' cheques are accepted at hotels, banks and some stores. In general, banks are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, although some banks are open in weekends. Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are widely available at banks, along main shopping streets and in some petrol stations.

• The cafe scene is varied and exciting in North Shore City and quality restaurants are plentiful. Dining out is a pleasure with a wide variety of choices to tempt the most discerning palates. The cuisine on offer is truly international - Turkish to traditional Kiwi, using the best of local produce complemented by the nation's finest wines. After dinner, continue the evening with a visit to one of the numerous wine bars, pubs and nightclubs in the city.

Health for Paragliding..

In any case, if you suffer from heart problems or epilepsy or any other medical condition, which may cause difficulty you should certainly consult your doctor first.

Expect to be asked about health matters before you sign on at our paragliding training school. Piloting and drugs do not mix. Your instructor will not let you fly ifyou have consumed alcohol that day, or if they suspect that you have taken drugs.

All of our Paragliding Courses can be booked online.