AUSSIE EXPLORATION: RODRIGUES
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Mauritius and the headline-grabbing Le Morne region provides the perfect cover to keep another island offering kiting perfection out of the headlines… Rodrigues is only a short flight away from Mauritius but feels like you’ve traveled back in time to a quieter world of kiting perfection. Australian kite journo Ollie Jacobs investigates…
Aussies and Kiwis… Our European settler ancestral roots belong to that of the once convicted, cast out from high tea society, banished to the land of plenty. Our thirst for the seadog life by the ocean is deeply ingrained, as is the lure of distant, exotic, remote lands.
As kitesurfers, this addiction to the exploration for the ultimate destination is intensified. Chasing the sun, wind and waves are what bonds every kiter, in all corners of the world.
Check the bank balance? Probably enough. Get time off work? Ahhh doesn’t matter, just quit and get a new job when I get back. Round up your mates, girlfriend, family, or failing that: solo traveling is good for the soul…
FOLLOW THE SUN, CHASE WIND, FIND YOUR DREAM.
So with this attitude, I was off on another trip to Mauritius. The Mecca for kitesurfing has it all: warm water, incredible waves, wind, nightlife, and everything from 5-star resorts through to jungle cabins. If you’ve ever considered a trip here, don’t second guess it, just do it: it’s incredible. Traveling with my good friend and fellow photographer Brenton Owens, we were excited for the three weeks of pure kitesurfing and photography adventures. Excited to be returning to Mauritius but also excited for further explorations, we were heading out to a tiny province of Mauritius and a kiteboarding haven called Rodrigues.
Rodrigues is relatively unknown to the general kitesurfing community. Most kiters get to Mauritius and say “it can’t get any better than this” and, well, that’s true for most. But if you like adventure, if you want to get a taste of what Mauritius was like 20 years ago before the tourist boom and big resorts, clubs, and crowds, then jot down ‘Must do Rodrigues’ on your itinerary and you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.
ADVENTURE TIME
After a few days of kiting and partying at Le Morne, we set off to the Mauritius airport with a heap of kite and photography gear. Combining these two passions is beautiful but, Jesus, you end up traveling with a lot of equipment! Arriving a little late, we drove straight into the exit lane of Terminal 4, then the VIP section, and then parked in a sot labeled TAXIS ONLY. What a start… Sure enough, within seconds the security lady was over and told us to move on to a spot way over the other side of the airport. We had way too much gear to consider this seriously. When traveling, I can’t recall the number of times I’ve played full ‘dumb tourist’ mode and just smiled and blurted out “Gidday mate, we’re on walkabout from Australia!” Usually this gets me out of most hitches… But not this time, she was on the walkie-talkie to her boss and over he came, not looking too stoked. “Where are you going?” he demanded. “Rodrigues,” I said, and with that his face lit up, and he offered to help us unload our gear right there! Turns out he was from Rodrigues and was very happy these dumb Aussies were off to see his beautiful country…
TOUCH DOWN
We got picked up from the airport by local operator Andy Alberts. Andy is a long-time local and runs a kite school there. We emailed him a few days prior, and he hooked us up with a 4WD and accommodation for our first few days. On the way, he gave us a quick rundown of the island… Here are the key points:
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The island is pretty small, you can drive from one side to the other in an hour. The roads are quite good, traffic is minimal (most locals walk everywhere or get the buses).
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With a low population of about 40,000 crime is very low, and a happy, small community vibe prevails. Locals wave to you and speak predominantly French and Creole, with most also speaking some English.
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Groceries and beer are cheap, accommodation varies significantly from very cheap to resort style. Restaurants are relatively inexpensive, around €10 for a meal.
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The windy season is June to October with a predominantly south easterly direction lighting up one half of the main island to kiting. The main attraction for the kiting is the flatwater, crystal clear water lagoons and the beautiful small islands off the mainland. The wind is generally consistent and usually moderately windy at around 20 knots, with some screamer 30 knot days.
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It does get chilly some days when it’s overcast, so take a good wetsuit top and reef boots if you’re learning as there can be some sharp coral.
WAVE HUNTING
Being predominantly wave kiters, we Googled ‘Rodrigues kitesurfing waves’ and found some info about a reef offshore that occasionally works for waves and wind. Andy said he would take us out there so off we went. A 30 minute boat trip on the local fishing boat and we were pleasantly surprised by 2-3 feet of swell wrapping mostly lefts into a channel around a small sand island. After a quick safety tutorial on the spot, and info on how sketchy this place was on the outgoing tide, Andy said we had two hours before it turned, so we pumped up and hit it. We had a great session with Brenton jumping in the water for a bit with his water housing and capturing some shots. We didn’t want to stop, but Andy gave us the ‘wrap it up’ hand signal as the tide was starting to drain out of the channel. I picked up Brenton from the water to tow him in and could see what Andy was saying. It took a good 10 minutes or so to drag Brenton into the lagoon with the outgoing tide now really starting to pump out. But all turned out well, we landed our kites in the lagoon – which Andy’s apprentice Marcus helped pack up – cracked some beers and cruised along the beautiful sandy islands full of birds and sea life galore. Perfect.
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