Duders Peninsular

A coastal site on a regional-park peninsula, with two separate flying areas. The gentle contours mean the south-easterly site is mainly soarable in stronger winds, and there is often a fine line between soarable and too strong. When the wind is square in from the north, the whole peninsula can be flown; if it goes off to the north-west or north-east, working around to the eastern end and back becomes marginal. The ratings reflect that: the north site is PG2 for paragliders, the south-east site PG2 plus 30 hours, and both are Intermediate for hang gliders.

Launch & conditions

Take-off at the northerly site is 280 ft above sea level, normally in front of the trig, though the bowl immediately to the right can be used as well. There is vehicle access to the northerly site, but park before the trig — do not drive past it, as the road there is subsiding. Take-off at the south-easterly site is 180 ft, adjacent to the top-dressing fertiliser bins; the best top landing is in that area too, so park as close to the bins as practical.

Getting there & local rules

Both the north and south-eastern sites now sit inside a regional park, and access permission must be obtained in advance from the park ranger or the site monitor. Confirm with the ranger before taking any vehicles into the park, keep the number of vehicles to the minimum, and arrange to go in convoy — the remaining vehicles stay in the parking area before the padlocked gate.

Local rules & hazards

Flying alone is not permitted here, and the ranger is particularly concerned about it: respect that or the privilege of flying the site is likely to be lost. The site is located within controlled airspace with a ceiling of 1,500 ft, and the south-easterly site sits inside a low-flying area, so be aware of other aircraft below ridge height and close to the hill. Beach landings are tide-dependent — under the northern site there is no opportunity to land on the beach between half and full tide, and under the south-eastern site the bottom-landing option shrinks to almost nothing. From the north side there is also the option of gliding down to the far beach to the west and landing on the grass alongside the trees, an easy glide as long as you are not already very low.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Duders Peninsular, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Duders Peninsular with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.