Jimmy Rimmer's Aitutaki dream - to set up a kiteboarding school in the Cook Islands - emerged in 2005 during a trip to the South Pacific nation with friend and now business partner Andrew Strawson.
The experienced kitesurfers discovered Aitutaki's picturesque blue lagoon provided some of the best conditions they had ever found.
They were aware of a school based at a Cook Island hotel but believed Aitutaki Lagoon's waist-deep warm water was a great place to teach beginners.
From June to September, the tradewinds create a consistent easterly flow Rimmer describes as "just that tropical bliss".
It bears no comparison to lakes Wanaka and Hawea, where beginners are challenged by cold, deep water and blustery nor'westers.
Kiteboarding (also known as kitesurfing) is not big - Rimmer estimates it's enjoyed by about 230,000 people around the world, perhaps 1000 in New Zealand and maybe just 35 have given it a go in the Wanaka area - but says the sport has made giant strides in the past 10 years.
"I came to it [after working in London] from doing no sport for six years.
"I was hanging out to get back into New Zealand and the outdoors again," the former banking and finance industry worker said.
Over a beer, Rimmer and Strawson, a scaffolder, decided to build a prefabricated kitesurf centre in Strawson's Hawea Flat shed and ship it, along with all their gear and a truck, 3015km northeast of Auckland.
They found a business partner in Aitutaki resident and lagoon tourism operator Mike Lee, who proved invaluable in helping them liaise with the locals on environmental issues.
What happened next was slightly more than a home handyman's nightmare but now, with one successful season under their belt and another about to start, Rimmer is relishing a return to paradise and beating the winter blues.
"It had never been done, so every step of the way, we couldn't ask someone how we should do it," he explained.
There was never a time where the men thought their dream was too hard but at every stage they struck an unexpected snag.
It was reasonably straightforward to source equipment and pack it into a shipping container in Auckland.
Then began the crash-course in customs claims.
Dealing with government officials in Rarotonga was accomplished but they then found they had to deal with another tier of concerns raised by Aitutaki locals.
Documentation was lost, the container was impounded, unexpected fees and taxes were charged and the Cook Islands Trade and Investment Board held up a red card because the business did not meet the $500,000 investment criteria.
Fortunately, the men had formed a local company, which eventually cleared a path for the enterprise to continue.
Tortured by ideal wind conditions and no access to their gear, the men were relieved to finally conquer the final bout of negotiation, payments and rubber-stamps.
They were free to build their removeable centre on an atoll known as "Exile Island" and made famous by the television programme Survivor two years earlier.
"And then the adventure really started," Rimmer says, grinning.
Mr Strawson had built a pontoon of drums, recycled steel and screws from an old jetty to ferry their stuff to the atoll.
It was a dark and windy day, the pontoon listed badly and the dream appeared to have sunk.
But Lee saved the situation by steering to the closest small island and many boat trips later, everything was where it needed to be.
"Then all the good things started.
It was windy, sunny, people were loving it, our boat was full and we had to subcontract another boat," Rimmer said.
For the next four months, South Pacific Kiteboarding operated every windy day in temperatures of 23degC to 25degC.
On an average day, they had five pupils; on a busy day, up to 20.
Friends from Wanaka and Lake Hawea were among their pupils.
A German film crew visited.
Tourists heard about the school in Rarotonga and looked for them.
Rimmer and Strawson also started teaching young local boys to kitesurf with the hope they will become instructors.
It takes about a week to master kiteboarding skills, if practising two to three hours a day, Rimmer says.
In between surfing lessons, pupils can hang out at the centre, swim, snorkel, picnic on smoked fish and sushi, or enjoy an ice-cold drink and the tranquil atoll from the comfort of a hammock.
Rimmer is relishing his return to paradise.
"We will probably celebrate if a problem emerges, because after last year, it won't be a very big one," he said.
About kiteboarding
• What is it?
"Careering across the open sea like a pirate and flying through the air like Superman - a real life X-Man with a kite and an attitude problem." - Marcus "Flash" Austin, former world kiteboarding champion
• The history
1960s: concept of using a kite and a board to propel yourself across water developed
1984: French brothers Dominique and Bruno Legaignoux patented the inflatable curved wing kite
1998: The first schools opened
1998: Marcus "Flash" Austin crowned the champion of the first world competition, held in Maui.
• Browse: www.southpacifickiteboarding.com.
• Tour dates: There are eight 12-day trips for 10 people.
The season starts June 4 and ends September 22.
• The deal: Hourly lessons for beginners range from $40 to $70, depending on size of group.
Gear rental $150 a day.
Tour packages for experienced kiters start at $2395, including flights, accommodation at Maina Lodge and boat transfers. Food not included.
