Skywhale was so 2013. But a whale in the sky? You can marvel at one on Sunday at the Googong kite festival.
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Canberra kite enthusiast Ian Burrell is one of a number of fanatics showing off his magnificent and magical kites on Rockley Oval from 11am.
Mr Burrell, who owns 16 "big ones" and "god knows how many" smaller kites, started flying about 25 years ago.
"There weren't many big kites in Australia in those days so I only started down on small kites, naturally," he said.
Mr Burrell said after he began flying kites, it was only natural to progress to the bigger models.
"The difference between flying a small kite and flying a big kite is like the difference between driving a Mini Minor and a V8," he compared.
"There is a fair bit of difference."
As well as a 16-metre whale kite, Mr Burrell will be showcasing his enormous caterpillar kite and his brand new owl, stingray, and what he believes will be a crowd favourite, a giant heart.
"No matter what shape you think of, it can be made into a kite," he said.
"The heart took four months to get [from New Zealand]. They don't keep it in stock because it's too big."
Another new favourite of Mr Burrell's is his turtle kite. After he got the package in early August, the weather did not cooperate for him to try it out.
"It's never been flown before but I wanted to see what it looked like so I got the leaf blower out in the backyard and put it where the wind blows and inflated it."
Mr Burrell said luckily, the wind conditions were looking positive for the kite festival.
The event will feature a variety of larger kites, with visitors invited to bring their own smaller versions. A barbecue will be on offer, as well as a DJ spinning tunes and a playground for the children.
Mr Burrell said the thing that draws him to kite flying is the incredulous looks on faces as the kites take to the skies.
"I like watching the expressions on the faces of children and adults just because they don't really believe the big kites can fly," he said.
The kites, which are worth up to $4000, are more valuable than most things to Mr Burrell.
"I do it for the love of flying and the love of kites," he said.
The Googong Kite Festival will be held from 11am to 2pm today, Sunday August 16, at Rockley Oval, Rockley Parade, Googong.
