"It was really, really fun," Charlotte said.
"There was beautiful, blue sky and the sun was shining."
Mr Reid's family lived in Matua and were lucky enough to spot the kites from home.
"There was a giant squid and stingray, some of these kites are gigantic," Mr Reid said.
"It was a perfect day, there was a nice gentle breeze and those kites were so colourful against the blue sky and it felt like it was the most beautiful place on Earth really, it was a lovely spot."
Bernie Johnson, Tauranga Matariki event organiser and Tauranga Library librarian was overwhelmed with the volume of people who showed their support for the first-time event.
"There [were] some hard-case ones up in the air," Ms Johnson said.
"It's been a massive day for it and they reckon I should get a Lotto ticket after this."
Ms Johnson explained the connection between kite flying and Matariki reached back to Maori ancestors who believed flying traditional objects similar to kites connected them to the Maori gods.
"Traditional Maori flew kites on the first day of Matariki. Not only to celebrate the arrival of the Maori New Year but to also connect "from the Earth to the heavens".
The New Zealand Flyers Association also took part in the event, which brought kite enthusiasts from around the North Island to spend a day in the Bay.
Ms Johnson hoped to see the successful event return for next year's celebrations.
