About the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival
The relevance of wooden boats
Every wooden boat tells a story. Its story is in the mighty trees that were felled to make it. The craftsmanship of the builder, the people that sailed it, and the places it has taken them. The development of Auckland’s wooden boating legacy also mirrors the development of the region in its early decades. If we can understand the story of our maritime heritage, we can better understand how our city has been shaped, and perhaps how to face up to some of the challenges of the future.
This festival is about Auckland’s history, about living the past in the today, and bringing people together. The Auckland Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) celebrates the working waterfront of Auckland and our indigenous navigation heritage, the natural environment and sailing and boating as a sport and as a way of life.