Australian Wooden Boat Festival's success anchored in community spirit
by Australian Wooden Boat Festival 11 Feb 22:13 NZDT
7-10 February 2025
Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2025 © Stuart Gibson
The Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) 2025 has once again anchored its status as the Southern Hemisphere's premier celebration of wooden boats and maritime culture, drawing massive crowds to Hobart's historic Sullivans Cove waterfront from Friday, 7 February to Monday, 10 February 2025.
As Tasmania's largest free festival, AWBF transformed the city's waterfront into a vibrant maritime wonderland, featuring over 400 stunning wooden boats both afloat and ashore. Enthusiastic boat owners eagerly shared their craftsmanship and stories, immersing visitors in a living history of maritime traditions. Adding to the grandeur, 11 majestic tall ships graced the festival, offering unforgettable sails and exclusive deck tours.
AWBF 2025 went beyond the extraordinary vessels with a rich program of over 100 engaging activations. Festival-goers participated in workshops on traditional woodworking, knotwork, and decorative arts, while on-water activities included waka ama demonstrations, public rowing, safety exhibitions, and the popular 'Quick & Dirty Boat Challenge and Race.' The festival's ticketed workshops and events were in high demand, selling out well in advance, showcasing the public's eager appetite for hands-on maritime experiences.
The entertainment offering was equally impressive, with live theatre, music performances, captivating exhibitions, and a Pacific Film Festival. Families were drawn to the Little Sailors Village, where kids enjoyed the Kumundar Gujo Japanese jungle gym, haka and circus workshops, solar-powered and wooden boat-making, and engaged with maritime crafts and storytelling.
Festival-goers also indulged in Tasmania's renowned local produce across the site and at the Gotta Love Tassie Seafood marquee, where top chefs hosted cooking demonstrations and tastings. The bustling Maritime Marketplace added another layer to the experience, offering a wide range of unique maritime-themed products, from boatbuilding supplies to artisanal crafts, and everything in between.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Seafarers Precinct and the Wooden Boat Symposium provided engaging talks and presentations from esteemed Pacific shipwrights, curators, and adventurers, further enriching the festival's thematic focus on the Pacific. Special guests hailed from New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii, Tahiti, the Marshall Islands, Japan, the US West Coast, and Niue, fostering a true cultural exchange across the maritime community.
Spanning more than 30 permanent and temporary venues across Hobart's waterfront and into the city, the festival created dynamic and transformative experiences that captivated visitors at every turn.
While final attendance numbers are still being tallied, early estimates suggest AWBF 2025 exceeded the 60,000 visitations seen in 2023.
Above all, the festival's success was made possible by the dedication of over 400 volunteers, whose tireless efforts ensured the seamless operation of this world-class event.
AWBF General Manager and Festival Director Paul Stephanus said, "It's incredibly rewarding to see Hobart's waterfront come to life, bustling with happy crowds and boats, all immersed in maritime culture. AWBF is Tasmania's most beloved festival, driven by passionate individuals and community groups dedicated to preserving our maritime heritage. While some may view it as a niche event for wooden boat enthusiasts, they'd be mistaken. This is a celebration for all, uniting our community and visitors to share in the craftsmanship, joy, and stories that make this event truly special."
As the sails are lowered and the festival concludes, the AWBF team extends heartfelt gratitude to all participants, visitors, volunteers, and partners who contributed to making AWBF 2025 an unforgettable celebration of maritime heritage, craftsmanship, and culture.
To find out about all that was on offer for the 2025 AWBF, check out the program and schedule at awbf2025.org.au