Beauties, beasts at boat show

Thousands of boat owners and potential buyers from the top of the North Island kicked off the start of the new boating season at the National Boat & Fishing Show at Mystery Creek, Hamilton, last weekend.

An attendance survey showed the big promotional campaign for the show recorded that Taranaki and Bay of Plenty visitors were boosted by big numbers heading south from Auckland and across from the Coromandel. Organisers say that with visitor levels on a par with last year's event, the decision to run a three-day event rather than the traditional four days was the right one.

Marine Industry Association executive director Peter Busfield said that with some level of economic uncertainty in the major cities it was reassuring to see the high level of boats and marine equipment sold in the farming-dominated heart of the Waikato.

"With around 90 per cent of the 200-plus boats on display designed and built in New Zealand it is easy to see how well our $1.5 billion marine industry continues to thrive, both in this country and in our export markets," Busfield said.

The on-site visitor research showed that more than 70 per cent of the visitors, half of them from outside the greater Waikato area, were boat owners. Of the others, 20 per cent said they intended to buy a boat in the next year and were using the show to decide what make and model to get into. The show was set up as a family weekend, with a Kids' Zone and increased activity on Lake Emmett.

A popular attraction was the centennial celebration of the outboard motor. There were vintage motors on display, rare archive film footage as well as a 1920s outboard in action on Lake Emmett.

By contrast Andrew Fink Marine flew in the latest in monster motors, a Suzuki DF300 V6, the world's first 300hp 4-stroke, to demonstrate how the technology has developed. At four litres and with a $43,000 price tag the Suzuki was a crowd-stopper.

One aspect of the event that pleased Busfield was the success of the industry training drive.

The MIA boss is also chief of the Boating Industry Training Organisation and said the level of interest shown by young people and their parents at the BITO stand was encouraging. Both field officer Chris Van der Hor and training co-ordinator Jacqui Bolton were busy throughout the show.

Busfield said: "At present 550 apprentices have a secure job future within the industry both here and internationally. With the surge in export sales of New Zealand-built boats the BITO is looking for more apprentices for boat-building and related marine trades and we are finding boat shows are a great place to demonstrate the opportunities."

Major exhibitors were adamant that the Mystery Creek show's all-round success indicated it would remain the region's premier venue to promote boats, boating and fishing.