The Great Whangārei Boatyard Challenge proved great entertainment to wrap up the festival, with boats made out of rubbish provided by Northland Waste.
The Great Whangārei Boatyard Challenge proved great entertainment to wrap up the festival, with boats made out of rubbish provided by Northland Waste.
Whangārei’s Town Basin was full to the gunwales as tens of thousands attended the third annual Whangārei Maritime Festival over the weekend.
Organisers say the event went beyond their wildest expectations, with between 18,000 and 22,000 attendees over the two days.
Organised by the Black Ball Maritime Society, the freeevent paid homage to Whangārei’s maritime history, from Tokunui Trust waka representing the oldest use of the river, to classic yachts and modern craft.
“People loved being able to see the boats on display and chatting with the owners and operators. Many had a genuine interest in how to get a job working in this amazing world of boats,” he said.
The children’s area proved popular, with youngsters building 400 model boats, around 1000 ceramic fish being painted and the remote control boat racing pond being busy all hours of the day, Irvin said.
Summer-like weather also helped boost the crowd numbers, which were particularly high on Saturday morning, even before the official start-time, he said.
The Great Whangārei Boatyard Challenge “spun the fun-meter off the dial” to close the festival on Sunday, Irvin said.
Three teams had to make boats from rubbish provided by Northland Waste.
Scroll through the photos to see more from the Whangārei Maritime Festival 2025:
Image 1 of 13: In the Great Whangārei Boatyard Challenge, one of the boats made from recycled rubbish sank soon after take-off.
The race saw one boat sink soon after leaving the starting line and another getting hooked-up on the turning mark, providing great entertainment for the crowd, Irvin said.
“The howls of laughter from the crowd that was cheering them on was a fitting end to the weekend event.”
Irvin said the event could not have happened without the support from primary sponsors Whangārei District Council, Northland Inc, Culham Engineering, Heron Ship Repair and Northland Waste.
Tokunui Trust also provided a cultural element to the festival with their waka, as well as adding an invaluable youthful Māori spirit to the event, he said.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
