Media Releases

The Australian Wooden Boat Festival

Hobart, Tasmania – 9-12 February 2007

The maritime city of Hobart will host its seventh Australian Wooden Boat Festival in February 2007, with the historic waterfront precinct a scene of colour, excitement, action, music and flavours, all inspired by the sea.

Since 1994, the biennial event in and around Hobart’s docks has celebrated the unique character and appeal of craft constructed from timber, the world’s traditional and time-honoured boat-building material. With its superb native specialty timbers such as Huon and King Billy pine, Tasmania is the ideal location to showcase the craft and art of wooden boat design and construction.

For the first time this year, the 2007 Australian Wooden Boat Festival will be held over four summer days from 9-12 February. This festival will showcase a record number of vessels with more than 500 boats ranging from dinghies to tall ships.

The highlights will include:

• The magnificent replica of the 16th Dutch ship Duyfken, in Australia as part of her 400th anniversary voyage
• Three traditional bluff-bowed sailing boats from Holland, with their Dutch crews
• Tall ships HM Bark Endeavour, Windeward Bound, Enterprize, One and All and Lady Nelson
• The new Derwent rowing skiff, designed and built especially for the Festival
• The Port Fairy lifeboat, world’s oldest self-righting, self-draining lifeboat
• The Zephyr, built in 1873 is Australia’s oldest registered yacht

The festival program will blend its traditional events and feature new nautical drawcards including:

• The Parade of Sail on the Derwent River
• The ‘quick and dirty boat building challenge’
• The Shipwrights Village and Maritime Marketpace
• Sounds of the Sea, live music on the waterfront
• Seataste featuring Tasmania’s fresh seafood
• The Australian National Maritime Museum’s research for the Australian Register of Historic Vessels

A $40 pass covers adult entry to all four days of the Festival. Single-day entry costs $12 (Friday and Monday) or $16 (Saturday and Sunday). Entry for children under 16 is  free when accompanied by an adult, or $5 unaccompanied.

Continue the nautical-themed break to Hobart by taking a cruise from the docks to experience a blend of heritage, environment and luxury. Sail beside seacliffs and seal colonies with Bruny Island Charters or board one of Navigators luxury vessels to the Port Arthur Historic Site or across to Moorilla Estate to savour its famed wines.

For more details on the festival and its travel packages, visit www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au. For more information on Tasmania and cruising experiences, visit www.discovertasmania.com

Media accreditation for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival

Festival access, media kits, images, introductions to boat owners and other characters of interest at the Festival can all be arranged by contacting the Festival's marketing manager, Lois Ryan on  media@australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au