AWBF (Hobart, 6-9 Feb 2015), anyone?

MapisM

MapisM

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Yeah, I realize that this is not the usual call for catching up in some EU boat show... :rolleyes:
But just in case you would be in Hobart (Tasmania) during the next weekend, this Australian Wooden Boat Festival is something a boat lover just can't miss.
I'll be there on Sunday and Monday. If by chance anyone else will be down under, drop me a pm!

More about the event in their website:
http://www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/

And in their indeed interesting newsletter - worth a look regardless of the possibility to attend:
http://www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/websites/awbf/userdocuments/Newsletter Jan 2015.pdf
 
MapisM said:
Yeah, I realize that this is not the usual call for catching up in some EU boat show... :rolleyes:
But just in case you would be in Hobart (Tasmania) during the next weekend, this Australian Wooden Boat Festival is something a boat lover just can't miss.
I'll be there on Sunday and Monday. If by chance anyone else will be down under, drop me a pm!

More about the event in their website:
http://www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/

And in their indeed interesting newsletter - worth a look regardless of the possibility to attend:
http://www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/websites/awbf/userdocuments/Newsletter Jan 2015.pdf
Click to expand...
Thanks - interesting stuff

You got a whole week still to go: take the CN Azzurro...
Boeingnosey2.jpg
 
even Blue Angel is present ;-)

second link page 9

"This event is a teaser for the
world premier of Blue Angel for
the Tasmanian International Arts
Festival in March 2015........."
 
Haha, I knew you were going to spot that! :D
Even the pic reminds the BA captain - kind of, and in fifty years from now, of course! :cool:
It's a shame that the "Blue Angel Experience", as they call it, will be on stage only from Mar 24th onward, 'cause I'll be in NZ by then.

Oh, well, I can't be anywhere anytime, I reckon....
...will try to make some pics from the AWBF and post them here, anyway.
In the meantime, here's a small appetizer, directly from the garage of one of the folks who will attend with his home made stuff - can you believe that?!?

SteamBoats.jpg


Speedster.jpg


PS for jfm:
LOL, good idea, but I like to enjoy my caravan where she is, with her kitchen, bedroom, chairs, etc.
Isn't that what boating is all about, no matter what LS thinks...? :D
 
Wow thanks for that garage photo! Huge respect to whoever made those beautiful things. Sounds like awbf will be a lot of fun. Please post pictures if you get the chance

Where are you going in NZ? I've been many times and done plenty of boating there, nearly all North island. My highlight I guess was bay of islands and of course the serious caravanning in Auckland harbour. I liked Whangarei too. You'll have to tune into the Maori pronunciation, which can be harder than EN. That last place is "fong-array", emphasis on last syllable. I found it tricky at first
 
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Yep, I'll do my best to post some decent pics of AWBF. There will be plenty of interesting subjects for sure!

Re. NZ, would you believe that I don't even know where exactly I will go?
In fact, since my personal travel agent (swmbo) discovered the home exchange possibilities, this became by far our favourite way of travelling.
During this trip, for instance, she arranged 3 exchanges in Tas (more than one month overall) and 7 in NZ (another couple of months).
Therefore, all I'm doing is wake up in the morning and ask S: where are we going today? :D
...talk about laziness... :cool:

Anyway, as I'm told we'll stay in several places, both in the N and the S island.
Among them, one will be in Russell, right in the Bay of Islands.
And another one will be in Matakana, South of Whangarei, so I suppose we will have the opportunity to see also that spot.

Otoh, even if we'll spend some time in NZ overall, I'm not holding my breath on my understanding of Maori pronunciation...
...I'll rather rely on their kindness towards foreigners who constantly ask to repeat anything they are told! :rolleyes:
 
jfm said:
Wow thanks for that garage photo! Huge respect to whoever made those beautiful things.
Click to expand...
I forgot to mention, since it wasn't probably so obvious:
The two boats in the first pic above are both steam powered... Go figure! :eek:
 
You'll pass thru whangarei as you drive N from matakana to Russell and B of I. You may not have time to do W in detail. Lots of boat yards and stuff if you dig around
Russell is pretty. For special treat ( as in close to nature beauty with nice surroundings rather than uber luxury) book a couple of nights in zane grey cottage in otehei bay on urupukapuka island. 10 min ferry from Russell. Price will be a cheap lunch in Sardinia but priceless. Jump in a canoe that comes with the cottage and sail anticlockwise round the island and have one of the best beaches you ever saw all to you and S yourselves. One of the best bucket list things you could ever do IMHO

If you happen to get to keri keri check out the toilets/heads. World famous tiling work!

I sort of thought steam powered but thanks for confirming. Fabulous! Have you watched The Fastest Indian movie? It chimes a cord with those boats. (Indian as in motorcycle not the nationality)

Happy travels anyway. On the pronunciation, take care when mentioning the beach town Whakatane :)
 
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LOL, yeah, coming to think of it, there's a sort of World's Fastest Indian flavour, in those boats.
Particularly with the Speedster and her big block! Good for 70mph or so, as I was told.

Many thanks for all your hints, though I'm afraid that the subtlety behind Whakatane pronunciation is beyond my understanding of the language.... :o
 
LOL, now I get it.
I was also told that in NZ they tend to shift the vowels a bit - though I'm not sure if it has anything to see with the Maori traditions.
Frinstance, the "i" in "fish and chips" become sort of "a", like in "car".
And the same goes for "six", whereas if you pronounce it correctly, they might argue "Six? That's what you do with your wife!".... :D
...We'll see, I hope that they'll be particularly patient, when dealing with a non native EN speaker.
 
MapisM said:
LOL, now I get it.
I was also told that in NZ they tend to shift the vowels a bit - though I'm not sure if it has anything to see with the Maori traditions.
Frinstance, the "i" in "fish and chips" become sort of "a", like in "car".
And the same goes for "six", whereas if you pronounce it correctly, they might argue "Six? That's what you do with your wife!".... :D
...We'll see, I hope that they'll be particularly patient, when dealing with a non native EN speaker.
Click to expand...

Ha, you have been influenced by those parochial Aussies, of course the Kiwi language is slightly strange. As our friend explained their vowel pronounciation appears at least "one out", which is probably only relevant to an Oz language speaker anyway :)

Hope you have been amusing yourselves over the last few days, Alex mentioned it has been cold there recently, but perhaps not as much as heavy snow here in the UK ;)

Nice garage pics of the boats, you obviously don't mind sharing the fact you associate with eccentric wooden steam boat builders with a passion for 500 HP wooden speed boats! :D

Catch up next weekend!
 
AndieMac said:
Hope you have been amusing yourselves over the last few days, Alex mentioned it has been cold there recently, but perhaps not as much as heavy snow here in the UK ;)

Nice garage pics of the boats, you obviously don't mind sharing the fact you associate with eccentric wooden steam boat builders with a passion for 500 HP wooden speed boats! :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, actually here in the N coast the weather has been VERY pleasant, but we heard that also in Hobart it has been a bit cold lately.
I'll ring the weather Gods and ask them to warm up the southern coast, by the time we'll be heading down there! :D

Re. the passion for rather opposite boating style, actually I sympathized with Mr.B.
In fact, even if I never even considered something as extreme as steam powered boats (on the slow side of boating), I've had a few speedboats on the lake, which complemented nicely the slow pace of the timber trawler at sea! :cool:
 
Make sure he takes you for a run in the steam boat, he wasn't just being polite when he offered it. He operates it very well, you will be impressed, they actually use it to go fishing in as well, it's not just an ornament.
 
Yup, I surely would enjoy giving her a try, if there will be an opportunity.
But impressed, well, I already am after seeing the thing! :D
...not to mention the explanation of the "gearbox" - if that's still the appropriate name...
 
A small update, which actually has nothing to see with wooden boats - quite the opposite, in fact.
But today I spotted one of the two ferries connecting Tasmania to Melbourne, while entering the Devonport harbour at low tide, and I was impressed.
The pic doesn't actually do justice to how narrow the channel is, in comparison to the ferry size...! :eek:
Spirit.jpg
 
Good question, but I'm afraid I didn't ask.
I should meet him again at the AWBF, will check and report back.
...unless AndieMac already knows, maybe?
 
MapisM said:
Good question, but I'm afraid I didn't ask.
I should meet him again at the AWBF, will check and report back.
...unless AndieMac already knows, maybe?
Click to expand...

Do you remember those little black squares of coal bricks in a basket on the floor of the garage? Have to make a video of the working process, it's good to watch.
 
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