ARE YOU GOING TO AUCKLAND? WE ARE!
SWS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL // ADVERTORIAL
Photo / Live Sail Die
"If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move."
In all twelve seasons of “Parts Unknown” , Anthony Bourdain’s legendary travel series, he never once went to Auckland. Bourdain travelled to seek out the unusual, the unexpected and the outrageous, not just in culinary realms, but in the boarder cultures he explored. If he had ventured to Aotearoa I have no doubt he would fallen in love not only with what he found on his plate and in his glass, but also with the people and the maritime lifestyle around which so much of the city’s culture is based.
What Bourdain taught us all, is that travel with a purpose is travel at its best. And when that purpose aligns with your passions, magic happens. The countdown to the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival is on. It’s only three months away (13-15 March 2026) and preparations are well underway to deliver a festival that builds on the success of the inaugural event in held in 2024. SWS was present at that first Festival based in Jellicoe Harbour and there is no way we are going to miss out on edition two!
We invite you to join us to experience the celebration of Pacific Maritime Culture and extraordinary food and wine, all set in one of the world’s great harbour cities. Airbnb still has over 1000 properties available for the dates and return air flights from Sydney or Melbourne are still under $600. So what’s stopping you?
Some of you maybe thinking… “Hang on! I go down to Hobart every couple of years for the Australian version so why should I cross the Tasman to see the same thing?” Well we’re here to say, it’s not the same thing! The history is different and the boats are very different, built mostly from the gold standard in marine timber - the ever enduring Kauri Log. This extraordinary, almost ‘unrotable’ wood has allowed the long history of sailing and motor boat design and construction on the Waitemata and Hauriki Gulf to survive and thrive well into the 21st Century. Rest assured Australia too will be well represented and you can always put your hand up to support the substantial Australian delegation taking a few containers of boats and history across the Tasman from Hobart.
However at SWS we believe the real motivation to pack your bags and attend this festival, is the friendly and welcoming atmosphere you’re about to discover. As we point out at every opportunity here at SWS, the boats are important but they are really just a vehicle for creating and sharing ideas, history, values and friendships. From the moment you arrive in Auckland next March, you’re about to make friends with a community who’ll be genuinely delighted to see you, and ready to share a story or two over a glass of something special, in this beautiful harbour city.
Although the three official dates of the festival are Friday March 13, Saturday March 14 and Sunday March 15 you could consider arriving a few days prior and head out to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf or visit the Bay of Islands in the north. And its worth noting that the Wooden Boat Festival is part of an overarching event the MOANA AUCKLAND New Zealand’s Ocean Festival which has a brilliant calendar of water based events.
In case there’s anyone in your party wondering what else Auckland may have to offer other than a superb line up of extraordinary restorations, we’re here to say you’ll also find a city of exciting world class fresh produce, art and adventure. Via DISCOVER AUCKLAND you can do exactly as the name promises. Here are links to a couple of our favourites.
And make sure to follow SWS on Instagram as closer to the date we’ll be announcing a secret venue for an SWS in NZ Beer O’clock gathering. Yes you heard that right! We will be there and we can’t wait.