'Talks and Tours' announced for summer 2025

In conjunction with the New Zealand Maritime Museum and the Moana Auckland Festival, we are delighted to announce a program of ‘Wooden Boat Talks and Tours’ on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March 2025 - a compact version of our hugely successful Auckland Wooden Boat Festival.

The offerings will delight and intrigue those with an interest in maritime history and the story of Auckland’s connection with the water’s edge.

The two-day speaker series includes topics such as the building of waka, navigation, women at sea, history, environmental and sustainability topics, and boat building.

Some of Auckland’s most notable classic boats will be available in the Viaduct for tours, including Ngataki - who will be home from the Australian Wooden Boat Festival (see more below).

The new event follows in the footsteps of last year’s hugely successful Auckland Wooden Boat Festival which attracted more than 160 boats and 11,000 visitors in its first year. The next Auckland Wooden Boat Festival itself will next be held in 2026.

The Auckland Wooden Boat Festival and the ‘Talks and Tours’ event is part of Moana Auckland – New Zealand’s Ocean Festival. It is organised by members of the Tino Rawa Trust with the support of Perpetual Guardian, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and the New Zealand Maritime Museum to tell the story of Auckland’s maritime history from the early days of settlement through to today.