Boats and boating
As an island nation with a temperate climate and one of the longest coastlines of any country in the world, it is predictable that New Zealanders are broadly and deeply interested in boats.
Our history is linked to great voyages and maritime achievements;
- the first migrations of the Maori people from Hawaiki circa. 1000 AD
- Captain Cook’s voyages on the Endeavour in the 1770’s, including circumnavigating the globe, and creating maps that are still accurate enough for many uses today
- The first refrigerated shipping, delivering butter and lamb to the United Kingdom in the 1950’s
- Victories across many sailing competitions, from solo Round the World races, to the Olympics, windsurfing and the Americas Cup
- A vibrant boat building industry including the recent construction of world-leading super yachts for a global clientele.
For many New Zealanders ‘boating’ is a central component of the Kiwi lifestyle, and the recreational fishing industry is, when the value of the boats is included, the largest single recreational pursuit by value in the country.
Auckland has more recreational boats per head of population than any other city on the planet, and is known as ‘the City of Sails’.
While recreational boating is more popular in the warmer North Island, excellent waterways in the deepwater sounds at the top of the South Island also attract many ‘boaties’.
Water safety is an important part of recreational boating, and many boaties join the New Zealand Coastguard, a volunteer organisation which offers excellent back-up support on the water. If you are interested in finding out more about this popular aspect of New Zealand we highly recommend this site:
