Boats! Big Boats, Small Boats, Power Boats, Sailboats, Race Boats, Ski Boats, Fishing Boats, Even Houseboats - If it Floats, it'll be at the 2005 Sydney International Boat Show
20th July 2005 (252 words)
Boats! Big Boats, Small Boats, Power Boats, Sailboats, Race Boats, Ski Boats, Fishing Boats, Even Houseboats - If it Floats, it'll be at the 2005 Sydney International Boat Show
20th July 2005 (252 words)
For six spectacular days, July 28 – August 2, Darling Harbour will stand alone as the capital of recreational boating in Australia.
The largest boat show in the Southern Hemisphere, the show will attract more than 300 exhibitors and visitor attendance likely to approach 100,000.
Sponsored by Club Marine and NSW Maritime, the Sydney International Boat Show will be interest packed from ‘stem to stern.’
It will present the first NSW showing of the recent winners in the prestigious Boats of the Year awards, the Yamaha Fishing Clinic, largest and longest-running event of its type in Australia, the expansive Strictly Sail exhibit, educational Discover Boating workshops, daily fashion parades, featuring the latest in nautically-inspired sportswear and the always humorous Boat Building Competition.
While the six halls of the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre will be ‘jam packed’ with every conceivable style of trailer boats, fishing tackle, marine engines and electronics, it’s safe to say the adjoining Cockle Bay Marina will again be one of the show’s major drawcards.
This year, it will present more than 270 luxury vessels, power and sail, many carrying retail prices the equal of, or in some cases exceeding that of a Sydney waterfront!
High performance craft, luxurious motor yachts, cruiser/racer sailboats, specialised fishing boats and long-range coastal cruisers will all be on show.
One display sure to attract interest will be hosted by Able Hawkesbury River Houseboats.
Getting away on a houseboat to explore the Broken Bay – Hawkesbury River region has long been a favourite leisure pursuit for Sydneysiders.
The company has been operating its houseboat fleet for more than 25-years, but this year sees it launching a brand new model appropriately named the ‘Able Ultimate Spa.’
Forget ‘roughing it’ on a Spartan houseboat; this beauty really does deliver all the comforts of home, and then some!
Christened ‘Harmony’, the model on show on the Cockle Bay Marina is 17.0-metres overall with a spacious 8.0-metre beam.
Its superb interior offers four large bedrooms, all with fully sprung mattresses and, for the larger family, sleeping accommodation for an extra two people on convertible lounges in the main saloon.
Features aboard this min ‘floating palace’ include a heated spa, plasma television with DVD and surround sound, a separate CD sound system with music piped to all areas of the vessel, barbecue, refrigeration and a large outdoor dining setting on the upper deck.
A marine genset operates all the equipment on board, including microwave oven, ‘fridge/freezer, air conditioning, electric oven (with gas cooktop), dishwasher and, would you believe, a laundry complete with washer, dryer and ironing facilities.
No great skills are needed to skipper this impressive craft, which boasts an easy-to-drive helm, complete with GPS, fish finder and rear view monitor.
Able’s Ultimate Spa will be available for hire from the company’s Wiseman’s Ferry marina, and the queue, no doubt, will be forming.
Houseboats, even houseboats such as this, represent only a small section of the harbour city’s fabulous boat show.
It really is an even not to be missed.
The show will be open daily, 10am to 8pm (halls and marina).
Admission charges are $17 (single adult), $40 (family ticket admitting two adults and up to three children aged 6-17-years), $15 (Seniors Card holders), $11 (Pensioners) and $9 (children aged 6-17-years).
Children under 5-years admitted free.
Domenic Genua, marketing and event manager for show organisers, the Boating Industry Association of NSW, said one of the major appeals of the Darling Harbour show site was its easy access.
“We’re only a short downhill stroll from the city’s central business district and the complex is served by all manner of public transport,” he explained.
“Motorists will find parking stations all around, most within a few minutes walk of the main entrance.
“With numerous waterfront cafes and restaurants and the Harbourside Shopping mall, Darling Harbour and the Sydney International Boat Show combine to offer an exciting day out for all the family,” he added.
For further information, visit the show's website, www.sydneyboatshow.com.au or contact the BIA NSW on (02) 9438 2077 or contact Domenic Genua, Marketing & Events Manager on 0412 642 357
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