Thanks, That’s Very Kind of You

AWBF Chairman Steve Knight and Volunteers Manager Liz Lord accept award from Lord Mayor Sue Hickey

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It’s the season for the Tasmanian Tourism Awards and the Australian Tourism Awards that follow them, and we’ll be sure to put in a submission.  We think it’s important to recognise the tremendous effort that our boat owners – Tasmanians, inter-staters and and a handful from overseas – put in to preparing their boats and bringing them all the way to Hobart for the biggest wooden boat festival in the country.  We’re also grateful for the thousands of hours of purely volunteer labour that go into producing the Australian Wooden Boat Festival once every two years, and keeping it entirely free to the public.  So winning awards is important to us and we haven’t done too badly in the past.

Part of the award submissions is the generous feedback we get from festival-goers after the event.  Of course there are a few things we get pulled up on, but in general, even the criticisms are usually genuine and helpful, to let us improve the next production.  On the other hand, we get overwhelmingly positive reviews from hundreds of people for every event and it seems a shame not to share some of them with you.  These are the sort of comments that win awards:

Many thanks to you all for the excellent experience we enjoyed as participants in the MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2017. The event was clearly extremely well organised, and we greatly appreciated the personal attention offered by so many helpful volunteers. One of our visitors, a mother with 2 boys, commented that this was the “best festival they had ever attended”. The many activities available for children, was one of the reasons for this.  With thanks again and very best wishes for the continued success of this wonderful Tasmanian event

 – John & Rosemary Howard,  Zingarro II

Hello Chris and AWBF organizers.

I managed to make it home in one piece. I soon realized that my trip to Tasmania was a trip of a lifetime thanks largely to you. My schedule is really pretty full and I didn’t leave much time to research where I was off to. I am glad that I didn’t because I was truly blown away each day I spent in your country. Tassie is definitely Off Center!! Thanks so much for your kind hospitality and for making our trip happen.

 – Eric Blake, Off Center Harbor, Brooklin, Maine, USA

A youngster receives instruction from Woodcraft Guild of Tasmania, AWBF 2017, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

We would like to thank the organisers and volunteers for putting on a fantastic show. We have been to many shows both here and overseas and yours is by far the best, you should be very proud of your efforts. The best part has been all the friends we have made. We are looking forward to many more to come.

 – Phil and Margaret Heaney. Athena of Sydney

Thank you for a wonderful festival! It was so fun & I loved it. My highlights were Friday’s Parade of Sail viewed from Wrest Point: very moving; the Dutch boats including the Oranje & the organ grinder playfully sailing today; & going for a little sail on the Enterprize AND climbing the rigging (I am 64)! A very happy atmosphere & very special.

 – Thanks and Kindest Regards, Gail Nancarrow

I wanted to shoot through a quick email to say thanks to you and ALL the AWBF crew. what a cracking festival. The weather was a bit tricky but every single volunteer we interacted with was helpful and happy… it was a very Tasmanian experience!! The crews in the inflatables/mini tugs were fantastic and could not have been more helpful…as were those manning the berths!  We had a great berth and entertained many visitors and friends, we had two generations of Jack Fowler’s (boat builder) family onboard and the sons of the second and third owners of Nyora. We learnt so much about our beautiful old girl and will now start working on pulling together a more detailed history. Thanks again it was a wonderful first AWBF exhibitor experience for us all

  – Ben Sullivan, Nyora

Congratulations to all your team on staging the very best boat festival I have ever attended and displayed at. It was a real pleasure to be part of a very well organised, professional event that had a casual and relaxed atmosphere that went off without a hitch. Everyone I spoke to, customers and exhibitors was of the same opinion. Again, congratulations on a job superbly done. We will be back for the next one.

 – John Pope, National Sales Manager, RWB Marine

 

Just a quick email to thank you for all you did for us prior to and after the show. It certainly took a lot of worry out of it for us. Being the first time for us at the AWBF we thought it was a fantastic and well run event and we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Hobart. Please keep us informed in 2019. Best regards and thank you once again.

 – Rex and Joy Francis, Anchor Right Australia Pty Ltd

I would just like to thank you, your staff and all the volunteers who made the show a great success. As you know it was our first show and we had great success launching the Regatta Norwegian Lifeguard Brand into Australia with a lot of sales and just overall fantastic feedback about our products that we had on display, even selling out of a few products.  The whole event was amazing and not only was the show a success but the exposure we had there has seen a significant increase to our website over the last few days. We  are very interested in attending the 2019 show. Thank you for having us.

 – Ian Fiskerstrand, Director, Nordic Marine Wear 

We have just returned to NZ after spending four days at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival with a group of 31 Auckland Senior Citizens. What a great time we all had and are looking forward to 2019 already.

 – Karen Geater, SHIP ‘n SHORE Tours and Cruises New Zealand

With a group of friends, I have just visited Hobart and the Wooden boat festival. Congratulations on one of the best organised events I have been to. Something for everyone from serious yachtees, to engine fanatics, to kids learning the first skills of sailing. I really valued plenty of seating everywhere even on the busiest days and the food options were excellent. Well done!

  – Jan L.

I have just returned from Tasmania and the 2017 Wooden Boat Festival.  You and your committee have once again organised a fabulous event which my wife and I and a large group of us from Queensland thoroughly enjoyed.

 – John Formosa, Macrossan & Amiet Solicitors

What a great experience!  All wonderful people. Thanks again so much.

 – Mike C. – Volunteer from USA

Thanks for a great festival. I travel down from Sydney and it’s always worthwhile. It also seems to get better every time. I’m enjoying the capacity to look up details of the vessels on your website. I’m slowly posting my photos on instagram and I like being able to add some detail of the vessels whose pictures I take. Epic, successful event like this don’t occur by accident. Congratulations to all involved. See you in two years.

 – Peter McGee