Boating New Zealand arrived at Mystery Creek a day early to watch the NZ Boat, Fish & Dive Expo take shape ahead of tomorrow’s opening. Boats were still being nosed into their final positions and stallholders were unpacking gear, one day out from a show that’s now in its third year at the Hamilton venue.
Two years of steady growth have organisers calling this the biggest edition yet, one they say is built as much for the die-hard offshore angler as for someone who just likes being near the water. Exhibitor sites for this year’s show were fully booked out well in advance, and organisers now count more than a hundred stands on the floor, forty-plus of them boat brands, with tackle, dive kit, electronics, kayaks and seafood filling out the rest.
Organisers are quick to point out what sets Mystery Creek apart from the bigger shows. They say there are more fishing boat brands here than at the Hutchwilco Boat Show, and rather than trying to be all things to all people, the whole event is built around that: trailerable boats, mostly fishing-focused with a handful of ski boats mixed in, aimed squarely at the fishing and diving crowd.
The exhibitor list runs long, with many of New Zealand’s boat brands on it directly, and the rest represented through local dealers. It leaves the whole show feeling personal and distinctly rural.
It’s not all boats. Rhys from Ultimate Rod Racks NZ was putting the finishing touches on his stand when we caught up with him, having first shown Boating New Zealand his rotating rod holder at May’s Hutchwilco Boat Show, the one that lets you swing a mounted rod 90 degrees instead of dismounting it entirely. This year he’s added enhancements to the traditional rod holders too, plus a larger plug and handle for bigger rods. Troy from FSP New Zealand has brought the brand’s Bevy Craft plastic boats and a plastic pontoon for the weekend, and the electronics side has some new faces this year in Garmin, Raymarine and the Lowrance/Simrad stable, alongside Lusty & Blundell.
Get the crew together this weekend. With thousands of free carparks right next to the gate and a show this narrowly built around fishing, diving and trailer boats, there’s not much of an excuse to stay home. Tickets are available directly from the NZ Boat, Fish and Dive Expo website.
