Tasmania—on top of the world

摘要

At the 2011 Australian Wooden Boat .Festival held in Hobart, Tasmania, in mid-February, the enthusiasm for wooden boats and boatbuilding, for sea lore and the crafts of the sea, was simply astounding. It's the first year that admission has been free, and the results were remarkable. According to Festival Manager Rob McGuire, the change is due to newly obtained government funding and an increase in budget to $1.1 million (AUD), up from $800,000 in 2009. In unprecedented and overwhelming numbers, more than 100,000 visitors came to experience the exhibits, demonstrations, talks, tastes, scents, and sounds of the maritime world. Two guest "villages" from Indonesia and Japan were incorporated within the festival. More than 600 boats filled every available space in the water, on the land and in sheds, including over 100 intricate models. I was thrilled to be able to return to the largest wooden boat festival in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the most significant such festivals worldwide.