NEW ZEALAND BOAT SHOW 2024

New Zealand’s largest exhibition organiser, XPO Exhibitions, has grabbed the helm and is set to deliver a truly revitalised and reinvigorated Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, 16-19 May 2024 at the Auckland Showgrounds.

Committed to retaining the cherished historical elements of the show, XPO say they owe it to the industry to look forward, delivering a show that stays true to its colours and culture, yet leaps ahead with the showcasing of new trends and innovation.

Fishing content is set to explode at the show, featuring not only the Shimano Fishing Pavilion but also a raft of family-focused fishing activations in Hall 1. Keen anglers will be amped to check out the new Shimano Fishing Pavilion, featuring cutting-edge fishing technology, and showcasing the new Shimano Masterclass Series with daily speakers including New Zealand’s own fishing royalty, Matt Watson.

Once you’ve mastered the art of reeling in your catch, head to the new Kai Collective to seek out the best produce to accompany it. The Kai Collective is set to celebrate all things food with a key focus on kaimoana. Discover ideas for pairing with your seafood, refresh your recipe collection, and enjoy a tasty bite.

The organisers have listened to survey feedback and introduced a stack of nautically themed entertainment for the kids. So head on over to the 20m long and 9m high giant inflatable pirate ship, or see how long you can

ride on the new rodeo shark – all brand new to the show and New Zealand!

A redesigned floorplan will make for a massive improvement to crowd flow and visitor experience, allowing attendees to navigate with ease down a new main boulevard connecting line-of-sight and walkway through the interior halls 1-3.

With all these changes afoot, what about the Grand Prize boat giveaway? Never fear! The organisers, together with valued partners, have put together an even more impressive prize boat than last year! One lucky attendee at the 2024 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show will score the ultimate prize: a jaw-dropping Surtees/ Yamaha boat package worth over $300,000!

The new ‘scan to win’ technology that debuted at the 2023 event will be back in 2024 with tech upgrades to ensure visitor usability is seamless. Additionally, new to the Grand Prize is an onsite, live draw at 5.00pm on Sunday, giving visitors and exhibitors a chance to be at the show to witness the draw, and adding to the hype of the prize.

Plus, all tickets purchased online before midnight on 15 May will be eligible for a bonus entry into the draw. Tickets are on sale now for the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show and available from www.boatshow. co.nz.

Come and check out the new ePropulsion eLite 500W electric outboard. It redefines your on-water experience with innovative features and commitment to sustainability. Designed to be the most compact and lightweight electric outboard in its class, it is an easy-to-use alternative to small internal combustion engines for enthusiasts worldwide. Seamlessly combining efficiency with mobility, it represents a new era in clean, quiet, and eco-friendly marine propulsion.

The Meiho Bucket Mouth 5000 is the perfect companion to take on your next fishing adventure. This large, durable, plastic box can hold all your tackle and equipment and even doubles as a seat when you’re waiting for that fish to bite. The Bucket Mouth has a convenient handle for easy transportation and two hinges that allow the lid to be lifted from either side of the box, or to be completely removed. A removable tray inside the box provides additional storage. Come check them out at the Monster Distribution stand.

The team from ‘Clean Below? Good to Go’ will be at the show to answer all your questions about marine biosecurity. What is marine biosecurity, you may ask? Just as there are pests and weeds on land, there are pests in the sea, too. By cleaning our boats carefully, we can make sure we don’t accidentally transport marine pests from place to place. Find out what the most common pests are, the harm they can do, following the rules, and how to keep your hull and equipment clean.

We offer multi-day adventures onboard M.V Flightless, connecting you to the remote wilderness areas of Fiordland, Stewart Island and beyond. Every adventure is as unique as the people on board. No schedules or itineraries – we simply inspire and realise your perfect experience on our floating batch with all the toys and comforts. Chat to us about ‘Chartering’ with your own dates and friends, or we can show you our ‘Join-a-Group’ adventure date options.

We’ll be at stand #834, Hall 8

Volpower is New Zealand’s only authorised Volvo Penta importer, catering from 13hp to 1,000hp leisure boat engines and a large range of commercial engines. We supply sterndrives, saildrives, gearboxes, and Volvo Penta IPS drive systems, along with electronic controls, glass cockpits, software options, Racor fuel systems, and Pyrotek noise control. You can also experience the Humphree Stabiliser systems with our simulators at our stand.

Find us at stand #262. www.volpower.co.nz

The FishHunter Drive system from Suzuki and Furuno is a hands-free “drift control” system that utilises GPS technology to maintain precise control over the boat’s position and speed. The easy plug-and-play integration between Suzuki’s SPC system and Furuno’s NavPilot 300 includes Speed Control, Route Smoothing, Point Lock and SABIKI Lock Modes. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, this system will help you maximise your fishing success and enjoyment on the water.

Find us in Hall 2 to learn more.

With so much at stake with our inshore fisheries at the moment, it’s fortunate LegaSea will be at the show in full force, ready to discuss the important issues. Find us at stand #650 in the Shimano Pavilion, directly across from the Masterclass stage. Pop by to chat about responsible fishing and the issues recreational fishers are facing. You can check out the new Legasea X Barkers merch and have a chance to win some epic prizes.

Check out our new foil-assisted catamaran and the popular Boxer 410 at the show. We’ve seamlessly blended functionality and hydrodynamic solutions to meet our utility and performance goals. The result is innovative, compact designs with exceptional performance and handling, a super smooth ride and – most importantly – masses of useable space.

See more at www.hydrolabmarine.com

Mercury Marine turns 85 this year, and our unmatched experience and technology will be on full display at the show, including our range of 175hp-600hp V12, V10, V8 and V6 outboards. With 4-stroke fuel efficiency, these naturally aspirated, durable, powerful engines represent the next generation in quiet, reliable marine performance. Mercury’s all-new 350/400hp Verado outboard, and our Avator range of electric propulsion outboards, will also feature. With all that – and more – the Mercury stand # 365 is a “must visit” for everyone.

Extreme Boats will be bringing two exciting new models to the 2024 Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show as well as plenty of the fleet favourites in various models and sizes. As always, there will be plenty of innovation and new features to check out, so be sure to call in to view our extensive display on stand #330.

Honda Marine announces the outboard motor that Kiwi anglers and boating enthusiasts have long been waiting for. The Honda BF350 is an all-new, high-power V8 outboard — the first Honda V8 engine available commercially —marking the newest evolution in the company’s product line. The sleek new model integrates a host of exclusive, innovative features that deliver premium power as well as unparalleled performance for extraordinary boating experiences. See the new BF350 at site #300 at the show.

Make sure you visit Hella Marine to see the extensive range of products on display, including an array of bar lights for a forward-facing spot or rear cockpit lighting, and floodlights that are ideal when working, docking, or landing the big one. Also on display will be a comprehensive range of ultrareliable navigation lamps, stylish interior lighting, high-output LED floodlighting and everything in between. The team will be showcasing the full range, so make sure you stop by and test them out.

Big things are in the wind at Sealegs, the leader in amphibious boating. See what all the fuss is about at this year’s show, where we’ll be showcasing our recently announced and reimagined Sealegs 8.5m Hard Top (re-released as the 8.5m Alloy Max, providing more space, range, features and comfort), as well as our class-leading 12.0m Cabin RIB – the 12RC. At over 12 metres long and four metres high, this is one amphibious craft you absolutely must see at the show!

We are excited to be revitalising our presence at the show for 2024 to bring you the Shimano Fishing Pavilion! Located in Hall 6, the Shimano Pavilion will have everything an angler could possibly need, and more. We’ll be showcasing our entire product range (with bonus sneak peeks of yet-to-be-seen products) with support from the Pro-Staff team including Matt Watson, Tony Orton, Chad Prentice, Gene Denton, Dwayne Sweeney, Tony (TK) Walker, and Jordan Hensen. In addition, there will be plenty of fun to be had, with an interactive electric reel display and two fishing simulators on hand! While you’re visiting the Shimano Pavilion, a refreshed set of Masterclass Seminars will be headed by New Zealand’s fishing royalty and other industry experts, such as Matt Watson talking about gamefishing and straylining, Tony Orton covering how to target kingfish, Chad Prentice explaining all things surfcasting, LegaSea and Kai Ika discussing sustainability, fish care, and fish filleting, and Traeger demonstrating how to utilise the whole fish with a fish-three-ways culinary experience. It is all on! The Shimano Fishing Pavilion will also be home to a diverse range of associated brands, with Smart Marine located on stand #600, Yeehaa Fishing Tackle on stand #610, Hunting & Fishing Botany on stand #620, NZ Fishing News on stand #635, BLA on #stand 640, LegaSea on stand #650, and Icey-Tek on #stand 660. You don’t want to miss this; it will be the ultimate opportunity to enhance your fishing skills and knowledge with the latest equipment coupled with expert advice!

For the first time in decades, Senator will have its own corporate stand at the Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show, showcasing 10 of their models (400 through to 770). They are releasing two new models – the 500 CU (Cuddy) and the 650 Cabin cruiser, as well as an innovation called the ‘Mission Modular option system’. Senator’s four brand ambassadors will also be at the stand at various times throughout the Show. Visit Senator Boats at stand #385 in Hall 3.

With big, crisp, sunlight-readable touchscreen displays, these versatile chartplotters from Garmin put a world of fishfinding capability at your fingertips. They’re available with built-in Garmin Navionics+ mapping, and the transducer bundle adds Ultra High-Definition scanning sonars as well as CHIRP traditional sonar. Check them out at the 2024 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show.

Lusty & Blundell, the NZ distributors and only full-service centre, will showcase the latest range in the Victron Energy Smart Lithium Batteries and integrated energy storage systems. LifePo4 technology is not only lighter and smaller, it’s also EWOF compliant, includes BMS options, built-in Bluetooth monitoring and has a 10-year-plus life expectancy. It has never been more affordable to switch to lithium. Come see our range and speak to the experts at the Lusty & Blundell stand, Hall 2, stand #290.

Yamaha is proud to be a major sponsor of the Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show, once again. Check out the latest and greatest Yamaha outboards and rigging, including the fully integrated boat control system Helm Master EX, the new V8 XTO Offshore 450, and for the first time in New Zealand, the Harmo electric outboard. For all your outboard, repower, and WaveRunner needs, come and see us, and keep an eye out for a show-only offer.

Seahorse Electric kontikis are displaying the new Seahorse S33 and S60 kontikis. These lightweight, lithium-powered kontikis have built-in GPS trackers, plus performance telemetry data upload to our central server. Also at the stand will be the CutaCopter Trident 5000 fishing drone. This powerful drone from South Africa can pull 25 hooks out to 1,000 metres.

The Balex Trailer is as good on the road as it is at the ramp, giving the user the ultimate boating experience. The Balex Trailer has an integrated Balex Ultra Automatic Boat Loading System capable of loading boats up to 9.5m in length. The Trailer also includes a high-pressure washdown system with an onboard 18L water tank allowing the salt to be washed off the Balex Trailer’s running gear at the ramp before it bakes on in the sun.

Navico Group, a leading supplier of integrated systems and products, will be at 2024 Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show, Hall 2, stand #244, showcasing: NEW Lowrance Eagle – Lowrance’s entry-level fishfinder featuring highdefinition enhanced sonar, with FishReveal™ technology and detailed C-MAP® charting.

NEW Simrad NSX ULTRAWIDE – the world’s first fully-featured ultrawide marine display, delivering all the benefits of dual screens in one place.

HDS PRO with ActiveTarget 2 and Active Imaging HD – Lowrance’s next generation of fishing electronics that provides anglers with the complete package of tools to find and catch more fish.

We will have some of the Kiwi-Kraft range displayed on the Auckland Marine Centre stand. These are the besthandling and finest-built Pontoon Boats on the market and feature the legendary Hushtec hull design to provide a soft and predictable ride. We will have at least five of the new models Kiwi-Kraft developed last year to view, including the awesome 7.8m 780 Walk Around along with the triedand-true favourites.

Catch! is proud of their New Zealand-designed, quality fishing tackle, including jigs, lures, softbaits, rods, reels and fishing tools. Hundreds of hours of fishing, testing and research go into each product so that you can catch more fish and target bigger fish. See them at the 2024 Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show – they will have their whole range on display, along with their test tank so you can see what a fish sees.

For decades, New Zealand Fishing News and The Fishing Website have been loyal companions to Kiwi anglers, and now exciting changes are taking place. Come and see the team at stand #635 to hear about our new digital subscriptions and the premium seasonal magazine, see the Export NZ Fishing Competition Prize Boat, and win some great prizes.