Auckland has been in party mode all day, with the City of Sails celebrating its 175th anniversary.
Thousands took to the water for the traditional regatta, while for those who stayed ashore there were festivals of seafood and music to enjoy.
Vintage tugboats joined the huge fleet for the Anniversary Day regatta, harking back to a time before phrases such as "clean, green" and "100 percent pure" had entered the vocabulary.
"I think just the opportunity to be involved in such an historic event, which is the oldest sporting event in New Zealand, is something people aspire to and turn out for year after year," says regatta spokesman Eric Mahoney.
The first regatta was held on the day Auckland was founded. It's been held almost every year since, except for when the race was cancelled thanks to the Boer War in South Africa.
"The regatta marks the heritage or founding of Auckland in 1840, and I think today we're seeing what you could describe as history on parade," says Mr Mahoney.
It was a popular parade among boaties, but those on land didn't miss out. They managed to soak up the action from ashore.
There was plenty of it. Some boats knew how to pull in the crowds with their tricks.
While some were frolicking on the surface, others were delving into the delights available from below at the Seafood Festival.
Big crowds meant big business for stalls at the festival. But when the scorching sun got to be too much, a cool off was in order with a plunge into the harbour.
The day heated up again when thousands of music fans flooded Auckland's waterfront for the Laneway Festival. Thirty-four local and international acts rocked out in front of a sold-out crowd.
If that wasn't your cup of tea, more traditional music was also on offer, with bagpipes marking the occasion.
It was a good mix of old and new – a fitting way to celebrate Auckland's history.
3 News
source: newshub archive
