WHAT'S ON

The Great Kiwi Summer Festival will have it all with something for everyone! Prepare for two days of entertainment with an expo area, on and off water demonstrations and 'have a go' activities.

Check out some of who and what you will see below and a programme of some of the timed activities - remember there will be heaps to see and do throughout the day!

ARMISTICE IN CAMBRIDGE

Armistice in Cambridge is the largest Armistice celebration of it’s kind in New Zealand. This two-day annual event, part of the Great Kiwi Summer Fesitval for 2023, features an immersive living-history of things to see and do with plenty of family friendly activities. There are over 20 interactive activities available to “kids” of all ages to participate in. Activities include Archery, Airsoft Target Shooting, WW2 Jeep Rides, Driving an RC Tank and many more. Kids – win a medal by completing 7 of the activities! Click here to find out more.

WATERWORLD

Waterworld will be kicking off the summer with an awesome inflatable floating waterpark! Fun for all ages 5 and over (its even free if you are over 70). A fan favourite around the country during the summer holidays, Waterworld are kicking off their summer schedule with a popup weekend at Great Kiwi Summer Festival.

Fees apply. For bookings and T&C click here.

BMX BIG AIR NATIONALS

For all you adrenalin junkies out there! This year's New Zealand Big Air Nationals are being held in conjunction with Great Kiwi Summer Festival. Jed Mildon was the first in the world to complete a triple and quadruple backflip on a BMX bike. He will bring the best riders in the country with him as they compete for the Youth National Title & Open Elite Title over two days. For those of you brave enough to give it a go, a smaller ramp and airbag will also be provided for members of the public and open training sessions will be run throughout the day. This is your chance to have a go and get some advice from the best of the best!

HUNTING AND FISHING

The team from Hunting and Fishing Cambridge will be bringing the full Zempire Tent range and other great tent brands as well as heaps of accessories for camping like chairs and tables with over 20 tents on display. Traeger grills will be fired up come and check these out. There will be the team from Hutchwilco with everything water safety and water sports.

Make sure you check out their demostrations of fresh water fishing gear and techniques and also have a go at trying to win a Zempire Pronto 5 tent by being the quickest to inflate it!

Check out more about Hunting and Fishing Cambridge here and in store!

RIVERSIDE ADVENTURES

Riverside Adventures is your ticket to an epic escape right here in the Waikato! With a lineup of activities including kayaking, biking, and glowworm tours, it's all about unleashing your inner explorer. Whether you're gliding on the water, pedaling through scenic trails, or marveling at the enchanting glowworm displays, Riverside Adventures are here to help you make the most of your journey. Come and chat to them at the Great Kiwi Summer Festival and book your next adventure!

CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND GREAT RIDES

Looking for an adventure close to home? Feel the freedom and the wonder as you navigate one of the eight Great Rides in the central North Island. Navigate along the Waikato River, traverse across the Whanganui Awa and down through the mountains, or in and around the central plateau. Led by the Timber Trail, Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono, Great Lake Trail and the Waikato River trails, hundreds of kms of pick and mix ride and walking adventures await. We’ll be able to share information on the Hauraki Rail Trail, Motu Trail, Hawkes Bay Trails and Whakarewarewa loop too.

Chat to the expert team onsite about what suits your ride style, get help with planning and connecting – after all an active holiday right here will bring memories for life…. We’ll have maps and tips to ensure you are ready to roll those tyres. Check out our website nzcycletrail.com/cni for more!

Try Kayaking with Canoe NZ

Canoe Racing NZ and The Boatshed Kayaks are offering some free "Try Kayaking" sessions at The Great Kiwi Summer Festival at Lake Karapiro to give kiwis the chance to have a go at kayaking.

These 45minute paddling sessions will introduce participants to kayak paddling in a safe and enjoyable environment. They focus on having fun on the water and learning basic paddling skills.

Suitable for anyone aged 10years and older. No previous paddling experience is required. Kayaks, paddles and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are provided. There are limited spots available, so register here now!

RIVER RIDERS

River Riders offers a premium e-bike rental service on Te Awa The Great NZ River Ride. They offer bike drop offs and pick ups in Ngaruawahia at the start of the trail and in Cambridge. Check them out at the Great Kiwi Summer Festival where they will be showcasing their rental e-bikes, other rental options like our weekender deal (2 e-bikes and a bike rack for the weekend) offering short rides along te-awa, providing little-e (electric balance bikes) for kids to ride (ages 3-6).

ROWING NZ SIGNING SESSION

Head along for a signing session with the Rowing NZ Summer Squad! 9:30- 10:30am Saturday, Outside Rowing NZ HQ (lakeside). Come meet rowers from our NZ Summer Squad, get a FREE poster and get it signed! Plus, check out their boats and where they train.

BOATSHED KAYAKS and BARRACUDA KAYAKS

Make sure you head along to see the team from Boatshed Kayaks who are teaming up with Barracuda Kayaks and offering the chance to check out the latest kayaks and the chance to have a go. Check out more about Boatshed Kayaks here. A proud local business who operates right on the shores of Lake Karapiro.

KIWI CAMPING

Kiwi Camping has over 30 years of experience designing and innovating camping products. We research, we test, we innovate with the ultimate aim of making camping the most hassle free, enjoyable experience possible. We are obsessed with enjoying all NZs outdoors has to offer, and we share that passion proudly to inspire others. We collaborate with like- minded Kiwis who are also obsessed about getting outdoors so we can amplify our message.

Kiwi Camping will be attending the Great Kiwi Summer Expo with a large range of our Family Tents, Camping Shelters and Rooftop Tents set up for everyone to walkthrough. In the meantime, product features and specs can be found here.

KIWI ASSOCIATION OF SEA KAYAKERS (KASK)

We are stoked to host the KASK KayakSafe NZ programme on Saturday of the event. The primary focus of KayakSafe NZ is to deliver content to recreational kayakers of all types in workshops throughout the country. These workshops will be led by trained volunteer experts and consist of an interactive presentation followed by outdoor discussions of equipment and on the water training to reinforce key safety messages. A must do for anyone wanting to be safer on the water this summer. Check them out and book the FREE course here.

Karapiro Beach Volleyball Have a go

Come along and have a go at playing beach volleyball at the Karapiro Sand courts – southern end of the domain, behind the Desert Storm display. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never played before, there will be coaches there to help.

Or bring your friends and make a team and play a game. All for free!

Go in the draw to win a season pass for ‘Rock up and Play’ sessions this summer

SARONIC BOATS

Saronic Boats was founded by veteran boatbuilder Mat Bailey, and development of the boat that started it all, the Skope 600v began. Based from a small building in Te Rapa, Hamilton, Mat established Matcraft Industries, a specialist boat repair company that would provide a steady income stream while his boat brand was at the startup stage. Check out some of their range at the Great Kiwi Summer.

CAM JET

Don't miss your chance to book a 'taster trip' with the team from Cam Jet. Founded in 1998 and based in Cambridge, Camjet is a NZ owner-operated business and a trusted adventure tourism company for people to enjoy, discover and book an unique jet boat tour on the Waikato River. Normally they operate north of the Karapiro Dam but will be offering short rides from the Mighty River Domain just for this event!

OZTRAIL NZ

OZtrail New Zealand is your leading supplier of quality and affordable camping and outdoor products. At OZtrail, they put a lot of time, effort and thought into designing our products especially for consumers that love the outdoors. Check out the OZTRAIL products at the Hunting and Fishing site. For more on OZTRAIL check out here

SURTEES

Surtees will be displaying a few of their latest models and will have Summer Packages ready for Xmas so you can enjoy your summer holiday on the water! On Sunday Scott & Mig from Fishing & Adventure will also be on their stand for the entire day. So come over say hi and check out the latest evolutions in the 30 year of Surtees boats.

TAKACAT

Takacat offer an innovative range of quality catamaran inflatable boats, Kayaks and Paddlebaords, designed and developed in New Zealand. Whether you love fishing, exploring or simply looking for a quality portable tender for your yacht or motorhome. Takacat’s foldable sports boats or lightweight dinghies and Kayaks are an affordable, tough, stable and fun option on any water. For anyone who wants to give this awesome range a test run Takacat will be holding supervised "Have a go" sessions in their Kayaks, paddleboards and Inflatable Boats with an outboard engine. Life jackets will be provided on the day!

FIRST STEP OUTDOORS

The team from First Step Outdoors will be demostrating on the High Ropes Course and showcasing what they can offer at Mighty River Domain. If you are looking for a school or group activity head over and chat to them or contact them on : info@firststepoutdoors.com

NAUTIQUE

Nautique boats have been the world leaders in wake ski tow-boats for over 50 years and have 90+ years experience in the boat building industry. They are the official tow boat for NZ wake and NZ Water-Ski events confirmed for the next 3 years and the official boat for countless events worldwide. Check out their range onland and watch some on water demostrations. More on Nautique here.

ZEMPIRE CAMPING EQUIPMENT

Zempire® is the little New Zealand camping empire built by husband and wife team Richard and Sophie Knauf. From small beginnings, a dedication to smart design and “the last 10%” has seen this Kiwi company quietly build a global community of devoted fans. The team from Zempire will be joining the Hunting and Fishing site and are planning on having all their full range of tents on display. Check them out prior to coming here.

ORAKEI MARINE

Orakei Marine provides quality new & used boat sales and complete aftersales service. Located in Orakei, Auckland, we are the distributors for Jeanneau, Prestige, Lagoon, Fleming, Amel, and Wellcraft. They can also help you with Honda Outboards! They will have two fantastic boats on display, the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 Series 2, and the Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5 WA Series 3. These boats that are just perfect for a fun family weekend on the water, may it be fishing, diving, wakeboarding, exploring, or relaxing. Find out more at the Great Kiwi Summer Festival.

TRAEGER

Complete your summer experiences with a Traeger grill - the original wood pellet grill. Traeger invented the wood-fired grill over 30 years in Oregon, USA and continue to lead the industry as the #1 best seller after decades of perfecting the craft of wood-fired cooking. Located in the Hunting and Fishing Site, the team from Traeger will be slow cooking throughout the day. Check out the full range here or better still, take the Grill Comparsion test to see which grill you match with!

PLAY N UP

PROP STARS - New Zealand Powerboat federation

Come and talk to the team from New Zealand Power Boat Federation to learn more about their basic Powerboat Training course. It offers an ideal introduction to those new to the sport, the instruction provided will lay the foundation stones of knowledge which will prove to be invaluable as you progress into powerboating. The course is a mixture of classroom and on the water practical instructions. Check out more here.

MARCO BOATS

Marco Boats leave nothing to chance and do nothing by chance. Through solid proven design and customisation, they achieve performance not only measured on the water but by comfort, durability and useabilty. Check out some of the Marco Boats range at the Great Kiwi Summer Festival, including on water demostrations and online here.

NINEFIVENINE

Come and check out ninefivenine action sports - ionate about getting people outside and active. Offering equipment for a range of sports from Surfing, Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Watersports and also have a wide range of bike accessories and parts. Check them out at the event, online or at a retail stockist. Click here for more

HUTCHWILCO

Hutchwilco is a proudly New Zealand owned and operated manufacturer and distributor of quality Marine Safety Equipment, recreational and performance Watersports Products and nationwide agents for industry leading brands such as ACR, PAINS WESSEX & ZODIAC. Check out their range at the Hunting and Fishing site.

HAMILTON DIVE CENTRE

Experts in scuba diving, snorkelling, spear fishing and more. They are committed to offering great service, quality dive equipment. Their staff are friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about diving, free diving & spear fishing. Learn to dive with our beginners training course or upskill with one of our advanced training courses such as deep diving or night diving. They stock a wide range of leading brands for scuba diving & snorkelling gear and also offer servicing of dive equipment & tanks and tank fills (Air and LPG). Check them out here and at the Great Kiwi Summer Festival.

MORE FM

Join the More FM team on site on Saturday. As well as doing live crosses from the event you can also take part in the "Great Gumboot Throw" and be in with the chance to win some great prizes!

OKLAHOMA JOE'S

When Joe Davidson showed up to the 1987 Oklahoma State Fair with a dozen handmade smokers, people just couldn’t get enough. By the time he left, he had sold all of his smokers and received orders for over a hundred more. Today, Oklahoma Joe’s continues to build the most sought-after smokers in the world. Check them out at the Hunting and Fishing site and online here.

FRESH PRODUCE

Get over to JJS Produce and grab all your summer fruits such as Strawberries, Cherries, Blueberries, Watermelon, Apricots.

CAMBRIDGE PETANQUE

Ever wondered how to play Petanque? Here is your chance. Come along and see the friendly members from Cambridge Petanque who will be demostrating how to play as well as encouraging you to give it a go as well. Check them out here.