Recreational boating in Queensland is big business, worth billions of dollars, and the opening of the Gold Coast marine expo this weekend reinforces that.

Sarah Dean reports.

TRANSCRIPT

It’s called hydro flying and it was a great way to kick off the marine expo.

Thousands will roll up over the weekend just to dream, or even buy.

Vox 1: “I’m interested in looking at boats because we want to buy one.”

Vox 2: “My wife was taking some photos of some big ones yesterday, but I don’t know how good she will go.”

The show competes with the annual Sanctuary Cove event, but boating is an eight-billion dollar industry in Australia so there’s plenty of interest.

Vox 3: “We want to buy some stuff for my tinny.”

You can see how a boat is made, learn to fish and tour Australia’s biggest boat-building factory.

There’s something here for everyone.

With over 400 boats on display this weekend, take your pick from the million-dollar flybridges to your smaller tinnies.

The boating industry won’t disclose the value of boats sold at the expo each year.

But shows like this kick start sales for summer.

With three million people involved in leisure boating, thousands of new boats were sold in Queensland alone last year.

Darren Vaux, Boating Industries Alliance: “Boat showers are about people who haven’t actually enjoyed boating before, and come and understand and be able to touch it and feel it and experience it.”

But if you don’t like boats, there are classic Ferraris on display as well.

And they’re a good investment too.

Sarah Dean QUT News.