A Story of Heart, Manufacturing Mates and Digital Horizons for Team New Zealand.
Twenty-five years ago, a simple red plastic toy boat helped unite New Zealand’s regional communities. Today, as I reflect on two years since my husband Craig passed suddenly, I’m reminded that true innovation isn’t just about technology – it’s about people coming together to solve problems.
In 1998, I co-designed a community engagement campaign for Team New Zealand to transform an Auckland harbour event into a nationwide celebration. The idea was simple: make red toy boats and race them down waterways in different cities. Turning that vision into reality took a village.
“What about the tides?” Craig asked when I shared the idea. Where I saw dreams, he saw practical challenges. When I imagined crowds and connections, he calculated water displacement! I did hear this comment as negative, however what followed was a masterclass in community collaboration and mate-ship.
He grabbed pencil, paper, and ruler, designed a little toy boat, and built a carbon fibre mould by hand. He rang his mate who owned a plastics manufacturing company to create a plastic prototype. When the boats wouldn’t float, he didn’t give up. He designed steel bases for balancers and made a couple to test them. He then connected with another mate, a specialist manufacturer, who produced the bases. Together, these three mates tested the boats on the Avon River. When they floated, they celebrated with a beer. They agreed involving sheltered workshops nationwide to help finish the boat, attach the bases, and add branded stickers would be in the spirit. Those very special people wore “FASTER” caps with pride.
Craig designed, and his employees constructed a large trailer to transport Team New Zealand’s equipment across the country. Traveling with our 9-month-old baby, Lucia, he helped make the campaign a reality.
The campaign’s success wasn’t just in the boats—it was in the connections made. Communities didn’t just watch a race; they created one, joining together to make the boats go FASTER!
Today, technology could easily streamline this process. AI design boats in seconds, AR could bring virtual races to smartphones, and social media could spread the message instantly. But I’ve learned that while technology can make things faster, it’s people who make things matter.
If Craig were here, he’d be amazed at the speed and accuracy of AI design and 3D printing. He would, in fact, experience discomfort. But he’d also remind us that community isn’t built at the speed of broadband—it’s built at the speed of trust, understanding, and shared purpose.
The future of community engagement isn’t about choosing between digital efficiency and human connection—it’s about harmonizing them. AI can help us reach more people and measure impact, but real innovation happens when we use these tools to amplify our humanity: our creativity, compassion, and ability to work together.
In memory of Craig, let’s remember that the most powerful technology will always be human hearts working together. Sometimes, it takes looking back to see the way forward.
Thank you, Craig. And cheers to his mates, who made the boats go FASTER!
PS: Grant Dalton – let’s talk!
