Hillarys Boat Harbour is a marina

Marina

A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....

 and tourist precinct located in Hillarys

Hillarys, Western Australia

Hillarys is a northern coastal suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Joondalup. It is part of the Whitfords precinct, and is located 21 km north-northwest of Perth's central business district via Mitchell Freeway and Hepburn...

, north of Perth, Western Australia and on the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

.

Hillarys Boat Harbour was the first such major marina in the north metropolitan region of Perth. Construction of the new Harbour commenced in September 1985. Boat launching facilities were completed in October 1986 and boats started moving into pen moorings two months later, just before the start of the 1987 America's Cup

1987 America's Cup

The 1987 America's Cup was the twenty-seventh challenge for the America's Cup and the first time for 132 years that it had not been defended by the New York Yacht Club....

 Challenge Series.

The facility has been extensively upgraded during 2008 to incorporate a new boardwalk, tavern and retail outlets. A feature of this upgrade is a drawbridge arrangement to allow boats to be moored inside the network of boardwalks.

Hillarys is also home to AQWA - The Aquarium of Western Australia

Aquarium of Western Australia

The Aquarium of Western Australia is a privately owned aquarium in Hillarys, Western Australia. AQWA was Australia's largest aquarium when it opened, and remains so to this date. It is also the world's 10th largest Aquarium.-History:...

 which showcases the marine life and unique regions of Western Australia's 12,000km coastline. The aquarium

Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...

is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Other attractions in and around the harbour include a waterslide and putt-putt course as well as fishing charters & cruises.

External links

• www.dpi.wa.gov.au
• http://www.breakloose.com.au/html/adventure_articles/regional/wa/perth/hillarys_boat_harbour.php www.breakloose.com.au]
• www.aqwa.com.au