Westhaven Marina
Encyclopedia
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, is the largest yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
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....
in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. The marina has nearly two thousand berth
Berth (moorings)
A berth is a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea.-Locations in a port:Berth is the term used in ports and harbors to define a specific location where a vessel may be berthed, usually for the purposes of loading and unloading.Most berths will be...
s and swing moorings, and tends to be continually booked. Auckland, known as 'City of Sails', is generally known for its maritime passions.
It is owned by Auckland City Council
Auckland City Council
Auckland City Council was the local government authority representing Auckland City, New Zealand, and was amalgamated into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. It was an elected body representing the 404,658 residents of the city...
, which bought it from Ports of Auckland
Ports of Auckland
Ports of Auckland Limited , the successor to the Auckland Harbour Board, is the company administering Auckland's commercial freight and cruise ship harbour facilities...
in 2004 for NZ$ 46 million.
In 2008, it received its second-time-running international 'Blue Flag award' for its water quality, environmental management and safety standards. It is one of 640 marinas worldwide (and the only marina in New Zealand) to have received the award.
Construction
During the 1950s the foreshore of St. Mary’s bay disappeared under the approaches to the Auckland Harbour BridgeAuckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
[opened 1959]. For over a century St Mary's Bay had been the location of several small commercial boat-yards mixed in with the private moorings from houses set on the harbour cliffs above the bay. All these facilities were now to be cut off from the water.
The Auckland Harbour Board planned to fill in Westhaven completely, but a group of local residents including engineers and architects donated their services to create Westhaven Marina, now one of Auckland’s greatest assets. If not for this initiative, the entire area might have become a continuation of the Western Reclamation
Western Reclamation
The Wynyard Quarter is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitemata Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand....
industrial waterfront areas to the east.
Future plans
Council was proposing major works around the Marina for NZ$ 23 million up to 2011, though these were since deferred. This may include improved parks around the Auckland Harbour BridgeAuckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
area, better footpaths and cycleways along Westhaven Drive and a Marine Village (with cafes and marine-related shops).
See also
- Viaduct BasinViaduct BasinViaduct Basin is a former commercial harbour on the Auckland waterfront, now turned into a development of mostly upscale apartments, office space and restaurants. It is located on the site of a formerly run-down area of the Freemans Bay / Auckland CBD waterfront in Auckland City, New Zealand...
, marine-themed entertainment and residential area further east - Western ReclamationWestern ReclamationThe Wynyard Quarter is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitemata Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand....
, industrial and marine use area directly to the east
External links
- Westhaven Marina (official website)