| A great marina does not necessarily has to be luxurious nor for members only. In Australia, the award winning Empire Marina Bobbin Head has demonstrated how a marina can be green, fish friendly, and a site for public enjoyment, in addition to providing all round services for members. Located at north of Sydney, Empire Marina Bobbin Head, the Austrian Marina Hall of Fame, is part of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and offers berths and boat hire, fishing and on-site dining options catering to every visitor of the Park. Furthermore, thanks to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park's well-designed facilities, the marina provides a great location to run, row or ride, with a rich Aboriginal heritage, as more than 350 Aboriginal sites, including rock engravings, burial sites, axe grinding grooves and places that show evidence of Aboriginal occupation, have been recorded in the Park. Moreover, the Park is also brilliant for birdwatchers, as there are over 160 bird species have been recorded. Awards and Accreditation of Empire Marina Bobbin Head
Empire Marinas acquired the marina from the Halvorsen family in 2006 and undertook a multi-million dollar redevelopment of the marina to create a state of the art commercial marina facility. The marina is now host to more than 50,000 visitors per year and the kiosk, bar and boat hire make the marina a vibrant and attractive destination for boaters and the local community alike. Like Empire Marina Bobbin Head, The Baroque on Lamma in Hong Kong also embraces the idea of public enjoyment. The proposed world-class marina can host local and international regatta events and its public facilities include a Sailing Academy and a unique U shaped double breakwater which will provide diverse facilities for recreational uses, both on water and under-water sports, as well as exploratory activities. Clean energies from solar, wind, tidal and waste will be captured to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the development. Furthermore, local heritage will be preserved including restoration of an old village compound into a Visitors’ Centre to display the island’s five thousand years of human settlement as well as way of life of a traditional Chinese village some two hundred years ago. Local biodiversity is also protected and actively managed through the proposed establishment of a Community Trust which, among other things, will run eco-education programs within the existing secondary woodland which will be preserved in-situ along with other habitats along the coast and up the hillside. Sources: Empire Marina Bobbin Head Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park-Empire Marina Bobbin Head Empire Marina Bobbin Head inducted into the Australian Marina Hall of Fame "Fish-friendly" marinas awarded Photos: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bobbin_head-1w.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASphinxMemorial2.JPG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APetroglyphmanandwoman.jpg |
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