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2017 May June Marina World

The magazine for the marina industry

Windsor Racecourse

Windsor Racecourse Marina handling and lifting systems www.boatlift.it info@boatlift.it Tel. +39(0)173 500357 Fax +39(0)173 500642

MARINA PLANNING & DESIGN OpenStreetMap From home-grown to high-tech on a Māori lake Caution: this is a story of renewal and expansion in New Zealand that contains a number of challenging Māori names. Be undaunted. It’s an inspirational story well worth the effort. Robert Wilkes reports. Lake Taupō is considered the “beating heart” of the North Island by Māori. The lake bed is formed by a huge volcanic crater and is owned by Ngati Tūwharetoa, a Māori tribe made up of 26 hapū, or sub-tribes. Motuoapa Marina nestles on the shore of a village of the same name. Now that you have mastered these challenging Māori names, we begin. New Zealand is a new land that rose from the sea as the result of the massive collision of tectonic plates. Lake Taupō is in a volcano caldera or crater formed by multiple eruptions over 300,000 years. The last major eruption 1,800 years ago may have been the natural phenomenon noted at the time by chroniclers in China and Rome. Located in the middle of the North Island, the 623km² (240.5mi²) lake is the largest in New Zealand. Major population centres are three hours south and north, notably Wellington and Auckland. The lake is dotted with stunning cliff-side Māori carvings and visitors enjoy fishing excursions and adventure tours. Remarkably, but not in New Zealand, there are ski resorts not more than 30 minutes away. The original marina was built 50 to 60 years ago by local boating enthusiasts and members of social organisations who wanted a place to keep a boat on the lake. They did it with grit and sweat on weekends. They created a cozy marina for family boating in a beautiful setting; some say it has the greatest trout fishing in the world. All the slips are permanently rented by local residents and boaters who drive up from the cities. Ready for renewal Unfortunately, there were no hydrologists among the volunteers. While the lake water just outside the marina is always pristine, the water The all-new Motuoapa Marina (above) now dominates the centre of the basin – a far better and more convenient arrangement than the perimeter mooring (right). www.marinaworld.com - May/June 2017 25

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