With The Harbour On Our Doorstep

It was about 5-years ago when we shifted from a Kumeu lifestyle block to Hobsonville Point.

One of the things that really appealed was the Upper Harbour right on our doorstep.

When we decided that this was a place that we could live in there were of course many factors to consider, but the water access was one thing that really did appeal.

At the time there was talk of a marina, a swimming beach and of course the boat ramp.

Plans Change …

In many ways 5-years ago does not seem very long ago at all, but it a new area like Hobsonville Point things are a lot different now to what they were when we made the decision to shift into the area.

Since shifting to Hobsonville Point we have seen a huge number of homes built and a real community developing, and we now have some great places to eat and drink on The Landing but there have been some disappointments too.

Just after we moved in we found out that the boat ramp was going to be for dinghy’s, small yachts, rowing skiffs and kayaks not the trailer boats like we have.

The planned marina was cancelled and we also heard that the planned swimming beach was going to be too expensive to develop and more importantly to maintain, so that got scrapped.

I’m sure that there were good reasons for all of these changes, but our water access was limited.

We could see the water, but it was difficult to get onto it.

We Joined The Yacht Club

With our families love of the water, we decided to go along to an open day at the yacht club.

Personally I had no experience of sailing and neither has Erica; however that did not stop the kids from loving sailing.

The club members that were running the junior sailing were and still are very welcoming, and before we knew it we were club members and involved in the junior sailing programme and the club in general.

It was then that we heard that the yacht club was going to have to move off The Landing to make way for apartments, and the future was uncertain.

As a club member I was elected to help create a new marine centre to ensure that the community maintained water access for all harbour uses.

One of the things that we have pushed hard for is to have a jetty that gets out to the deep water.

This means the water users can launch at any tide, making it much easier to plan activities for clubs and schools, but it also makes it easier for those of use that may want to go for a paddle or sails at a time that suits.

We Need The Communities Help Now

Talking to people in Hobsonville Point and the surrounding area it has become obvious that most people want to ensure that access to the Upper Harbour is maintained.

People love the water and in the Upper Harbour area there are limited places where you can access it at all tides.

We currently use the seaplane ramp which is okay, but not ideal as the tide goes out. We also understand now that there are repairs that will be needed, and it’s uncertain if it will be repaired next time it’s deemed needed. Of course if this ramp is deemed unsafe then we all lose that as an access point to the water.

It’s great to see all the people using the Upper Harbour and we would love that to remain an option in the years to come.

Please take 5-minutes to make a submission to support this community facility.

Your submission can be a simple message of support.

Some of the simple one’s received so far are;

  • “we need water access for our children and their children”
  • “we have a desperate need for a marine centre in this area”
  • “will support the community that will help develop and maintain life long learning skills”
  • “to share our love of the upper harbour and encourage outdoor education and conservation”
  • “water activities are a great way to keep young people engaged with the outdoors, so we must retain water access here”
  • ”let’s make sure we do not lose this valuable piece of history”

Of course, it’s up to you to write what you really believe, but it does not need to be a long document.

4 thoughts on “With The Harbour On Our Doorstep”

  1. Providing a marina will promote a healthy lifestyle for both the young & old, and being able to access the water easily would be fantastic.

  2. I grew up in Hobsonville, I remember going water skiing many times as a child. Hobsonville was where my family would launch the boat. Seeing Hobsonville change over the years has been surreal. The one thing that has not changed is the boat access to the water and it is in desperate need of updating to keep up with the changes in Hobsonville.

    This is a no brainer.

  3. We need more facilities like this in the area, we have water everywhere – and need to get people educated about how to look after it and our coastline. Especially the children.

  4. Will you be able to launch sailing dinghys and other vessels at the concrete potoons. Will there be a ramp into the water?
    Will there be enough parking for everyone who will be using this marine centre?
    Would there be enough space to store sailing dinghys in a gated in area where there is no chance of them being stolen / somewhere to keep your boat in summer?

Leave a Reply to Charley Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *