Westhaven Marina in Auckland is the largest yacht marina in the Southern Hemisphere. It has around 2,000 berths and swing moorings. There are other marinas around the city, but Westhaven best represents the “City of Sails” moniker. Looking across the marina from the south also provides some of the best views of Auckland Harbour Bridge. The marina is the only one in NZ to have received a Blue Flag Quality award, an international recognition of its quality and environmental standards.
It is easy to access the marina from the Wynyard Quarter. Take Beaumont Street to Westhaven Drive on the west side of the quarter, and then follow the path to the south side of the marina. You can also continue to the north side, walk underneath the Harbour Bridge, and up to Ponsonby on the Harbour Bridge Pathway.
The marina is located in St Mary's Bay. In the 1950s, the bay's foreshore was buried under the motorway connection to the new Harbour Bridge, cutting off several small boat yards and private moorings from the water. The Auckland Harbour Board planned to fill Westhaven, but the bay residents resisted. Many donated their services to create Westhaven Marina in the derelict waterway, avoiding the fate that befell much of the waterfront until the late 1900s and 2000s renewal projects.
