History

Ngā Kōrero o Mua

Auckland is a city built on our love of the sea, so it makes sense that you’d find the Southern Hemisphere’s largest recreational marina here.

Since Māori used the harbour inlet to access the rich volcanic soils and bountiful fishing spots of Tāmaki Makaurau, this stretch of the city’s waterfront was a popular spot for all Aucklanders to enjoy the harbour. 

In the 1940s, the Auckland Harbour Board created a protected water-space for recreational boats. This led to the creation of boat and yacht clubs, which saw vessels actively racing and cruising from Westhaven. The clubs promoted learn-to-sail programmes, keen to spread their passion and expertise.

In the 1960s, the floating marina development constructed A Pier, which included 36 berths. After funds were raised via a berth licence release in the 1970s, the floating marina continued to grow, with a further 1490 berths built over the next 10 years.

Watch the history of Westhaven Marina unfold, told by those who lived it:

With the 1980s came the addition of three restaurants, brokerages and essential marine services.  Soon after, the Z Pier charter base was introduced, as well as a modern refuelling dock that dispenses 11.5 million litres of fuel per year. 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 Westhaven Marina successfully underwent one of the largest periods of development since it was founded. At the 2020 New Zealand Marina Operators Association awards, the marina received the Outstanding Initiative Award for the ‘Load n Go’ berth and was highly commended in the Marina of the Year Category.

In 2021, the Pile Berth Redevelopment project introduced an additional 86 berths, while R Pier was redeveloped to house a further 14m berth, and several piers received upgrades to futureproof the marina. New infrastructure also includes a 2461sqm Marine Village and a 400m section added to the popular, and now award-winning, promenade boardwalk.