The Bay of Islands has the best international marina in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Marina Industries Association (MIA), the organisation representing the marina and related service industries in this part of the world.

Bay of Islands Marina in Opua won the award at the recent 2019/2020 Club Marine Marina of the Year Awards on Australia’s Gold Coast. This is the first time in the 17-year history of the event that a New Zealand marina has won the award.

Auckland’s Westhaven Marina and China’s Sanya Serenity Marina were on the shortlist, along with Bay of Islands Marina.

There are 10 categories in the Awards which are conducted every two years by the MIA. Entries are judged by members of the association’s executive board.

The judges were impressed by the demonstrably high level of service offered to customers, from arrival and Customs clearance through to the work conducted by the boatyard and the excellent marine service industry at Opua, all of which enhance the marina’s reputation as a favoured destination for yachties traversing the Pacific.

Far North Holdings general manager Chris Galbraith says the award is a vindication of the time, effort and attention to detail that has gone into the recent expansion work at the marina.

“All the way through we have looked at this project through as many lenses as possible and done whatever we could to ensure that the product lives up to the expectations of our customers, our service industry tenants, our staff, our communities here in the Bay of Islands and our shareholders – the ratepayers of the Far North in the form of our single owner, the Far North District Council.”