Marinas Guide to Australia -Another Cruising Aid
There are Marina Guides to almost every other sailing-mad country in the world, and now there's a new online guide to Australia. This website will tell you where the marinas are - precisely, showing you with an easy click a Google Earth hybrid map of the marina. The website has just been launched as a comprehensive free resource for cruising yachties at www.marinasguide.com.au.
'MarinasGuide to Australia - about time!'
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You won't have to rely on ad hoc information any more, because this site aims to list every marina in Australia, almost 300 marinas (and even a few safe harbours where conventional marinas don't exist) are included in this directory.
The Guide was developed to meet the needs of cruising sailors after extensive research and development. Both international and Australian cruisers making coastal passages will value the information. 
When undertaking passage planning, no matter which country, you want to know where the safe harbours were located. You need to know which facilities are available and how to contact the harbourmaster. Once you reach a new cruising ground you want to know about local services and facilities. Enter Marinasguide.com.au .
Fiona Harper, founding Editor of this definitive online marina guide has stepped up to meet the demand. With qualifications in travel, journalism and yachting, she has diverse skills and experience and is a member of Aust Journalists Assoc and the Aust Society of Travel Writers. Additionally, she has over 20 years of commercial, racing and leisure boating experience in Australia, New Zealand and across the Asia/Pacific region. As a result, there's hardly a an Australian waterway or marina that she doesn't have first hand knowledge of. 
The Australian Marinas Guide utilises the latest in internet interactivity. A custom designed mapping system offers aerial views of every marina, allowing users to zoom in to gain a birds eye view of marina layouts. This 'Maps' section of the Guide is working brilliantly today, and it will now be up to the marinas of Australia to realise the benefit and take advantage of having their marinas listed with full detail and photos - for which they will have to pay a small fee.
There will be other more comprehensive information on the site as well. Once the site develops an Events Calendar will keep users up to date with boat shows, regattas and festivals. Trip Planners comprise coastal passage and anchorage notes to help with passage planning. On the Waterfront is where cruising yachts can find out what to see and do in unfamiliar destinations.
Try it now. Click www.marinasguide.com.auand use the 'Maps' link to find a marina anywhere on the Australian coastline.
by Nancy Knudsen 
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
Marmion, WA
