As the Central Coast region moves towards becoming an eco-tourism destination, one Coast attraction has completed a $1.2M transformation and successfully negotiated with TAFE to have its guides trained in eco tourism
Chair of the Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre John Asquith said he was proud that “we have come to the end of our big upgrade project, where $1.2M has been spent on modernising and bringing the place up to eco-tourism standards and compliance with the disability code.
Asquith said it has been a four-year project with most of the work done by a band of volunteers but local businesses have also had input.
“We engaged 125 contractors during those four years for small jobs like putting on a door through to painting and solar, photographers, builders, furniture proividers, you name it,” he said.
“It has been a wonderful outcome from our point of view because it means the work has been to a very high standard and we are very proud of the craftsmanship that has been applied.”
Tasmanian oak and beech paneling are a feature and Asquith said he believed their use would demonstrate “what you can do with natural products”.
Interns at the CCMDC have also graduated with a certificate III in tourism with an emphasis on eco-tourism after the Centre worked with TAFE to customize their existing Cert III to place more emphasis on eco tourism.
“TAFE were very obliging and changed the course to put a greater emphasis on eco tourism, learning how to tread softly on the land through to the treatment of the creatures we have at the centre so we are very proud of what they all achieved,” Asquith said.
“TAFE were really pleased with the results and said they would love to do more,” he said.
With interns trained and renovations complete, the CCMDC is ready, with the recent lifting of COVID restrictions to invite the community to come back to the centre and enjoy the new vibe.
“We’ve got new tanks, displays and facilities.
‘In terms of displays, because of the high-quality craftsmanship and the design that went into it, we have doubled the display space, we have had a movie made called ‘The Wonders of the Wreck’ about the ecological life on the Adelaide wreck at the moment.
Other new attractions include a Port Jackson Shark, and the centre has just finished building a sea horse tank and will take delivery of its occupants soon.
As for the Port Jackson shark, Asquith explained that they spent a lot of their time down in Tasmanian waters but they come up here each year around September and then the eggs are laid and it takes 14 months for the eggs to hatch.
“The Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre is virtually a new attraction and only the second organisation on the Central Coast to be eco-tourism accredited,” he said.
“People may be aware the Central Coast is heading towards becoming an eco tourism destination by June this year.
“We’ve now got a theatrette, a heritage area with material on shipwrecks and then we’ve got our learning space which is suitable for use by classes and public events.
“we are very keen to get that rented out and used to groups who want a venue that holds between 20 and 30 people.
“The café now has a commercial kitchen, all new toilets including accessible toilets and a toilet for the park fully sewered and away from the lagoon.
“As a grandfather the thing that absolutely gives me a buzz every time I come over here is the park and the deck and café that overlooks the park and that is the number of parents and children who are just enjoying the park, the café and the marine centre.
“Sometimes the place is chockers and when they go in, whether it is the craft activities because they love to paint or the fish, it is the impact on our children and our visitors.
“A number of my helpers are also grandpas and we have an index which is the number of strollers in the park or around the marine centre on any given day.
One of the things we strive to do here through education is to create an aspiration so that by seeing this place the kids say I wish I could be a diver or a scientist.
“We currently have on display a wooden Canadian canoe, you have never seen such a beautiful Canadian canoe and it will be here for about six months.”
Asquith said the CCMDC also aims to be an affordable attraction with a family ticket costing around $40 or you can purchase a season pass that means “you can come in as many times as you like throughout the year”.
Jackie Pearson
That’s an interesting article. But where is the Discovery Centre? I would like to take friends to it.
The Marine Discovery Centre is located at Terrigal, by the lagoon.
Where?