22 | WATERLINE December 2025 FEATURE NEW ZEALAND THE ENGINEERING BEHIND QUEENSTOWN MARINA By Keith Hogan, General Manager Bellingham Marine New Zealand Building a marina in one of the most spectacular and challenging locations in New Zealand required more than design skill. It demanded innovation, precision, and a deep understanding of how structures behave on water. Located on Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by a beautiful mountain backdrop, Queenstown Marina stands as a showcase of smart engineering and thoughtful design. From the curved attenuator that shields the harbour, to the telescopic piles that move with the lake, and the floating commercial sheds that bring the waterfront to life. Every element was created to perform smoothly in a dynamic alpine environment. Queenstown Marina isn’t like a typical coastal marina, its location means it faces some of the toughest natural conditions. Water levels rise and fall with rain and snowmelt, strong winds sweep through the valleys, and the weather shifts from hot summers to freezing winters. The team had to develop smart, adaptable designs that could withstand these challenges without losing strength or disrupting the natural setting. By combining clever engineering with clean design, the team created a marina that moves with the lake and maintains its strength and beauty in every season. TELESCOPIC PILES: BUILT TO MOVE WITH THE LAKE Traditional piles were not suitable for Lake Wakatipu’s variable water levels, so a two-section assembly was designed with a 508mm lower underwater pile paired with a 324mm foamfilled upper sliding pile. This system allows the pontoons to rise and fall smoothly as the lake shifts, maintaining alignment and stability while reducing stress on the structure. The pile design also needed to consider the soft nature of the lakebed, with the bottom pile needing embedment up to 10.2 meters. Another key advantage of the telescopic pile system is that it has almost no visual impact, as most of the piles are hidden underwater, with only a few visible at the end berths. The result is a marina that stays perfectly balanced and blends seamlessly into its surroundings, regardless of the season. THE CURVED FLOATING ATTENUATOR Protecting the marina from wave action was another major challenge. Lake Wakatipu is long and open, allowing strong waves to roll straight toward the shore. To manage this, the team designed a curved floating attenuator. This structure breaks up wave energy while fitting seamlessly with the natural shape of the shoreline. The attenuator is made from 4-metre-wide Unifloat® concrete pontoons that start perpendicular to the waterfront curving through a 106° radius to align across the lakefront. It absorbs and deflects wave energy, keeping the water inside the harbour calm and steady. The curve helps spread the load evenly, while FRP bolts and mesh reinforcement make the structure tough and low-maintenance. FLOATING SHEDS AND COMMERCIAL PLATFORMS Queenstown Marina’s floating sheds bring energy and life to the waterfront, with cafés, restaurants, and local shops adding a welcoming atmosphere. The development includes several floating buildings, some built on platforms up to 30 × 9 metres. Each shed sits on a reinforced concrete pontoon platform, connected underwater with stainless-steel tie rods that help distribute loads and control movement. This setup allows the buildings to act as one stable structure, even when the lake levels change. “There’s nothing more satisfying than working with a client to bring a vision like this to life,” says Keith Hogan, General Manager Bellingham Marine New Zealand. “Queenstown Marina is proof that even the most complex conditions can be overcome when design and engineering work hand in hand.” OTHER KEY FEATURES Beyond the main structures, a few design details make a big difference in how Queenstown Marina looks and performs. The team used aluminium angle frames with curved trim on the single piece finger ends, giving a rounded boat friendly fender end. Electric Wave charging stations were added to support electric boats, keeping the marina ready for the future of sustainable boating. FRP through bolts and mesh were used throughout for extra strength and corrosion resistance, while the electrical and service systems were designed to deliver reliability for both private and commercial users. Together, these details give the marina strength, style, and harmony with its natural surroundings.
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