Home to 80 per cent of on-water tourism in the Whitsundays and most awarded marina in Australia, Coral Sea Marina Resort is a beacon of light and the glimmering jewel of first impressions as visitors drive over the hill to Airlie Beach.
Over the past 10 years it has steadily been transformed from a run-down and dated port to now being known as the ‘Monaco of the South Pacific’ for visiting superyachts, having been crowned with a slew of superyacht awards in recent years.
This transformation has been the vision of one man who inspires a dedicated workforce to aim for the best and achieve only the highest of standards.
Avid boating enthusiast Paul Darrouzet had been visiting Airlie Beach for 26 years prior to purchasing the marina.
During that time, he noticed the deterioration of the physical infrastructure and service
standard within Abell Point Marina.
When the marina went into receivership, he saw an opportunity to create not only a worldclass marina but also an inspiring destination that global visitors would flock towards.
Within the first eighteen months of ownership, Paul invested in a complete visual overhaul – pouring 21,000 square meters of concrete, creating 305 car parks, and building a new arrival and departure plaza.
Buildings were demolished, new ones erected, the marina was dredged to allow access for larger vessels and the entire precinct underwent significant beautification.
Paul managed to create a bustling marina village feel and a hive of boating activity – the new standard of facility was quickly reflected in the quality of visitor, attracting a more discerning guest, while reinvigorating a sense of pride in current tenants.
The overall feel and vibe of the marina was transformed, but Paul did not wish to stop there.
Over the years he tackled the arduous task of addressing the muddy parkland which lay adjacent to the marina.
It had become an eyesore to passing motorists, reducing the stunning first impression of the marina that he was trying to create.
A labour of love, it took Paul and his team several years to revive the area which has now become a manicured grassland and garden space which has hosted several large-scale events.
Determined to create a smooth flow within the precinct and the ultimate destination offering for his guests, Paul made the astute business decision to purchase the adjacent Coral Sea Resort.
He invested substantially in completely
renovating the dated accommodation facility, creating a flagship and a new benchmark in the local accommodation offering which continues to this day.
At the same time, he renamed the entire precinct to Coral Sea Marina Resort, a complete lifestyle destination where guests can stay, play, and explore.
With arguably the best views on the Australian coast, the lovingly developed marina precinct now has two marina villages, a dedicated superyacht arm, a 26-metre floating customer lounge, a relaxing on-shore lounge area, a luxury resort, and a diverse range of tourism and hospitality experiences.
This multi-million-dollar investment has not only transformed the marina, it has also raised the bar for tourism across the Whitsunday region.
“A rising tide lifts all boats” John F Kennedy
Attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to its vibrant precinct, Coral Sea Marina is a magnet for quality tourism and home to dozens of family-owned businesses that operate successfully and independently under its safe-haven.
The two marina villages offer a range of tourism and hospitality experiences and services, with many tenants and operators arguably the best in the business, boasting both Queensland
and Australian Tourism Award winners amongst them.
Whether it be a relaxing poolside getaway, overnight sailing adventures, bareboat charters, scenic flights from the private helipads, jetboats or jetskis - Coral Sea Marina Resort acts as the gateway to the stunning Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef.
A camaraderie, loyalty and family feeling exist
between everyone in the marina, each business complimenting the other and offering a service that directly supports the cohesion and overall success of the marina network.
Under the supportive guidance of the marina, this united community of family-owned businesses have proved to resiliently overcome challenges over the years, both in the immediate aftermath of the 2017 Cyclone Debbie and in the ongoing Covid-19 recovery.
In 2023 they are embarking on a new era of success, one where international tourism is kicking back into gear, the cruise ships are once again a common sight on the horizon and domestic tourism is fully engaged with visiting the region.
It is an exciting time to be operating at Coral Sea Marina.
It was 1904 when the first settler of the region, Thomas Abell, arrived in Airlie Beach, and by 1938 a small jetty had been established near the current site of the VMR as a transit point for vessels.
By 1988 the Abel Point Marina consortium commenced marina development and in 1990 Abel Point Marina was sold to the Robinson family who operated until 2006. Meridien Marinas then purchased the site
Before and after 21,000 square metres of concrete were poured
and by 2011 it went into receivership.
When Paul Darrouzet purchased the marina in 2013, he immediately restored the correct spelling of the name (Abell) to recognise the original settlers.
Enhancing guest experience - this included the addition of a private helipad on the marina rock wall, upgrades to the fuel wharf enabling 24-hour fuel access, the launch of a conference and wedding venue and the introduction of a new café.
Coral
Continuous improvement - Hemingway’s restaurant was awarded a Chef Hat, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race returned and accolades continued with another Gold at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards. The 2.5-hectare community garden was starting to take shape.
A new era for the business - Through the acquisition of neighbouring Coral Sea Resort, the marina and resort merged and rebranded as Coral Sea Marina Resort, a vibrant destination in the heart of the Coral Sea.
The
dredge the Gardens parkland, build an upper balcony extension on Sorrento’s, and launched a 26-metre floating customer lounge.
Thousands attended the Whitsundays Clipper Race Carnival before Covid shut the world down
The year the world changed - When the country locked down, the Coral Sea Resort closed its doors whilst the marina remained operational as an essential service. By June 2020, both businesses were back fully operational.
Pivoting to the domestic market - a private guest and crew lounge was added, the Coral Sea Academy was developed to provide an EduTourism experience for the region and the marina was announced as Superyacht Industry Service Provider of 2021.
A year to be remembered – the marina achieved its highest berthing occupancy on record and won Best Superyacht Marina (in the World) in the international ACREW Superyacht Business Awards. A floating seagrass nursery site was installed in the south marina as part of the Whitsundays Seagrass Restoration Project.
A decade of excellence – was celebrated with a major refurbishment of Coral Sea Resort which was completed in time for of Paul Darrouzet’s ten-year anniversary as owner of the award-winning, world renowned, Coral Sea Marina resort this month.
THE REGION’S ONLY 5 GOLD ANCHOR PLATINUM MARINA CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
Thank you to all our marina tenants, operators, guests, industry partners, suppliers and contractors for your support over the last 10 years!
“Joy is not found in finishing an activity, but in doing it” Greg Anderson
With big dreams and solid ambitions, over the past 10 years, Paul Darrouzet and his team have transformed a small regional marina into a global flagship and key player in the luxury yachting world.
In a dedicated effort, Coral Sea Marina has managed to attract some of the largest yachts in the South Pacific, including 75-metre Lady E and 73-metre, Dragonfly. Spending upwards of $25,000 a day on provisions and services, the superyachts make a big impact on the local economy.
During their stay, they also use the marina as their home port from which to explore the Whitsundays and every experience travels far and wide among the yachting community as word travels across the world to reinforce the reputation of the marina and broader region. Known for providing a seamless professional service, superyacht captains and crew from
around the world now hold the marina in high regard.
“The aim throughout the development process has been to create the Monaco of the South Pacific for superyachts,” said Paul Darrouzet.
The marina’s dedication to the industry was formally recognised last year when it officially became the Best Superyacht Marina in the international ACREW Superyacht Business Awards, after two years consecutively of being Runner-Up.
The role the organisation plays in the Australian superyacht industry has also been recognised in recent years with the marina being awarded Superyacht Industry Service Provider of the Year in both 2017 and 2021. In addition, Paul Darrouzet, was recognised in 2017 as Australian Superyacht Industry Champion for his commitment to the growth of the industry in Australia.
AN AWARD WINNING MARINA PRECINCT
5 Gold Anchor Platinum Global Marina Accreditation
ACREW Superyacht Business Awards - Best Superyacht Marina 2022
Australian Marina of the Year 2017/18, 2019/20 and Hall of Fame 2021
Superyacht Industry Service Provider of the Year 2017, 2021
ACREW Superyacht Business Awards - Best Superyacht Marina (Runner-Up) 2021
ACREW Superyacht Business Awards - Best Australasian Marina (Runner-Up) 2020
Superyacht Industry Champion 2017 - Paul Darrouzet 2021 Australasian HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence - Upscale Hotel Category (Highly Commended)
MIA Best Community Engagement by a Marina 2019/20
MIA Innovation by a Marina 2017/18
Major Tourism Attraction (Gold) - Queensland Tourism Awards 2017
Major Tourism Attraction (Finalist) - Australian Tourism Awards 2017
Major Tourism Attraction (Gold) - Whitsunday Tourism Awards 2016, 2017, 2018, Hall of Fame 2019
Best of Queensland Experiences 2018, 2019, 2021
TripAdvisor Travellers Choice 2020
ecoBiz Star Rated Partner 2021
Clean Marina Level III / Fish Friendly Marina
With a desire to provide guests and visitors with a deeper, more meaningful experience of boating and the environment, Coral Sea Marina has launched a dedicated Eco Tourism pillar to their tourism offering.
The Coral Sea Academy aims to transform the ways people think and behave about the environment and encompasses the four key pillars of sustainability, better boating, wellness and culture.
By introducing a range of special events, workshops and experiences, the Coral Sea Academy takes people on a journey that inspires them to be part of something bigger, to be changed and to make change happen.
Coral Sea Marina does not just preach sustainable behaviour; they also live and breathe environmentally conscious practices.
They are an accredited Clean Marina Level III/ Fish Friendly marina and in 2018, it became the first marina resort in Australia to have all its food and beverage outlets become plastic straw free as part of The Last Straw Campaign.
The marina has also pledged to become free of single-use plastics by 2025.
By partnering with CQ University and Reef Catchments the marina has developed a test site for seagrass nurseries.
They are also working on the Healthy Heart Reef Project, with the Whitsunday Climate Change Innovation Hub, to decarbonise the Whitsundays tourism sector and achieve a sustainable destination accreditation for the Whitsunday region.
In addition, they are an ecoBiz Star Partner for their commitment to waste management.
At the forefront of community events and charity drives, Coral Sea Marina is both generous and instrumental in assisting a variety of local causes that actively help in meaningful ways.
They are major sponsors of Whitsunday Voluntary Marine Rescue, funding vessels that are called out on multiple missions per week and have saved countless lives over the years.
Coral Sea Marina Resort is also a sponsor of multiple local sports clubs and Sailability Whitsunday, which helps people living with a disability get out on the water and enjoy recreational boating.
The marina also enjoys coordinating and contributing towards fundraising projects, they organise the yearly Big Aussie BBQ and are supporters of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club’s (SICYC) annual rendezvous, both of which raise much-needed funds for the Pros-
tate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Through the Coral Sea Academy, they also partner with boating professionals, environmental organisations and not-for-profit groups to encourage better boating practices and the preservation of the marine environment.
In addition, they are passionate about bringing community events to the region.
From the Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival to the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and the Great Barrier Reef Festival, many events are supported by the generosity of the marina. Committed to creating a community-focused recreation hub in which guests can feel part of the Whitsunday community and enjoy the many groups, Coral Sea Marina Resort is dedicated to ensuring there are regular activities and events on offer throughout the region.
“Take only memories, leave only footprints” Chief Seattle
For 12 years, Amy Nichols has been the parallel smile for Coral Sea Marina guests - when they beam, she beams; the happiness of the customers is her own.
In her role as Guest Services Manager, Amy is the gentle hand of the Marina, the welcoming gesture for its guests, guiding them back on boats or by foot “like old friends.” In the more than a decade she’s been with Coral Sea Marina, she’s seen its community grow and been a key part in cultivating its culture of exceptional service. Like almost all those who call the Whitsundays home, Amy found herself here by chance, moving from Canada in her backpacking days of yore – the early 2000s. She arrived with experience in the service and hospitality industry, and – as is the same old story - soon fell in love with the region, but not just the place, the people: Amy met her husband in the Whitsundays’ land of sunbleached sand.
“We started our amazing journey together nearly 18 years ago,” Amy said.
“Now, we’ve built our own home just outside of town and have two young beautiful children. I have a whole family unit here: my brother and sister-in-law moved here from Canada so we could be closer to each other. This is my home.”
In her almost two decades of time in Airlie Beach, she has seen it change – and nowhere has that change been more dramatic than at Coral Sea Marina.
“The services and facilities we offer have changed and
Happy Birthday Coral Sea Marina!
since Paul [Darrouzet] arrived it has changed completely,” Amy said.
“He made it an entirely different experience to what staying at any normal marina would be, and as the Guest Services Manager, it has been rewarding to have assisted him in achieving this. Because of that, the Marina is a lot busier than it was when I started and the demand we have seen for berthing – even since Covid – is incredible. It is keeping the guest services team on their toes!”
The personal highlights of Amy’s career are almost daily – they’re the interactions with guests: “When loyal guest returns each year for their annual cruising holiday and they come into the marina office and greet the team like old friends, that’s special,” she said.
“Seeing the smile on a guest’s face or even hearing a smile over the phone by providing a level of service that exceeds expectations is not only rewarding but heart-warming.”
Coral Sea Marina, busy and bustling, is in great part the way it is because of Amy’s work. Of her tireless efforts, of her ability to welcome guests, of her love for her job.
“The marina feels – to me -like its own community,” Amy said.
“All its commercial operators and tenants, the cafes, the restaurants, day tourists, locals, and sailors – there’s something here for everyone. I think the Marina plays a big role in this community, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
If there is a throughline for each of Coral Sea Marina’s longest-serving staff, it is their devotion to the ocean; their affinity for the big blue.
Jacqui Henderson is no different: her career in the Marine Industry began in 1991 in her home country of New Zealand, where she operated a power boat and trailer yacht business. And ever since, it’s been one long love affair with the sea.
Traveling to Australia from New Zealand in the early 2000s, Jacqui and her husband were on a mission to manoeuvre the country, planning to circumnavigate it with their own trailer yacht, having sold their business back in their homeland. Having heard that Airlie Beach was a sailing destination – that familiar story - they made it their first stop, intending to be here for no more than six months. That was 22 years ago: “We never left”.
“When we decided to stay in Airlie, I first worked on the overnight Skippered Charter Yachts for a couple of years,” Jacqui said.
“Then land-based working for a Bare Boat Charter Company - which was seasonal – and in the off season I joined my husband who was looking after a private 48’ Bavaria yacht and sailed the vessel to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne where we did corporate day trips for the owners then returned to Airlie.”
After years in the marine industry, Jacqui felt she
needed a change, and sought a position working for a local Landscape Architectural firm. “Only, I came to the realisation that I needed to be close to the Ocean,” Jacqui said. “I then applied for a position at what was Abell Point Marina [now Coral Sea Marina] and have been here ever since.”
It was Jacqui’s passion for excellent customer service – as well as her expert sailing experience – that lent her the perfect credentials for her perfect position at the Marina; one she’s held for 12 years. And it’s changed markedly since her arrival: the Marina was soon to be invested in heavily after she began. It became one of Airlie Beach’s most iconic sailing ports and recognised as a world-class destination –something the little town she arrived in 22 years ago could never have imagined.
“When Paul [Darrouzet] purchased the Marina in 2013, he had a vision,” Jacqui said.
“And he has been able to achieve it. I am very proud to be part of this team, and the recognition of continually taking out world standard awards, that’s just the icing on the cake.”
When she’s not working weekends at the Marina in her role, her weekdays are spent in the arts of peaceful solitude, connection with nature and self: yoga, art, paddle boarding, kayaking. In fact, once a month, Jacqui teaches an Art Class at the Ocean Club at Coral Sea Marina, bringing all her passions together.
Picture it: plate glass water around mountainous islands, like impressionistic green dollops of paint on plates of golden sand, surrounded by blue swirls. When anyone ventures on the seas, the tranquillity of it calls imagination to stretch its legs, and no one knows that better than Gemma Mee.
Born in Brisbane and growing up in the Redlands, Gemma would soon fall in love with the sailing lifestyle after her family moved to the Whitsunday region in 1981. She had little choice: her family lived and worked in a yacht on the water, her first real job was with Yachting World – a bareboating company at Shute Harbour – and every few years she would sail south to Mooloolaba and work for Tourism Queensland at Alexandra Headland. Love for the ocean was the perfect response.
If any of Coral Sea Marina’s staff has an expertise in the ocean, it’s Gemma. From ’92 to ’96, she circumnavigated the globe on her family’s 35-foot yacht, and on her return, she found her appreciation
for her “own back yard.”
“After all that - believe it or notone of my passions now is sailing around the Whitsundays when we can,” Gemma said.
Working at Coral Sea Marina was a job brought to her on the tides; it was meant for her. So, when Coral Sea reached out 12 years ago, Gemma dived in, head first.
“What I love about it most is how busy and diverse every day is -there are no ‘groundhog’ days at Coral Sea Marina,” Gemma said.
“I have experienced huge changes here over the past decade. I believe our most significant milestone at the Marina was when Paul purchased it in 2013. He had the vision and was prepared to finance the upgrading of the marina, and although it has been a busy time, it has also been very satisfying and rewarding to see the changes.”
Although her role as Finance Administrator doesn’t see her out on the water too much professionally, Gemma still heads for the seas with her husband on wooden vessels.
Paradise – what’s not to love?
Trent Ridout-Allen knows that best.
For 10 years, he’s been in dreamland, taking on the role of Coral Sea Marina’s Operations and Asset Manager, maintaining and looking after one of the world’s best marinas – living in “the place where anyone would choose to take their holiday” too. How could you say no?
Growing up in Canberra, Trent was land-locked, but was destined for marina work. As soon as he could, he was Gold Coast-bound. There, he worked at Sanctuary Cove Marina and would soon have his first taste of Airlie Beach in 2008 working at Abel Point Marina– and it’s safe to say it stuck in his mind.
After that year, he headed back south to Horizon Shores Marina, a few hundred kilometres below Brisbane. The appeal of Airlie Beach, however, was too much to bear and he headed back to the Whitsundays for a role at Abel Point Marina, one month prior to Paul Darrouzet’s takeover.
“I knew that I need to come back here and when there was an opportunity, I
took it,” Trent said.
“Since then, Coral Sea Marina has become a hub for the region and a place that everyone here should be proud to show their closest friends and family. Taking pride in where I work and, every day, learning more about the marina is what I enjoy -- there are never two days alike.”
Over his decade at Coral Sea Marina, Trent certainly has a lot to be proud of, overseeing beautification and changes galore, with one of his proudest achievements the opening of ‘The Gardens’, turning what was once a dredge-settling pond into an iconic spot for the region.
“It’s now the wow moment as everyone drives over the hill,” Trent said.
“When people can first see the ocean framed by a beautiful greenspace and the superyachts. That is one of my crowning achievements.”
When he’s not contributing to the Marina’s ever-improving assets and landscapes, maintaining and growing them, Trent enjoys Airlie Beach in the best possible way. Like he says: “Boating and fishing are the reason for living in this region.”
