Celebrating the water

Celebrating the water

According to Adam Buchholtz, no two days in Docklands are ever the same.

For the past 12 years Adam has worked on the water here in Docklands and is currently operations co-ordinator of City of Melbourne’s waterways unit.

“One day I’ll be pumping out a boat that’s sinking and the next I’ll be sitting in a planning meeting,” he said. “That diversity certainly keeps it interesting.”

Adam says his role can involve anything from day-to-day operations to place management, design, engineering and strategic work.

Having been involved with boating since he was child, working in a waterways unit is a perfect fit for Adam and he says there’s always plenty happening in Docklands.

One of the more interesting stories Adam can recall is a phone call he received from a distressed office worker.

“She was quite concerned because she was looking out the window of her office building and she could see a ‘lost’ dolphin in the harbour,” Adam said.

“My question after she hung up the phone was ‘how did she know it was lost?’  Was the Melways upside down?’”

According to Adam, dolphins often visit Victoria Harbour and a seal is often known to frequent the area. “He’s notoriously hard to photograph,” Adam said.

Adam said Docklands was a great area to work and he describes himself as a vocal supporter of the suburb.

“For anyone who knows me, one of their greatest fears is to even mention the word Docklands because it prompts a whole lot of opinion about the place,” he said.

Adam said criticising Docklands at the current stage of development was like criticising a painting when the artist was halfway through.

“With Docklands, everyone likes to make comment at a quarter-built and half-built stage and I’m sure going forward there will be plenty more comments,” he said.

Moving forward, Adam said he was looking forward to seeing the end of construction in Docklands and watching the area “come into its own”.

“It’s still a young child, it may be an adolescent now, but I think it still needs propping up,” he said.

Adam says there are many things about Docklands worth celebrating.

He said one of his favourite things to do in Docklands was to enjoy a meal and a drink at local restaurant Cargo, overlooking the water.

However, when asked where his favourite place in Docklands was, Adam said without a doubt it was out on the harbour in a boat.

“In all honesty it has to be on the water, I know that’s a cliché,” he said.

And after 12 years of working in the area, Adam said he couldn’t picture himself anywhere else.

“My experience of Docklands has been hugely positive,” Adam said. “Although I don’t live here, I breath it every day.”

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