Docklands comes alive

Happy Lunar New Year to all our readers.

This is, of course, the year of the horse and Docklands comes alive in a blaze of colour with the installation of the Docklands Dragon.

It is there on the corner of Harbour Esplanade and Bourke Street, all 10 metres high and 100 metres long of it! After dark, the magnificent beast positively glows with an awesome aura!

There is nightly entertainment every night from 6.30pm until Sunday, February 16 so there is plenty of time to go have a look. It is a great family attraction.

Coxy’s Big Break has filmed our dragon and is expected to be shown first weekend in February.

Don’t forget there are cafes, bars and restaurants along Victoria Harbour, Central Pier and Etihad Stadium Concourse for you to enjoy a meal or a drink.

The celebrations are part of a longer-term plan to promote Chinese New Year for Melburnians and visitors alike, adding to the city’s reputation as a key Chinese tourism destination.

The nightly Chinese New Year celebrations at Docklands are free of charge. Water taxis are operating from Southbank for visitors who fancy taking the waterfront route to see the Docklands Dragon. $5 is all it costs.

On January 29 the Docklands Chamber of Commerce held its first networking event for 2014. Sarah Lindenmayer from the City of Melbourne and the Docklands Community Forum presented an update on the Docklands Community and Place Plan. Also in attendance was John Forman from Eureka Sky Deck, Colonial Tramcar Restaurants and Red Rock Leisure who spoke about the arrival of Docklands Dragon. Over 50 guests enjoyed the hospitality of Rise Cafe and Bar, a new member to the Docklands Chamber of Commerce, and located on Victoria Harbour. If you have not been to Rise yet, it is well worth the visit.

Valentine’s Day is upon us on Friday, February 14. Being a Friday what better opportunity than to treat your significant other half, or someone you would like make one, to a romantic dinner at one of Docklands’ many dining venues. Check out the Docklands Directory (http://www.docklandsdirectory.com.au) if you need to know where these are.

Cupid’s Undie Run is a 1.5km(ish) fun run and party to be held on Sunday, February 9, the weekend before Valentine’s Day, to raise funds for the Children’s Tumour Foundation (CTF).

The event is coming to Melbourne in 2014, joining 29 other cities worldwide including Brisbane and Sydney. Watermark in Docklands is hosting the event. It will kick off with a pre-race party starting from noon. Runners will strip to their bedroom-best and run along the Victoria Harbour Promenade for the “brief” run at 2pm, before heading back to Watermark for post-race festivities. Registration is now open. http://www.cupidsundierun.com.au

If you are interested in sport, then make sure you look at Active Melbourne City Sports’ range of corporate sports competitions that you and your workmates can get involved in! These programs focus on inclusivity and enjoyment. Anyone can participate, regardless of whether or not you have played sport before. http://www.melbournecitysports.ymca.org.au

Ok, who hasn’t tried one of those Melbourne Blue Bikes yet? For under $60 a year you can register for an access key to the great network of Blue Bike stations around Docklands and the CBD. If you keep individual journeys to under 40 minutes there are no further fees to pay. The secret is knowing the location of the Blue Bike station closest to the point you are travelling. No journey in Docklands or the CBD ought take more than 40 minutes. Once you have docked your bike, there is nothing more to worry about! There are enough helmets at each station, but if you prefer your own, they are only $5 from any convenience store! It is the answer to discovering Docklands’ secrets, so get on board in 2014!

Docklands waterways are a major asset to Docklands and yet so few of us utilise it. The waterways are calling out for a regular commuter ferry to transport passengers between Docklands and the CBD. It is a fantastic way to see parts of Docklands only visible from the water.

So it is with excitement that I report plans to hold a regatta and blessing of the fleet in Docklands around Melbourne Day on August 30. The event is designed to celebrate our maritime history and raise public awareness of the unique aspects that are Docklands waterways.

Proceeds will go to support the Mission to Seafarers’ work in welfare of seafarers. This is a great connection for the Docklands community. If you are interested in finding out more about the cruise packages then give Jeff Gordon a call on 0439 317 449. There are a number of packages available to suit all budgets so discuss your requirements with Jeff.