Established in 2001 by former marine pilot Cliff Beazley and his son, also former marine pilot and now General Manager of the Port, Andrew, the Port Ash training facility is a unique gem in the Southern Hemisphere.
Designed as a scaled-down version of Newcastle Harbour – the largest port in Australia and Oceania – it offers marine pilots the perfect environment to refine their skills.
On a 2-hectare property 40 minutes out of Newcastle, Mr Beazley and his father, Cliff, turned their dream into a reality. They created Port Ash, a purpose-built, freshwater lake where marine pilots can practise their skills on a miniature scale.
It's one of seven facilities in the world that offer this kind of simulated training, and the only place of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
"Everything here has been shrunk down 25 times," Mr Beazley said.
And here's the exciting part: they rely on Navicom's precision navigation systems for their training. How brilliant is that!
Watch this Youtube video to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeM37Yt2la0