AT a time when COVID restrictions have dried up opportunities for fund-raising events, Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie has created a lifeline for itself from words and pictures.
Volunteer members of the unit have written, illustrated and published a book of the waterways they patrol and work on, helping keep boaters safe. The hardback book is titled Lake Macquarie and its Coastline, and its sales go towards keeping Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie afloat.
"This is absolutely critical to us," said unit commander Malcolm Druce of the timely publication of the book.
"I'm immensely proud that someone within the unit made the decision to do something like this, which is not just a fund-raising initiative, but it's also a fantastic resource for the boating community around the lake."
The idea for a book that helped bring to light the area's water-related attractions and provided local information and tips for the boating community came from unit member Lee Baines.
While on a holiday with his wife around Queensland's Whitsunday Islands, Mr Baines used as his reference the book, 100 Magic Miles of the Great Barrier Reef, considered "a Bible for boaties."
"I thought Lake Macquarie deserved something as good, if not better," Mr Baines said.
Lee Baines was the principal writer for the project, with contributions from fellow Marine Rescue members, along with more than 300 photographs, many taken by unit colleague Jim Wright. .
While the book was aimed at the boating community, Mr Baines said it was also designed, and filled with practical information, to appeal to anyone who wanted to explore around the lake.
"It's a big lake, and we want to showcase what you can see and do here," he said. "We want to encourage people to go to places they haven't been to before."
More than half of the 1000 copies printed have already sold through the unit's lakemacquariebook.com.au website. Malcolm Druce said volunteers had been busy packing and sending copies, and so far about $18000 had been raised for the unit.
"That keeps one of our vessels in fuel for a year," said the commander of the busiest Marine Rescue unit in NSW. So far this year, the Lake Macquarie unit has attended more than 300 jobs.
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