Doubtless Bay Info Centre finds new home down the road

Doubtless Bay Information Centre volunteers Catherine Harris, manager Anna Jacobs and Debra Cummins. Photo / Myjanne Jensen

Like many other Far North tourist and information services, the return of life pre-pandemic is a welcome change.

Since 2020, the Doubtless Bay Information Centre at Mangonui has been through multiple closures and changes.

Formerly situated next to the Mangonui Barber Shop on Waterfront Drive, the centre recently relocated down the road, now overlooking Mangonui Harbour and the famous Mangonui Fish Shop.

Manager Anna Jacobs has recently returned to the role after a two-year break and along with the other seven volunteers, fields daily inquiries about everything from local maps and where to get a massage to campsites and accommodation.

She said with the relaxing of restrictions, the centre was looking forward to a busy summer and a return to normality.

"We expect things will be busier this summer thanks to the borders now being open to international tourists," Jacobs said.

"We've already started to see more people coming through the doors."

The Doubtless Bay Information Centre, unlike other i-SITE information centres, is the only independent centre in the region.

The centre offers a variety of services, including a Justice of the Peace (JP), maps of local sites, as well as promotion of local businesses and their products.

It also supports local goodwill initiatives and is currently collecting knitwear for dogs to keep them warm during winter.

The project was started by information centre volunteer Debra Cummins after seeing a need for local pets to stay warm during the cooler months.

As a result, the centre has collected more than 100 items and will donate them to animal rescue centre Donna Doolittle for stray dogs.

Jacobs said it was important for the centre to continue to attract local businesses, which in turn helped to keep their enterprise running.

"Demand for local products and services is high, so if we don't stock them, we find out about it!" she laughed.

"We are here for the community, so anything we can do to help, please let us know.

"This Christmas we'll also be putting up a Christmas tree at the Info Centre and will be asking people to put presents under them which we then deliver to needy families.

"I am sure there will be heaps of worthy recipients this year. I started this when I was
manager a couple of years ago and am now reinstating."

During winter, the information centre is open from 10am-3pm, Monday-Saturday.

Summer hours start on November 1 and will see the centre open from 9.30am to 4.30pm.