Gough Whitlam Leisure Centre – Liverpool, NSW 2170

Named after the former Australian Prime Minister who was MP for a nearby area. My experience in the pool I first dropped by the Gough Whitlam Leisure Centre pools in Liverpool on a sunny morning in winter when I was desperately trying to find an outdoor pool open and was quickly discovering that in the winter months, you really have to shop around to get an outdoor swim in Sydney, even though the sun may shine and the air temperature may be up in the high teens. Don't waste your time trying Read more [...]

Northbridge Baths – Northbridge, NSW 2063

Northbridge is named for the stone bridge that takes you back towards the Sydney CBD. My experience in the pool Northbridge Baths tick all my boxes. 50m laned swimming in beautiful salty water, with pretty big fish swimming just below you, kookaburras cackling in the trees by the water and if you go in spring, magnificent jacaranda blossoming on the water's edge. Time the visit really well and you'll be here at high tide, when the laned section must be around 4m deep. There's a sandy Read more [...]

Des Renford Aquatic Centre – Maroubra, NSW 2035

Des Renford was a marathon swimmer who swam the English Channel a record number of times. My experience in the pool The Des Renford Aquatic Centre sits far enough away from Maroubra Beach to make me think: OK, the beach and rock pools are one thing, but an Olympic Pool and various other swimming facilities are still worth having as an additional resource for the community. On this sunny Friday morning in November, there were crowds all over the complex, with a sprinkling of toddlers in Read more [...]

Clontarf Baths – Clontarf, NSW 2093

Clontarf is named after a suburb of Dublin, where there also used to be an ocean pool. My experience in the pool Clontarf Baths were apparently one of my favourite places to come when we lived in Sydney 50 years ago and I was just a little primary school kid, who couldn't even swim at that point. Coming here 50 years on, with the water a delicious 20C at least and the sky a cloudless blue, I can see why. Funnily enough, when I was looking up who had written blog posts on Clontarf Baths, Read more [...]

Batemans Bay Olympic Pool – Batemans Bay, NSW 2536

Bateman was a ship's captain in the days of Captain Cook. My experience in the pool I’d driven past Batemans Bay outdoor pool lots of times in the past and always thought it’d be worth giving it a go some day. This 50m Olympic Pool is right by the Princes Highway so you can see the blue pool from the road, whereas you have to go a bit further down the coast to see the Bay itself! Things didn’t quite go to plan for us in Batemans Bay, though. The pool was (encouragingly) full of Read more [...]

Woolwich Baths – Woolwich, NSW 2110

Woolwich is named after the area of London on the Thames, famous for its arsenal. My experience in the pool Woolwich is a sleepy but beautifully-preserved part of Sydney, with wonderful old 19th century houses and cottage gardens. Woolwich Baths are half way along the peninsula along the Lane Cove River that keeps the NSW version of Woolwich so little changed, apparently, from how it must have felt decades ago. It's a far cry from its London namesake! The baths are best at high tide, Read more [...]