Pool Reviews

Newcastle Ocean Baths – NSW 2300

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They don’t rent out towels, costumes or handkerchiefs anymore like they used to when these pools first opened in 1922. My experience in the pool I love everything about this place, from the grand Ocean Baths entrance in art deco style, through to the viewing ramp, which looks out over the main 50m pool and the enormous leisure pool next to it. I hadn’t had a decent workout in a 50m pool for a week or two, so spent all my time doing joyous laps in that section rather testing out the Read more [...]

Ross Jones Memorial Pool – Coogee, NSW 2034

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Long before the rock pool was built, Coogee Beach had an English-style pier, though it only lasted six years before a storm destroyed it. My experience in the pool There was bright sunshine over Coogee when I arrived mid-morning for my dip in this delightful pool. It’s only a short pool – about 17m probably, or maybe even less – but when the sun is blasting down and the sea is glittering all around, getting into a pool like this is one of life’s pure pleasures. I rather like Read more [...]

Berkeley Swimming Centre – Illawarra, NSW 2506

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Named after an estate in Gloucestershire My experience in the pool I really enjoyed myself in this pool. I’m not sure how many Poms they get in here because the lifeguard kept me chatting about Lancashire and Yorkshire connections for about 15 minutes before I could actually start my laps. When I began my swim, I was sharing the entire Olympic pool with just one seagull, though he (or she) was joined by two others as I ploughed up and down my lane. Mind you, I say lanes, but there Read more [...]

Macmasters Beach Rock Pool – NSW 2251

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Named after the Scotsman who first settled here in 1855, though nobody seems to know where in Scotland he came from… My experience in the pool It was a cloudy day in midweek just after the sweltering hot holiday weekend in October, which might explain why the place was deserted apart from the handful of surfers who, I quickly realised, would glide past the pool on a wave and then walk back along the coast path and past the pool again before stepping across the rocks to rejoin their surfing Read more [...]

South Curl Curl Rock Pool – NSW 2096

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The name possibly comes from an Aboriginal phrase meaning ‘river of life’ My experience in the pool I was here on a bright, sunny morning in early October when you can almost feel the transition from spring to summer (and forecasts were for 30C the next day). The water was already a lovely temperature – no signs up, but I was guessing over 20C for my swim, making we wish I’d done the switch back to ocean pools a few weeks ago rather than waiting till now. This is a lovely pool, Read more [...]

Western Suburbs Pool – Unanderra, NSW 2526

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Aboriginal word for junction of two creeks My experience in the pool I initially came here when I didn’t know I would be blogging also about freshwater open air pools, so didn’t take any notes. But I do remember being delighted by the views of the bush-covered mountains in the distance behind the pool, and relishing the swim even more because these excellent facilities – with Olympic Pool, 25m pool and toddlers pool – are totally free to use. Hats off to Wollongong Council for this. I Read more [...]

Oak Flats Pool – NSW 2529

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Home of Australia’s test cricketing brothers Shane & Brett Lee My experience in the pool My first visit here coincided with the local schools swimming carnival so I wasn’t able to use the 50m Olympic Pool and had to switch to a few laps of the 25m pool. My second visit came just two days after the pool had reopened for the spring in mid-September. The 25m pool was busy with kids and a few lap swimmers so I plumped for the totally empty 50m pool. I quickly found out why it was Read more [...]

Granville Swimming Centre – NSW 2150

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Once known as the ‘Wimbledon of diving in Sydney’ – even Crocodile Dundee dived here as a teenager My experience in the pool The swim is only a small part of the pleasure of Granville Pool. But since this blog is about my swimming experiences, I’d better begin with that… It was a bright, sunny spring morning. The Olympic pool was quiet so they had kept four lanes covered and just five were being used. I chose the narrowest lane which bordered the edge of the tarpaulin cover Read more [...]

Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Manly Swim Centre – NSW 2095

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1920s swimmer Boy Charlton grew up in Manly so it’s apt that the pool is named after him My experience in the pool With fantastic beaches nearby and two rock pools at either end of Manly’s main beach, you might wonder why have such a massive pool complex in Manly? But this is a great asset to the community. As another swimming blogger points out (see links below), this is only one of two pools like this in the northern beaches area, and as I found out in April after Sydney’s big Read more [...]

Roselands Aquatic Centre – NSW 2196

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Named after a garden centre on the site of this suburb before the shopping centre was built My experience in the pool There was a bitterly cold wind blowing on the early August afternoon I came to Roselands Pool. The water was heated, which helped, but it took me about 15 laps before I stopped feeling the goose pimples on my back as I swam freestyle up and down. The pool was very quiet on this grey, wintry afternoon. There were only two others in the pool when I began, and after I Read more [...]