Tag Archives: 50m olympic pool

Eden Olympic Pool – Eden, NSW 2551

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 17/02/2017

Eden was named after a 19th century politician, not after anything biblical... My experience in the pool We were in Eden to swim in the ocean pools, but when you drive past a superb 50m Olympic Pool on your way into town, it's hard to resist popping in to stretch out and do a few laps as well as jumping in the rock pools. Eden's War Memorial Pool was built in the 1970s to give local kids an opportunity to swim when the local rock pool filled up with sand and meant proper lap swimming Read more [...]

Revesby Aquatic Centre – Revesby, NSW 2212

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 27/07/2016

Named after a Lincolnshire village where the first European settler here came from. My experience in the pool My swim at Revesby Aquatic Centre was a classic Aussie experience on so many levels. Actually I should just say the venue is officially called the Max Parker Leisure and Aquatic Centre. I forgot to ask who Max Parker is of course, so I hoped for help from a quick Google search after my swim, only to find that Nicole Kidman's new son-in-law happens to have the same name, and he Read more [...]

Ulladulla Sea Pool – Ulladulla, NSW 2539

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 12/11/2015

Aboriginal word meaning ‘safe harbour’ My experience in the pool It took me three visits to Ulladulla to actually get into the water in the sea pool. The pool only opens from November to April (and it’s closed for a weekly clean on Tuesdays so beware of that too). We didn’t read the small print well enough when we first dropped by in September, and trusted to local knowledge, following the advice of a gent who advised us to come back after the long October weekend (he must have Read more [...]

Oak Flats Pool – NSW 2529

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 28/09/2015

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 [...]

Bomaderry Aquatic Centre – NSW 2541

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 29/08/2015

The end of the line for trains from Sydney My experience in the pool The air temperature was little more than 10C on this June morning when I turned up for a dip. Thank goodness there are no temperature limits here (as there are in places like South Australia, where 26C can be the point below which swimming is considered dangerous!!). This delightful little aquatic centre fits snugly in between the local High School, Basketball centre and bowling greens, with the pool surrounded by Read more [...]

Bruce Steer Pool - Bermagui, NSW 2546
On 26/12/2017
Bruce Steer was a local personality at the heart of Bermagui's community in the post-war years. My experience in the pool Bruce Steer Pool in Bermagui doesn't get as much publicity as the Blue Pool over the headland, but actually on the right day this is a fantastic spot for a protected swim. The first time I came to Bermagui (to swim in... Continue Reading
Berry Village Pool - Berry, NSW 2535
On 22/12/2017
Berry was named after the first family of white settlers in the area. My experience in the pool Berry Village Pool is one of those charming little 20m pools most villages in Australia seem to have. Yes, if you're a Pom, you heard that right: a village pool. Back in the UK, I can think of only one area where a set... Continue Reading
Epping Aquatic Centre - Epping, NSW 2121
On 19/12/2017
Epping was named after the east London/Essex town of the same name. My experience in the pool Epping Aquatic Centre sits surrounded by bush in this leafy northern suburb of Sydney. It's a wonderful place to swim, with those tall gum trees towering over on all sides, and the bush inhabitants squawking or cooing as you plough up and down your laps. I... Continue Reading
Blacktown Aquatic Centre - Blacktown, NSW 2148
On 11/12/2017
Blacktown's name has its origins in the Stolen Generation as there was a 'Native Institution' here in the 19th century. My experience in the pool Blacktown Aquatic Centre has one of those outdoor swimming pools that look so tempting when you speed past in the train. When I spotted it over the tracks, it looked pristine, with sky blue tiles looking magnificent... Continue Reading
Ballina Wading Pool - Shelly Beach, NSW 2478
On 06/12/2017
Ballina probably has both Irish and Aboriginal connections linguistically My experience in the pool Ballina Information Centre at first shook their heads when I asked about the whereabouts of the ocean pool in town. "Well, there's a local campaign to have a new ocean pool built in Ballina," they said, "but there isn't one yet".. When I pressed them and mentioned a... Continue Reading
Yamba Rock Pool - Yamba, NSW 2464
On 30/11/2017
Yamba is an Aboriginal word for either shellfish or headland. My experience in the pool Yamba Ocean Pool is the most northerly of the real ocean baths along the NSW coast. It may well also be the most recently built - constructed in the 1960s - though it may also be the more modern building methods and materials that made it more vulnerable... Continue Reading