Tag Archives: ocean baths

Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool – Sawtell, NSW 2452

Mr Sawtell was a local landlord in the early 1900s. My experience in the pool Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool sits at the northern end of a beautiful sandy beach, which we reached at low tide. The pool lay empty when we turned up early on a Friday afternoon in November, and from the cliff top where we parked it looked at first a bit shallow to swim in. But once we got down to pool level, we could see the deep end was actually probably about 2m depth, and when we got in the water down at the Read more [...]

Men’s Baths – North Wollongong rock pool – NSW 2529

Its name dates from a bygone era for gender segregation in swimming. Open to everyone now. My experience in the pool Both times I’ve swum in this pool have been joyous occasions. Once, in the middle of a summer heatwave, it was a wonderful cooling off spot, even though the water levels were low as it was heading for low tide. And tide times are important so pick your slot carefully for optimum pool conditions. My second swim here was on a balmy autumn day but it was early morning before Read more [...]

Continental Baths, Wollongong, NSW 2529

Continental Baths, Wollongong The name Wollongong comes from the  local Aboriginal word for ‘seas of the south’ My experience in the pool This is a pool where people work hard. The main pool is organised into four wide lanes, allowing everyone to swim clockwise with a passing channel down the middle. On a cloudy morning in early February, there were about 10 people in the water, all doing freestyle at a fair lick. I joined two others in one ‘lane’ for my 600m swim – a Read more [...]

Beverley Whitfield pool, Shellharbour, NSW 2529

In 1905, Shellharbour was known as the ‘sanatorium of the south’.   My experience in the pool I love this pool. It’s a proper Olympic-size pool, so you can really work out with laps if you feel like it (and at the start of the morning, there are quite a few lap swimmers, and an etiquette of waiting your turn if the eight lanes are all in use). But it’s also got enough space not to feel full even if 60 people are in it on a hot Sunday afternoon. I loved the friendly Read more [...]