Other Outdoor Pools

University of Wollongong Aquatic Centre – URAC, NSW 2522

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My experience in the pool Wow, we never had facilities like these when I was at uni! The University of Wollongong Aquatic Centre is not only a great 50m Olympic Pool, but it's in a wonderful leafy setting on the edge of the UOW campus. You don't often get as magnificent a backdrop as this, either, even in Australia. Mount Keira looms in the background, looking almost volcanic and reminding me of a dramatic swim I once had in a lake in Guatemala under the shadow of a volcanic cone. The Read more [...]

Guildford Swimming Centre – Guildford, NSW 2161

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Named after the Earl of Guilford, though he never had a second 'd' in his name... My experience in the pool Guildford Swimming Centre's outdoor pool is not the kind of place you're likely to find Australia's next generation of Olympic champions working out. It's a bit of a miniature pool, being about half the size of your typical Aussie outdoor pool at 25m in length, with only 4 lanes and barely reaching 1.5m at its deepest point. I liked it though. Not least, because of the magnificent Read more [...]

West Pymble Pool aka Ku-Ring-Gai Aquatic Centre, NSW

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Ku-Ring-Gai is named for the original inhabitants of the area; Pymble was an early European settler. My experience in the pool A visit to West Pymble Pool aka Ku-ring-gai Aquatic Centre is the kind of experience that makes me wish we could afford to live in Sydney's leafy northern suburbs. I could probably cope with the feeling of suburbia if I had all this wonderful parkland and bush all around me. It's not the easiest place to get to by public transport, but as I found out when I began Read more [...]

Waves Fitness & Aquatic – Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153

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Named after hills in Scotland which were home to an early settler in the area. My experience in the pool Waves War Memorial Swimming Centre in the wonderfully named The Hills Shire sits half way between Baulkham Hills and Castle Hill, about a mile from both so very much part of Sydney North West suburbia. I hadn't got beyond the reception desk before someone engaged me in conversation, though - my tee shirt with the map of Scotland drew quite a bit of interest, and before I'd even got Read more [...]

Hornsby Aquatic Centre – Hornsby NSW 2077

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Named after a convict turned constable who arrested bush rangers round here before the area was settled by Europeans. My experience in the pool It's a lively place is Hornsby Aquatic Centre. From the tai chi class going on with about 20 participants right in front of the entrance, through the indoor pool area packed with parents and toddlers on this sunny August morning, through to the Olympic pool outside, with three lanes devoted to some sort of aqua gym class and at least two people Read more [...]

Birrong Leisure Centre – NSW 2143

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Aboriginal word meaning star. My experience in the pool After my unsuccessful attempt to swim in Enfield Olympic Pool last week (closed till October), I was pleased to get back into the water at Birrong Leisure Centre's wonderful Olympic Pool, which stays open all year round. This pool is either a fairly modern build (maybe 1960s or 1970s judging by the architecture of the entrance) or has undergone some major facelift in recent years (or maybe both), with its Spray Park something Read more [...]

Revesby Aquatic Centre – Revesby, NSW 2212

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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 [...]

Prairiewood Leisure Centre – NSW 2176

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Prairiewood hosts Australia’s oldest Eid Festival every year My experience in the pool It's almost a year since I swam in the Olympic pool at Prairiewood Leisure Centre in Sydney's west. But since I didn't find anywhere decent for a coffee after my swim, I was holding off posting until I had a chance to revisit the area. A bit of a gap in my outdoor swims this year has pushed me into posting now, and let's see if any Prairiewood locals read this and have an idea where to go for a Read more [...]

Parramatta Swimming Centre – Parramatta, NSW 2150 – NOW CLOSED

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The second oldest city in Australia - See the comment posted March 2020 about a new pool open to the public nearby My experience in the pool I was horrified to learn that Parramatta Swimming Centre is under threat from the planned expansion of the stadium next door. Surely they won't rip up a beautiful spot like this with a great combination of social history and community use still today? There is a campaign on to keep this swimming centre open and build the stadium around it or expand Read more [...]

Helensburgh Memorial Pool – NSW 2508

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Probably named after the Scottish birthplace of the local coal mine's manager. My experience in the pool There's something uniquely Australian about local council-run outdoor pools like this that are completely free to enter. Helensburgh Memorial Pool may only be 25m long but who's complaining when it costs nothing to swim here? On a fine, sunny morning in March, with the heatwave going into what must be its sixth successive week, it was no surprise to find a fair few people in the water Read more [...]