Other Outdoor Pools

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 [...]

Leichhardt Pool – Leichhardt, NSW 2040

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Named after a 19th century Prussian explorer who disappeared! My experience in the pool I was here with fellow swimming blogger Therese, who is a regular at Leichhardt Pool so seems to know everyone round the place. Therese has also blogged about this pool regularly, so check out the links below for her take on its people and its history. There was major upgrading work going on when we turned up in late July, meaning the shallow end of the Olympic Pool was screened off (you could still Read more [...]

Ashfield Municipal Pools – NSW 2131 – CLOSED FOR RENOVATION 2018-2020

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Home of 19th century tea room owner Mei Quong Tart My experience in the pool Another cold winter’s day for this swim, but with bright sunshine, it’s always a nice experience. The water was cooler than in many of those I’d swum in over the previous weeks, but I always tell myself: it’s still warmer than Ilkley Lido (unheated) at the height of summer, so if you can swim in that… For mid-morning on a working day, the pool was relatively busy and there were no lanes completely Read more [...]

Canterbury Aquatic Centre – NSW 2193

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People swam in the Cooks River until this centre was built My experience in the pool It was a bit overcast for much of my swim and the air temperature was in the low teens. I guess I understand that most people chose to swim in the indoor pool next door, but I don’t really get it, coming from northern England, as I do.  I just feel that Australia has such fantastic swimming resources and they are perhaps taken for granted by many people here. Even with school holidays (yes, the kids Read more [...]

Caringbah Leisure Centre – NSW 2229

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Its name is an Aboriginal word for a type of wallaby My experience in the pool Another bright, but cold winter’s morning for this swim. The board at the entrance gate claimed the water temperature at 31C. Thankfully it was nowhere near that warm. On a winter’s day, even with full sunshine, this pool is half shaded and that makes a big difference when your back is going in and out of sunshine. At this time of year, with the air temperature nearer 10C than 20C, you welcome the warm Read more [...]

Engadine Leisure Centre – NSW 2233

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Named after a valley in the Swiss Alps…for some reason! My experience in the pool Only three lanes out of nine were in use when I arrived at about 11am on a bright, sunny morning in July for my swim. So there was lots of room for relaxing laps, and even though a few others had come along by the time I was out, we were still few enough to have a lane each, and that always feels like a real privilege. It was a cold morning, though. As I swam my freestyle, I could feel an icy touch on Read more [...]

Sutherland Aquatic Centre – NSW 2232

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The biggest swimming centre in the southern hemisphere, they say. My experience in the pool It was a bright winter’s morning for my swim here. Air temperature quite cool but water a comfortable 25C. There were three lanes free when I arrived at about 10.30am, though by the time I left there were at least two swimmers in each lane. There’s a nice combination of graded lanes (fast, medium, slow) and lanes where you just go the pace you please. I opted for one of the empty lanes Read more [...]

Bomaderry Aquatic Centre – NSW 2541

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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 [...]

Dapto Olympic Pool – Dapto, NSW 2530

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There’s more to Dapto than the Dogs… My experience in the pool I was here on a cold but bright June morning. The air temperature was 13C but felt a good deal colder with a chilly wind from the SW. This made for interesting sensations as I swam. The feel on the back switched between warmth from the sun, cold from the wind and something in between as the water splashed onto my back with each stroke. It’s a beautiful pool, with palm trees by the side and views up to the escarpment Read more [...]

Corrimal Memorial Pool – NSW 2518

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The original home of Streets ice cream in Australia (the town, not the pool!) My experience in the pool I came here the day after the big storms of April 2015 finally abated. For a midweek morning, in a suburban pool, it was quite busy, perhaps with others like me who had cabin fever after four days sheltering from the wind and rain. It’s a heated pool (24C the day I was there) open all year round, and particularly welcome when the ocean baths were still needing a good clearout after Read more [...]