Tag Archives: 25m pool

Petersham Pool, Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre – NSW 2049

My experience in the pool Petersham Pool, in Sydney’s inner west, had its name changed a few years ago to Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre. Now, the great thing about the pool in Petersham is that, if you’re like me and went, “Fanny who?”, they provide a potted history of her swimming achievements on little information plaques that line the wall outside the aquatic centre. I’m sure anyone who stops and reads these will be impressed by one of the first women in Australia to Read more [...]

Greenwell Point Village Pool – Greenwell Point, NSW 2540

My experience in the pool Greenwell Point Village Pool is a fantastic spot for a swim...provided you pick the right time and the right weather. Yes, I came here twice on cloudy days and obviously fell foul of the closed in 'inclement weather' rule. The opening hours are a bit idiosyncratic, but at least they are clear to all. Defining if the weather is good enough to open makes Greenwell Point pool opening times a bit dependent on the subjective view of the manager or lifeguard on Read more [...]

Shoalhaven Heads Village Pool – Shoalhaven Heads NSW 2535

My experience in the pool Shoalhaven Heads Village Pool is probably the nearest outdoor swimming pool to where I live (if you don’t include ocean pools in that definition). I’m amazed that I didn’t know it existed until someone who lives in nearby Nowra suggested I have a swim there. It’s a lovely spot, within earshot of the surf at Shoalhaven Heads, with beautiful gum trees and a tall pine tree in the grounds just to the side of the pool, and a rather nice set of murals and other Read more [...]

Helensburgh Memorial Pool – NSW 2508

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 [...]

Clovelly Ocean Pool – NSW, 2096

Indirectly named after a North Devon village My experience in the pool The great thing about Clovelly is you can have two completely different rock pool experiences: there’s the 25m lane pool with marked lanes and nice clear water; and there’s the big ocean water in Clovelly Bay itself. The bay is basically one big rock pool, since it’s protected from most of the surf and rips by a reef or old wall at the bay entrance, which is the remains of an attempt to build a causeway back in Read more [...]

Oak Flats Pool – NSW 2529

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 [...]