Tag Archives: disabled access

Petersham Pool, Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre – NSW 2049

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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 [...]

Forbes Olympic Pool – Forbes, NSW 2871

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Forbes was named after a former Chief Justice of NSW My experience in the pool We didn't expect to get a swim at Forbes Olympic Pool. We just dropped by to take a photo of the fabulous Art Deco pool entrance and noticed the shutters were up. I thought pools in country NSW had a very limited season, with swimming only possible in heatwaves between November and February. But that's not the case with Forbes outdoor pool. 'Come back tomorrow', said the cheery manager. 'It's our Read more [...]

Parkes Aquatic Centre – Parkes, NSW 2870

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Parkes was named after the town's founder, who came from Coventry, hence its twinning with that industrial city! My experience in the pool My swim at Parkes Aquatic Centre was a bit of a surprise. I had thought outdoor pools in country Australia were not generally open till November and many of them stay shut if the air temperature isn't forecast to rise above 25C, or some such random heatwave number that this Pommy regards as ridiculous. But there we were driving slowly past Read more [...]

Auburn Aquatic Centre (Ruth Everuss) – Lidcombe, NSW 2141

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Auburn was named after a village in England that features in an 18th century poem. My experience in the pool The Auburn Swim Centre, whose official name is the Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre, only reopened in April 2017 after major refurbishment. It was quiet here on a chilly May morning, but the sun was bright and the outdoor Olympic pool looked very inviting, especially with only one other swimmer doing laps when I arrived. The old tiles mentioned and loved by my fellow swim blogger Read more [...]

Shoalhaven Heads Village Pool – Shoalhaven Heads NSW 2535

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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 [...]

Kurnell Baths – Silver Beach, Kurnell, NSW 2231

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Kurnell is very close to the spot where Captain Cook first landed. No agreement on where the name Kurnell comes from, though. My experience in the pool Kurnell Baths at Silver Beach in Kurnell is just a stone's throw from where another Yorkshireman first landed his boat on Botany Bay back in 1770. I don't suppose Captain Cook's crew were too bothered about sharks back then, but Botany Bay has been the scene of quite a few attacks over the years, so I was glad to have the netted enclosure Read more [...]

Malabar Rock Pool – Malabar, NSW 2036

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Named after a ship that ran aground in 1931 My experience in the pool As you walk along the southern edge of Long Bay to get to Malabar Rock Pool you first pass signposts warning of snakes being seen in the area and then a ‘pool wildlife’ board with images of various marine life from tiddlers to stingrays via Port Jackson Sharks (don’t worry, these are not lethal and don’t get bigger than about 1.5m long, though thankfully there were none in the pool when I got in). Actually, Read more [...]

Nowra Aquatic Centre – Nowra, NSW 2540

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A real 21st century swimming pool My experience in the pool Nowra’s new state-of-the-art aquatic centre only opened its doors in October 2015 after being closed for complete overhaul for two years. This really feels like the future of outdoor swimming pools, with fun facilities like the kiddies’ splash-about area with lots of water spouts and stairs to climb plus the soon-to-be-opened water slide, which should be fun for adults and kids alike. For me, it was a chance to return to Read more [...]