Tag Archives: entrance fee

Greenwich Baths – Greenwich, NSW 2065

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 01/02/2017

Greenwich is named after its namesake on the River Thames in London My experience in the pool Greenwich Baths sit on the north side of Sydney harbour, with great views back to the Sydney CBD skyline. Greenwich Point, next door to the baths, lies just round the corner from where the Lane Cove River meets the Parramatta River, hence the briney water mentioned by one of the other swim bloggers I link to below. This was my first swim on the NSW ocean pools (and harbour baths) quest since Read more [...]

McIver’s Baths – Coogee, NSW 2034

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 20/01/2017

Sydney's women-only rock pool is named after Rose McIver, who was founder of Randwick & Coogee Ladies Swim Club in 1922. My experience in the pool This wasn't of course 'my experience in the pool' - fortunately my wife was able to jump in and give her impressions of swimming at McIver's Baths. Two female friends joined me, and the day we visited there was quite a swell, with waves crashing over into the pool, and a bit of a ‘washing machine’ effect in the baths. One friend, Read more [...]

Dawn Fraser Baths – Balmain, NSW 2041

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 19/10/2016

Dawn Fraser was apparently 'discovered' in these baths at the age of 13 My experience in the pool I finally made it to the iconic Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain for my first swim back in the salt water of the harbour since June. They reckoned the water temperature was 20C but I think they need to check their gauge because I could feel that zingy icy feeling on my baldness - a sure sign that the water is a good bit less than 20C and a cue for me to get out of the water much sooner than I would Read more [...]

Bondi Icebergs – Bondi, NSW 2026

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 02/04/2016

Named after the winter swimming club which began here in 1929. My experience in the pool You need to pick your time well if you want a quiet swim at Bondi Icebergs, with maybe a lane to yourself. According to the manager on duty as I left, the best time for that is between 8am and 9am on Monday or Wednesday. It certainly wasn't quiet on a warm Friday morning in March, with lots of lane swimmers ploughing up and down by 9.15, when I arrived. But it's not just the 50m pool that fills Read more [...]

Victoria Park Pool – Sydney, NSW 2050

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 25/08/2015

A pool in the park, with the beautiful old buildings of the University of Sydney just up the hill My experience in the pool It’s a beautiful pool, with palm trees on the park looking down on you as you swim. This is a very organised pool, too, with three wide, but speed-labelled lanes, and to help guide you into the right lane for your ability, they have a board with average lap times for ‘fast’, ‘medium’ or ‘slow’. I was nursing my tight shoulder so opted for slow, Read more [...]

Bruce Steer Pool - Bermagui, NSW 2546
On 26/12/2017
Bruce Steer was a local personality at the heart of Bermagui's community in the post-war years. My experience in the pool Bruce Steer Pool in Bermagui doesn't get as much publicity as the Blue Pool over the headland, but actually on the right day this is a fantastic spot for a protected swim. The first time I came to Bermagui (to swim in... Continue Reading
Berry Village Pool - Berry, NSW 2535
On 22/12/2017
Berry was named after the first family of white settlers in the area. My experience in the pool Berry Village Pool is one of those charming little 20m pools most villages in Australia seem to have. Yes, if you're a Pom, you heard that right: a village pool. Back in the UK, I can think of only one area where a set... Continue Reading
Epping Aquatic Centre - Epping, NSW 2121
On 19/12/2017
Epping was named after the east London/Essex town of the same name. My experience in the pool Epping Aquatic Centre sits surrounded by bush in this leafy northern suburb of Sydney. It's a wonderful place to swim, with those tall gum trees towering over on all sides, and the bush inhabitants squawking or cooing as you plough up and down your laps. I... Continue Reading
Blacktown Aquatic Centre - Blacktown, NSW 2148
On 11/12/2017
Blacktown's name has its origins in the Stolen Generation as there was a 'Native Institution' here in the 19th century. My experience in the pool Blacktown Aquatic Centre has one of those outdoor swimming pools that look so tempting when you speed past in the train. When I spotted it over the tracks, it looked pristine, with sky blue tiles looking magnificent... Continue Reading
Ballina Wading Pool - Shelly Beach, NSW 2478
On 06/12/2017
Ballina probably has both Irish and Aboriginal connections linguistically My experience in the pool Ballina Information Centre at first shook their heads when I asked about the whereabouts of the ocean pool in town. "Well, there's a local campaign to have a new ocean pool built in Ballina," they said, "but there isn't one yet".. When I pressed them and mentioned a... Continue Reading
Yamba Rock Pool - Yamba, NSW 2464
On 30/11/2017
Yamba is an Aboriginal word for either shellfish or headland. My experience in the pool Yamba Ocean Pool is the most northerly of the real ocean baths along the NSW coast. It may well also be the most recently built - constructed in the 1960s - though it may also be the more modern building methods and materials that made it more vulnerable... Continue Reading