The Pool Blog

Daily Dip Updates
Ourie Pool, Boat Harbour Pool, and my favorite pools

Ourie Pool, Boat Harbour Pool, and my favorite pools

All through this trip, I am asked: “Tell me, which is your favorite pool?” I respond: "The one right in front of me". My favorite pool is the pool that is here, the pool I am about to breach and unto which I will be enfolded. This is Bohmian. It is how David Bohm saw...

Bulgo Pool – Eden and the god of pleasure

Bulgo Pool – Eden and the god of pleasure

Today we are pool hunters. We have heard about Bulgo Pool, and it fits our criteria – it is man-made, filled by the ocean, and functional according to all reports. However, the route isn’t entirely clear. There are a few references to it online here and there but...

Welcome discoveries at Coalcliffe, Austinmer & Coledale

Welcome discoveries at Coalcliffe, Austinmer & Coledale

Coaldale Pools Coledale is one of our favorite pools. Nominally it sits to the south of Coledale beach, but the rock platform it is in is so big and wide that the pool has little relationship to the beach. It sits rather proudly on its own on the rock, in no need of a...

Cronulla, Shelly Park & Oak Park – the secret pools of Sydney

Cronulla, Shelly Park & Oak Park – the secret pools of Sydney

We arrive at Oak Park Beach Pool slightly fatigued. A 4-pool day requires significant energy. On the way we debate if we will even go in. We have already swum at the North and South Cronulla Pools and then at Shelly Park Pool. Maybe we should just take some photos and...

Mahon, Malabar, Time & Kairos

Mahon, Malabar, Time & Kairos

When the tide is high and a pool is awash, timing is everything. You go to the water not really knowing what it will be like until you are there. You could retreat, but in our busy lives the time is now, you will not have the time to come back. When the water is high...

A coogee of pools – part 2

A coogee of pools – part 2

We continue our tour of the Coogee pools today with Wylie’s Baths and the Ivor Rowe Rockpool. We cannot get in at Ivor Rowe even at low tide because of the continued post-tsunami turbulence. Ivor Rowe is a teardrop pool scooped out of a rock platform south of Coogee...

A coogee of pools – part 1

A coogee of pools – part 1

Coogee beach There is no collective noun for pools so let me suggest one – a coogee of pools. This is to reflect the one kilometre in Coogee that has 5 pools, the densest concentration of pools on the NSW coast. The pools are (from north to south) Giles Baths, the...

Bondi Icebergs – the star of the show

Bondi Icebergs – the star of the show

Bondi Icebergs Pool There’s a tsunami warning this morning which adds a level of excitement to the day. I spend some time at the first pools – Wally Weekes and the Children’s Pool at Bondi – scanning the horizon for a disaster-movie event. In the end, there is no...

Fairy Bower Pool – how to do pools in Sydney

Fairy Bower Pool – how to do pools in Sydney

Today we did the last 3 pools on the northern beaches – Freshwater, Queenscliff, and Manly. Freshwater and Queenscliff are both large, serviceable pools. At Queenscliff, the Saturday morning races were on and we couldn’t swim. I love seeing a pool being used by its...

North Curl Curl – you have my heart

North Curl Curl – you have my heart

North Curl Curl Pool It is ideal when a beach can have a pool at either end. The south pool (facing north) will have the sun for longer while any cliffs behind the north pool may provide some welcome shelter on sweltering days where even being beside the water is too...

Collaroy and Dee Why – old pools and new pools

Collaroy and Dee Why – old pools and new pools

Collaroy Beach Pool We are back in our own beds for this part of the trip and that makes everything a bit easier. We get up early to head to Collaroy and Dee Why – our 20th and 21st pools of the trip. Collaroy Beach Pool has excellent access and should be an example...

Mona Vale & North Narrabeen – swim while you can

Mona Vale & North Narrabeen – swim while you can

Mona Vale Today we do our 18th and 19th pool – Mona Vale and North Narrabeen. We have planned this trip with stops along the way. For the last few days, we have been staying in Narrabeen with the lovely Sarah H. and Leigh B. and have been to a total of 7 pools in 3...

Bilgola Beach Pool and trying to hold up the earth

Bilgola Beach Pool and trying to hold up the earth

Today we visit three pools on the Northern Beaches – Avalon Pool, Bilgola Pool and Newport Pool. They are all concrete pools, and each has its own charm. However, if I had to recommend one it would be Bilgola Beach Pool for its ease of access – of which more later –...

Pearl Beach Pool and the case for infrastructure

Pearl Beach Pool and the case for infrastructure

A grey day doesn’t generally dampen my experience of an ocean pool. Every pool is worthy due to the combination of being outside and part of the ocean. It doesn’t matter if it rains or not – in fact as the rain keeps the crowds away it can sometimes be desirable. The...

The Bogey Hole – of gods and men

The Bogey Hole – of gods and men

The cross in the wall at The Bogey Hole We must get up early to get to The Bogey Hole – probably one of the best, and the oldest ocean pool on the NSW coast. It’s a natural pool that’s been cut into rock, so we cannot go at a time of our own choosing and instead have...

Newcastle Ocean Baths – a vision of art deco grandeur

Newcastle Ocean Baths – a vision of art deco grandeur

The best thing about the Newcastle Ocean Baths is the art deco entrance. It speaks to a real grandeur of vision. At some point in the last century or even prior, someone looked at this bit of land and thought – we could have a really great pool here. And then in...

Sawtell Memorial Pool – and thanks to Mr. Ted Adams

Sawtell Memorial Pool – and thanks to Mr. Ted Adams

We are running on a very tight schedule. To do 59 pools in 26 days means we don’t have a lot of wiggle room so despite not getting in at Yamba yesterday, we have to keep going forward to get ahead of the cyclone off the coast. That meant saying goodbye to Grafton (an...

Yamba & Angourie Pools (past & present)

Yamba & Angourie Pools (past & present)

The Pacific Hotel at Yamba Today is the first day of our 26-day trip down the NSW coast to swim 59 ocean pools. We had decided to start at the top with NSW’s most northerly pools - Yamba Beach Pool and the Angourie Pools on the 3rd of January. Nature has its own...

Setting Off!

Setting Off!

We've finally hit the road, a night in Wingham and now we reach Grafton. A round of golf, then lunch in South West Rocks. The swims begin tomorrow! Kate will be the new voice and my prep is complete. Only one sleep to go..! Photos & Video [modula...

Warming Up

Warming Up

So the sun is shining and we're keeping one step ahead of COVID, so far at least. Today was my first ocean pool dip in quite a while, at Wylies Baths, including a massage Xmas gift from my daughters. Kate and Coco joined me, we also caught up with our friends Ruth,...

Setting Up

Setting Up

So the kit is assembled, 2021 is almost over, accommodation and vehicles booked, we have a drone! This has been a very tough year for everyone and we're all looking forward to this break. We hope you enjoy following the updates!