Sydney Pools
Sydney is well known for its many pools. From its iconic opera house and bridge, to beautiful beaches, and of course ocean pools dotted across its coastline – Sydney stands out as an excellent place to swim. But recently there has been increasing attention given to one lesser-known aspect of its pool culture: Sydney boasts more ocean pools than anywhere else on Earth with 35 hidden around its coastline!
These tidal pools can often be found along surf coasts, where they’re protected by rock ledges and filled with seawater that comes rushing over their sides from the ocean. Many are also framed by cliffs for spectacular views and added privacy; Australia boasts more than 100 of these in total – 100 alone in NSW alone! Of these pools is Bondi Icebergs Pool at Bondi Beach’s southern end which stands out as being especially noteworthy.
But there are also plenty of hidden treasures worth discovering, like Mahon Pool in Maroubra: an idyllic harbourside tidal pool cut into the rugged coastline that’s great for swimming and sunbathing. Just north of Double Bay lies Murray Rose Pool: another lovely harbourside pool which makes an excellent family destination thanks to its safe bathing area.
Wylie’s Baths in Coogee is another favourite, named for long distance swimmer Henry Alexander Wylie, located among rocks with spectacular 180-degree ocean and Wedding Cake Island views. For something extra special, visit McIver’s Ladies Baths which dates back to 1886 – specifically designed and built exclusively for women and children swimmers!
However, although the city offers several spectacular pool spots, not enough are available due to cost considerations alone. As a result, funding issues for infrastructure projects often become contentious – one such project being the highly contentious North Sydney Olympic Pool that could cost over $100 million!
An aquatic facility once scheduled to open this year has seen its opening date postponed until 2025 due to internal political battles and accusations of pork-barrelling by councilors, heritage issues, and other difficulties that have hampered delivery on promises made during its design and planning process.
But, regardless of this setback, the city remains committed to opening their pool, and may use an innovative funding strategy as part of their plan to do so. They intend to recoup some costs through charging fashion week shows, production companies and private parties rent the facility outside the normal remit of local pools; though their plan may not be foolproof it’s an important first step forward.