Noosa Aquatic Centre

Travelling about to visit different swimming pools, near and far, gets me out and exploring places I wouldn't otherwise see. I try to swim at least three times a week, whether at home or away, and always take every opportunity to pair a new pool with some other adventure. Today is a perfect example: up to Noosa Heads just because there's a 50 m outdoor pool in a lovely beach town, then onto that spectacular shoreline as soon as the swim is done. I've said it before, the blog isn't really about the swimming or pools. It's a reason to get out and see places I wouldn't even think to go ... if there wasn't a swimming pool there - I definitly wouldn't be staying in an Australian bush safari-style hotel in Twin Waters tonight, surrounded by the best of QLD wildlife, if it wasn't for this blog!

Start the morning at the Cock and Hen cafe in Twin Waters with a cappuccino and eggs benny (bacon for a change) and halloumi, it's a great little locals cafes, whole tables of them catching up on local gossip! The area feels like retirement central. Fueled up, head 30 minutes north along the coast toward Noosa Heads, past some typically Aussie-named towns - Yaroomba Beach, Mudjimba, Marcoola and Bli Bli being my local favourites). Pull off the road halfway for a wander through the bush and down the path to Third Bay, a spectacular secluded stretch of sand just south of Coolum Beach.

Back on the road heading up north up the coast and spot a candidate for this afternoon's swim right on the roadside in Coolum. I had seen this pool on the Worldwide Pool directory, was going to dismiss it as it's only 25m! but seeing it sparkle in the sun as I drive past, I think the 25m x 25m pool is definitly worth a visit!

Arrive in Sunshine Beach and follow the signs to Noosa Aquatic Centre. You know something is important when it has its own street sign. Pay the very reasonable entry fee, head to the changerooms, then back to the car for the jammers left drying on the back seat after yesterday's swim.

This pool and the neighbouring tennis club feel like the community hub. Mid‑morning on a Monday and it's busy. The covered learner pool is full of school swim lessons, a water aerobics class runs in the far two lanes of the 50 m pool, and the other eight lap lanes each host several swimmers. Around the deck, notice boards shout out groups, community events, even a medal collection from their own homegrown Ironman.

Lather on sunscreen, pick a lane where the sail shade reaches a few metres over the water for bursts of shade, and get going. The pace around me impresses, some swimmers with fins, others without. The bloke in the next lane probably has 20 years on me and he's right there through the second half of my opening 1 km.

Plan is to split a 3.2 km day across two pools again. Aimed for a simple mile (1600 m) here, but the pool is too good, so push on to 2.4 km with some 100s toward the end.

I like everything about this pool. No depth-adjustable floors, no length-changing booms, no showy deck. Sometimes the best pools are just a 50 m x 25 m hole in the ground, clad in tiles and filled with about 2 million litres of water. Lane ropes help. Starting blocks and backstroke flags too. Simple is often better.

Swim done, head down to Sunshine Beach to get my feet wet in the South Pacific, which turns into a 4km hike along one of the most spectacular beaches I've ever seen, with oddly squeaky sand (must Google why it squeaks).

Hope for a coffee and toasted sandwich in Noosa, get as far as ordering before being told, quite abruptly, they're closing and can't do food. Why do Aussie coffee shops close at 1 pm?

Later, while grabbing the Google Map link, notice there's another 25 m pool right beside the 50. Didn't even clock it. Thought the covered pool filled with school lessons was the other pool mentioned on the website!