North Sydney Olympic Pool. Have Goggles, Will Travel Pool #34

Olympic pool with a view!

Iconic pool with stunning views. Great location (I definitely recommend walking across the bridge) and a very reasonable entrance fee. Check the timetables, but like most Sydney pools, public lap swimming is open most of the day.

Any Google search for ‘Sydney Swimming Pool’ will almost certainly show the eye-grabbing photo of the Sydney Olympic Pool tucked below the Northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Milsons Point. This is my intended swim for the day - and best of all, there is a second indoor 25m bonus pool for the list.

Doing my usual walk + swim city tours, I’m heading out from the Sydney Hilton (world’s best breakfast buffet?) at the top of the central business district, down through the shopping malls and offices towards the Sydney Harbour. Then crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge towards North Sydney - an absolutely fantastic walk with spectacular views.

Cross the river, loop back around to the water and head straight towards the unmissable Olympic Pool ‘welcome to Vegas’ style sign.

Opening in 1936, a few years after the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the art-deco style pool was designed by Rudder & Grout architects on the grounds of the bridge steel construction workshops. In 1938, the pool was the site of the Empire Games (now Commonwealth Games) aquatic events.

The pool is definitely showing it’s 80 years, but it’s still practical, well spec’d and in good working order. They only added heating in 2000; I can imagine a much-welcomed addition even in Southern Australia!

I’m not sure I knew it was a saltwater pool before I jumped in, but the extra buoyancy certainly didn’t help my swim pace (1:34/100m!); possible my Garmin Swim watch has dropped a couple of laps, unusual as it rarely missed one, this would have to of been two as I finished at the right end! Complete 1 1.5km swim in the supposedly 27-degree heater water, then head up to the more recently built indoor 25m pool for a second bonus pool of the day. (See next pool).