The Dawny Reopened

Dawn Fraser Baths have been closed for renovations since I last swam here on 7th April 2019. The renovations were actually completed and signed off in late July, but, of course, we were in lockdown by then. With municipal pools closed by health order, ocean and estuarine beaches were the only swimming spots avaiable (to those people who had a beach within their 5km exercise radius). Ocean baths were excluded from the health order, and it had to be pointed out that the Dawn Fraser Baths was, in that respect, an ocean/ seawater pool too. The health order was amended accordingly. So, in early September, the Dawny reopened, subject to health regulations. A maximum of 26 swimmers at any one time meant that council had to allocate one hour slots to swimmers. All swimmers from the hours slot had to leave the pool before the next group could enter. The hour slots had to be booked online up to three days in advance. I jumped online at one minute after midnight, but couldn't get a slot. It seemed like some sort of mass booking was taking place. Eventually, after a couple of days, I booked an early time. So, off I went, cycling up the Greenway, along the Bay Run and around the Balmain foreshore until I arrived at Elkington Park for the first time in almost two and a half years.

I was there early, so, unable to enter the baths, and, the kiosk being closed, I got take away coffee from Darling Street in my keep cup, and drank it on the point. There was actually a seal in the river, swimming from Cockatoo Island to the baths.

Finally, I was able to enter the baths, and swim with the other twenty-five people. I guessed that many of the swimmers would normally be doing laps at a municipal pool. The majority were in wetsuits and swim caps. Only a couple of us were just in boardies or speedos. The water was pretty cool, and there was no chance of a warm shower with changing rooms closed. Still I'd spent the winter lockdown months swimming in Botany Bay (Kyeemagh being the only spot within my 5km radius),and that had been noticeably colder.