Wylies in Winter

Not a typical day for winter swimming - usually it's bright and sunny when I swim here in winter. Today it was pouring down as I swam. Air temperature was 14 degrees; seawater temperature was 19 degrees. Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice.

Birrong Pool In Winter

This is Birrong Pool, in Sydney's western suburbs, just a couple of days short of the Winter solstice. I usually swim here mid-week after work and, on the weekends, I swim at one of the ocean pools . Birrong is really convenient as it's a short walk from the railway station when I'm travelling home from Cabramatta to Marrickville. The outdoor pool is heated and there are hot showers, so it's not exactly winter swimming. Today I was breaststroking through heavy rain.

London Fields Lido In January

While I was on holiday in England, I went to London Fields Lido a couple of times. It's open air but is heated all year round. The week I spent in London in mid-January was bitterly cold, but I was determined to have a swim here. I'd forgotten to bring a swimcap with me, and they had run out of them at the kiosk, so I was a bit worried about getting cold ears. The water was really warm though and I never once felt cold in the water. The dash from the pool to the changing sheds was a different story.

I did several lengths of breaststroke, but also spent ages swimming on my back looking up at the grey, drizzly winter skies and the bare trees. I absolutely loved this pool.

There are still several lidos (open air pools) in the London area. Only two (I think: here and Hampton) are heated during the winter. I'm keen to return in summer one year, and, as a friend suggested, swim my way across London via the lidos and swimming ponds. I'd really like to swim in the ponds on Hampstead Heath again. It's been 25 years since I last had a swim there.

There is an excellent website all about lidos in London and other lidos, pools and sea baths in the UK. It's hosted by Oliver Merrington, and there is a link at the top right of this page.

Day Four: Filling In The Gaps

A day when I went back to swim those tidal baths and swimming enclosures that I neglected in my original plan.

I'd had a change of mind by day three of this swimming lark, and had decided to swim harbour and river tidal baths as well as my original idea of coastal and bay baths and rock pools. Unfortunately, this meant going back to swim several swimming enclosures in Port Hacking and the Georges River. In contrast to the previous days, day four was cold and windy. The temperature never got above 16 ( there had been snowfalls in The Snowy Mountains the day before). Luckily, the water was still warm. With the exception of Carss Point Baths, I had never swum in any of these tidal enclosures.

Gymea Bay Baths

It was still 13 degrees with a very cold wind as I travelled to these baths. They are in an attractive reserve, and, despite the cool weather, it all looked very inviting. The only people around were anglers, rugged up against the wind and looking surprised at my swim.

Lilli Pilli Baths

Another lovely spot. The wind was very strong on Port Hacking, creating choppy waves in this small enclosure.

Como Baths

I've often seen these baths from the train when I'm on my way for a walk and a swim in Heathcote National Park. I've often thought about coming here to have a swim. Today it was quite shallow until I got out near the nets. On the photo, you can see part of the chlorinated pool that is here for swimming as well. On this day, it was closed for the winter.

Oatley Bay Baths

I could really tell that I was swimming in the river here as the bottom was really muddy. Again it was shallow, but plenty of water for my lazy breaststroke. The river was cloudy but clean.

Jewfish Bay Baths

This was probably the largest enclosure I swam in. It's set in a large bush park. There were plenty of people picnicking and walking, but again I was the only swimmer. Another muddy and shallow spot while I was there (about an hour until low tide), but I had enough depth out by the nets to practice my slow front crawl. It was such a long length in these huge baths, that I eventually returned to my breaststroke.

Carss Point Baths

I used to come here to swim sometimes in the summer about ten years ago. There used to be a pontoon anchored in the middle where the kids would jump and dive into the deep water. Even today at low tide, I was quickly into deep, warm water. I had a long swim out to and alongside the nets. Lots of families enjoying the bush park, but again I was the only swimmer.

Dolls Point Baths

After day one of this lark, I realised that I had missed Dolls Point Baths. The UBD that I was using had the name, Dolls Point Baths, where Ramsgate Baths are situated, and did not show any baths here. I realised my mistake when I happened to look at the DECC map of Botany Bay and the lower Georges River. I checked an older UBD which gave the correct names and locations of each of the baths. So, today I returned, only to find that these baths have been closed down by the council due to extensive sand movements and storm damage.

Clovelly Pool

On day two of this lark, Clovelly Pool had been drained for cleaning. Today it was sparkling and well worth a dip.

So, hopefully I've swum all the ocean rock pools and tidal baths that I could between Port Hacking and the southern shores of Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River. I regret not doing them all in sequence, but I think I managed to complete my original plan of swimming from Cronulla to Bondi.

Next year: North!

Day Three: Swimming From Watsons Bay To Cabarita

Extending the swim to include tidal baths and swimming enclosures on the southern shores of Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River.

Watsons Bay Baths

The first time I'd swum at these baths. A cool morning, but the water was still warm. I swam out under the arches and headed in the direction of Parramatta to keep in the spirit of the previous days.

Parsley Bay Swimming Enclosure

I don't think I've swum at Parsley Bay since the nineteen eighties. Also I used to go snorkelling along the harbour at places between here and Camp Cove. Today, the water was clearer than I expected after the recent rain.

Nielsen Park Swimming Enclosure

I love this little harbour beach. And I love swimming out to the shark net and looking back down the harbour to the city. It still amazes me that the national park and beaches are so close to the central city.

Redleaf Pool (Double Bay)

The first time I had even seen, let alone swam at, this pool. Hidden away in a busy section of the city. The pontoons looked like great fun for the kids. Had nobody else been in the water, I might have indulged myself.

Dawn Fraser Baths (Balmain)

Believe it or not, I had never been to these baths until about four months ago, even though I had been meaning to go for the past twelve years that I've lived in the inner west. The first time I came here I absolutely loved them. I can foresee many summer mornings swimming here in the future. Today I did twenty slow lengths of my lazy breaststroke, loving every minute of it.

Chiswick Baths

I only found out about Chiswick Baths the night before I did this swim. The water was a bit cloudy, but clean and warm.

Cabarita Pool

This municipal swimming pool sort of fits in with my criteria for the swim. The pool is river fed, the water then being treated and heated to 25 degrees. It is a saltwater pool, so I felt I could include it. Plus it was good to go to a warm pool with a hot shower at the end of a longish day of swimming.

So, I had finished a swim from Gunnamatta Bay at Cronulla to Cabarita on the Parramatta River using ocean pools, tidal baths, swimming enclosures and rock pools. Now, though, I felt I should have included other tidal pools west of the Captain Cook Bridge on the Georges River and further along Port Hacking. I decided I would have to fill in these gaps before I could begin thinking of swimming from the north bank of the Parramatta River (say from Henley Baths) along Sydney Harbour and Middle Harbour to Manly, then up the Northern Beaches to Pittwater.