Yamba Ocean Pool, YambaCredit: Destination NSW
Make a splash in Yamba's picturesque ocean pools.
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There are almost 100 ocean pools dotted along the New South Wales coastline, offering calm, clear blue waters to swim laps or simply splash about. These pools hold a special place in the hearts of locals and, since the 1800s, have become a quintessential Australian experience. After all, is there anything better than the feeling of a cooling dip in the warmer months? Add these serene swimming spots to your itinerary as you make your way along the coast north from Sydney.
On the Central Coast
The stunning Macmasters Beach Pool is nestled on the Bouddi Peninsula, a 1.5-hour drive north of Sydney on the NSW Central Coast. Built in the 1960s for local children learning to swim, it has a sandy bank and shallow waters protected from the surrounding swell. The beach itself is patrolled from September to April and has a shaded picnic area and café.
A 15-minute drive up the road, Avoca Beach Rockpool is a beautiful protected rock pool on the southern end of Avoca Beach. The wading pool maintains a shallow depth, making it ideal for little ones to play and explore.
Travel 30 minutes north from Avoca to reach The Entrance, a popular holiday town tucked between Tuggerah Lake and the Pacific Ocean. Its ocean bath is a heritage-listed complex of three swimming pools — a 50m lap pool, 22m pool and children’s wading pool offering safe swimming for all levels. Visit in time for the daily pelican feeding (held at 3.30pm), which is one of The Entrance’s most popular attractions.
Around Newcastle
Newcastle lays claim to the oldest ocean pool in the state, the heritage-listed Bogey Hole. Hand-carved out of the rock platform by convicts in 1819, it was originally intended for the personal use of Major James Morisset, the longest serving Commandant of Newcastle. The pool become known as Commandant’s Baths, but today takes its name from the Dharawal Aboriginal word for bathing. The pool has become famous among photographers and is particularly striking at sunrise.
Newcastle also boasts the largest seawater baths in the southern hemisphere, Merewether Ocean Baths. One of Newcastle’s most popular swimming spots, visitors come to swim laps, take in the views or stop for a chat on the steps leading into the water — known affectionately by locals as the ‘Steps of Knowledge’.
Nearby, the Newcastle Ocean Baths are surrounded by a beautiful heritage-listed Art Deco pavilion, making it one of the city’s standout landmarks. The baths feature two ocean pools: the round Canoe Pool is popular with families for its shallow depth and sheltered swimming.
Macmasters Beach Pool, Central Coast Credit: Central Coast Tourism
Sunny day at Macmasters Beach and ocean pool on the Central Coast.
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Macmasters Beach Pool, Central Coast Credit: Central Coast Tourism
Sunny day at Macmasters Beach and ocean pool on the Central Coast.
Merewether Baths, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic coastline of the city of Newcastle with views of Merewether Baths.
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Merewether Baths, Newcastle Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic coastline of the city of Newcastle with views of Merewether Baths.
Along the Mid North Coast
Forster sits at the heart of the Great Lakes region, which is known for its stunning waterways. On the town’s ocean side, Main Beach hosts large shaded barbecue areas, public amenities and the stunning Forster Ocean Baths. Also known as the Bull Ring, it opened in 1936 and instantly became a local landmark.
A further 25-minute drive north and you’ll arrive at Black Head Rock Pool at Hallidays Point. It was built in 1941, and legend has it that during World War II it was used as a lobster pen by local fisherman. Fortunately, it has since undergone a few renovations and today provides a 30m lap pool and wading pool.
On the North Coast
Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool, near Coffs Harbour, lies at the south side of Bonville Headland and is built into the rocks overlooking the Pacific Ocean. With a granite inscription to fallen armed servicemen and women, this pool was created as a war memorial.
From Sawtell it’s roughly one-and-a-half hour’s drive north to Yamba. This laid-back beach town has long flown under the radar, but is gaining recognition for its year-round good weather, fresh seafood and sun-kissed beaches. At the southern end of Yamba’s Main Beach, the 33m Yamba Ocean Pool provides crystalline water and plenty of space to throw down your towel. Carved into the rocks, its rectangular shape is ideal for swimming laps with views out toward the sea. The beach itself is home to one of NSW’s oldest surf lifesaving clubs and overlooked by the much-loved Pacific Hotel.
Sawtell rock pool at sunset, Coffs Coast Credit: Destination NSW
Sunset at Sawtell rock pool at sunset, Coffs Coast.
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Sawtell rock pool at sunset, Coffs Coast Credit: Destination NSW
Sunset at Sawtell rock pool at sunset, Coffs Coast.
Forster Ocean Baths, Forster Credit: Destination NSW
Forster Ocean Baths on a sunny day.
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Forster Ocean Baths, Forster Credit: Destination NSW
Forster Ocean Baths on a sunny day.
Blue Pool, BermaguiCredit: Destination NSW
The scenic Blue Pool on the Bermagui coastline.
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You’ll find spectacular ocean pools dotted along the southern coastline of New South Wales. These handmade pools, fed by the ocean’s waves, are often built into the rocks near beautiful sandy beaches, can be hidden away along the coastline and are enjoyed mostly by locals. Ocean pools are great for kids learning how to swim, lap swimming and for a dip on the days when the waves are a little too big for your liking. Here’s where to find an ocean pool on the coast south of Sydney.
In the Illawarra
You’ll find many spectacular ocean pools in the Illawarra area, from south of the Royal National Park all the way through to the popular seaside town of Kiama. These include lovely pools at Coledale, Bulli, Towradgi, Port Kembla and North Wollongong.
Take the road through the Royal National Park to Stanwell Park and onto Coalcliff Beach, where the ocean pool is set against a dramatic backdrop of the escarpment.
Nuns Pool, at Flagstaff Point in Wollongong, is one of the oldest in the state, dating back to the 1830s. (The title of oldest ocean pool goes to the Bogey Hole in Newcastle, north of Sydney. It was built by convicts in 1819.) Located below the lighthouse, the Nuns Pool (formerly known as Chain Baths and used by the nuns of St Mary’s convent) sits in a small, sheltered cove and is accessed via a narrow path chiselled into the sandstone.
Further south at Kiama, the Blowhole Point Ocean Pool offers a safe swimming spot near the area’s famous blowhole, the largest in the world, on a headland near the town centre. This beautiful, hand-cut pool is an irregular shape and has a varied depth and rock bottom – it was also once a men-only bath. You can also take the 15-minute walk around Kiama Harbour from the blowhole to Black Beach Reserve. Here you can do 50-metre laps in the Olympic-size Continental Ocean Pool.
A 15-minute drive south of Kiama is the tiny coastal town of Gerringong. Head down to Gerringong’s Werri Beach for a swim at Ourie Ocean Pool, at the southern end of the beach. This rectangular pool, carved into a flat rock shelf, has a smooth concrete bottom and is perfect for a summer’s day dip.
Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
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Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
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Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
From the Illawarra to the Shoalhaven
Drive an hour further south into the Shoalhaven region and seek out Huskisson Sea Pool at Huskisson. This coastal town has a rich shipbuilding heritage, which you can explore at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum after your swim.
A 45-minute drive south of Huskisson brings you to Mollymook, where you’ll find the South Coast’s famous Bogey Hole, a natural rock pool on the headland south of the beach. There’s also a lovely ocean pool at Ulladulla, a five-minute drive further down the coast.
On the Sapphire Coast
One of the state’s most famous ocean pools is found at Bermagui, a little over five hours by car from Sydney, on the Sapphire Coast. Bermagui’s Blue Pool is revered as one of the prettiest, filled with azure-hued water fading to turquoise and green. At 50 metres long it makes for a great lap-swimming pool and there’s also a shallow wading pool, ideal for kids, just next to the pool.
One of the southernmost ocean pools on the NSW coastline is the Aslings Beach Rock Pool, a hidden gem carved into the pink-and-white cliffs at Aslings Beach in Eden, a six-hour drive from Sydney. It’s only a short walk from town, but its low profile makes it hard to spot from further down the beach. Make your way over the rocks from the beach and take a dip at low tide before the waves have a chance to deposit any seaweed.
Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
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Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.
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Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.