The Ocean Pools of Sydney
It is tough to define what made Australia incredibly special to us, but it’s water culture is what made both Jamie and I feel like Australia was our true homeland. If only every single town on the planet could have access to pools built into the ocean, where you swim in every morning before you go to work, the world would be a much happier place. We couldn’t believe how a work day could be centered around morning swims, lunch time snorkels, and evening dip and sips. Salt water infused our soul like it did our hair — we had uplifting volume and movement with every step.
Our friends, Josh and Lena, live near Clovelly Beach in Sydney. We stayed in their apartment, and quickly felt at home. Our first morning there was spent weed wacking their back yard…or should I say whipper snipper-ing? Directly next door we got coffee and croissants, walked 10min to a spot where we dangled our legs over rocks and peered into the Clovelly Bay beneath us. The remainder of our days in Sydney, from the first to the last, were to be dotted with what ocean pool we shall go to first! From Clovelly we can turn right and go to Coogie or McIver’s, or turn left and stop at Bronte or The Slab. The ocean pool at Bondi Beach is called Icebergs, and every available morning we went swimming there before Josh and Lena had to work. By night time we were eating Tim Tams and watching Kath and Kim on Netflix. It is a perfect world there, and tastes of salt water and chocolate mousse.
What are ocean pools, you say? God’s gift to mankind. They are pools built in to the sides of dramatic coast lines, and the ocean waves slap the side of it, allowing a cascade of water to breach into the air and shower upon your back as you do laps. One day we spent going an hour south of Sydney, and swam in four different ocean pools along the way. One morning we went to an all woman’s one, and left Josh at a nearby beach. That was the morning we greeted the sunrise topless — even I showed some skin for a whole five minutes. But that is how I will remember Australia — it is a landscape that brings out an individual’s natural beauty, leaving inhibitions at customs. It also has an acceptance of spiders that I envy — Lena showed us upon our arrival to their house, how the spiders create homes in leaves in their yard. Doors and windows are open all day, for all creatures are welcome in (but only select human beings).
Another morning swim was with the Clovelly Crusties, and with Josh being cofounder of the swim group, we were honorary guests. At 6am we were in the water before the sun reflected upon it. We posed and clamped our hands like little crabbies, then dashed into the waves. When it grew lighter, many swimmers stayed in the water and waved at the big blue gropers. Jamie felt rugged exiting the water with a bloody knee to accompany her stinger rash from our run in with gangs of jelly fish.
Our favorite memory of ocean pool time was at Bronte beach. With high tide, we spent a while jumping from the ocean pool wall into the rolling waves. Like little kids we climbed up the stairs and waited to all jump together. Icebergs is the prettiest ocean pool, and one morning after doing laps, I rested my elbows on the cement wall that separated me from the ocean, and there is no better place to see the sleepy morning sun. Bondi Beach, while touristy, has great shopping, food, and surf. We surfed at both Bondi Beach and Manly Beach, though it was Josh that mainly caught the waves.
Go Tigers!!!!!!
Rugby was another local flavor for us to try, and we saw a side of Josh that was redeeming. He taught us the proper “keep em on side, Ref” verbiage when our team had the ball, and the 4-letter C word following the 4-letter S word for when the other team had the ball. After the game we were allowed to run amuck on the field, and played our own version of Rugby. Which then, as most things we do, turned into a photo shoot.
