Fairlight

“Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.”
- Robert Henri

Costeau and Obi Wan headed off to Fairlight pool on a warm sunny Sunday 17th Feb. The pool access is via a steepish path from a busy back route road from Manly to Balgowlah. 2 hour parking

is the norm and public transport non-existent. The outlook was superb with Manly Ferries passing in the distance and plenty of sailors and para sailors in attendance.

On this day the pool was a coolish (20) and crystal clear but with green weed on handrails and pool walls, Manly council needs to clean it more often. It is 25 metres square, with a sandy/pebbly bottom, perfect for lapping and the sea water is above the high water mark so it must get water pumped in now and again to keep it fresh.

 

Situated next to a lovely small beach the pair went for a long snorkel off the beach and past the pool, where they saw big bream, black fish, leather jacket, and even a pike!

The walk from Manly to Balgowlah runs past the pool and they ventured into Manly (only 15mins walk) where they had a late breakfast. Obi was delighted to pass the Manly fairy penguins' little beach/home where they have their nests, unfortunately no penguins on view that day:(

 

All in all a lovely day!

Splosh Rating 3***1/2 stars

Seaforth

“The sea hath no king but God alone.” – Dante Gabriel Rossetti

 

Apres brunch, Cousteau ploughed on to investigate two swimming enclosures under the Spit bridge at Seaforth. She has to report that one has been closed, looks like for good, with the netting removed and opened up to the middle harbour. However the second enclosure was found after a bit of a bush trek down to the waters edge through a very exclusive part of the real estate world. The houses overlooking the pool and the middle harbour had million dollar views and were spectacular.

The pool was surrounded by dingies which were utilised to ferry their owners to their awaiting yachts! The pool had a sandy bottom although a few sharp shells were in the initial shallow waters. I suspect that the pool would have been unimpressive at low tide but for Cousteau and the other couple who shared this isolated pool, the warm clear water at 22 degrees was just the thing for a dip and to wonder at the serenity and isolation of the location. Indeed a gem of a find on this particular day. Warning! only 3 car spots and a very steep trip down to the pool.

Splosh Rating 3*** 

Little Manly

 “Animal protection is education to the humanity.” – Albert Schweitzer

Rather disappointed by her Queenscliff experience, Cousteau headed off to Little manly accompanied by her husband this time, whom she had bribed with the promise of brunch at a reportedly delightful cafe overlooking the the enclosed Harbour pool!! O JOY!!! The sun came out, the water was clear and warm at 22 degrees:) For a sunny Sunday the crowds stayed to the shallow waters and Cousteau was able to move to the deep end for some serious lapping time. She noted... mainly for Obi's sake, that she was curiously watched by 3 sea gulls, however by all accounts it was a glorious swim followed by a more than glorious brunch to complete the day.

The view from the cafe down the harbour towards the city is quite unique as it is dissected by the ferries shuttling back and forth. The only drawback is the limited parking but happily there is disabled access and good clean change facilities :)

Splosh rating a mighty 4**** stars. 

Avalon

“To me the sea is a continual miracle; The fishes that swim–the rocks–the motion of the waves–the ships, with men in them, What stranger miracles are there?” – Walt Whitman

Obi-Wan and Ghandi headed to Avalon on a beautiful summers morning only to find a very green briny pool. Avalon is an oddly wedged shaped pool with an uneven bottom covered in vegetation. It wasn't the most pleasant of swims although it is positioned looking north across Avalon beach. The surrounding concrete and rock protection fencing, left much to be desired and limited the relaxation area, while the attached kiddies pool was very shallow and had limited use. This is a pool that requires an upgrade because it is in a lovely situation. The amenities at the surf club are all in good working order. There is good public access with a bus stop at the beach and a surf club car park. 

There are a veritable plethora of cafes and restaurants in the Avalon village which has a distinctly bohemian feel. So come on council lets tart this one up, Avalon deserves the expenditure!!!!

Splosh rating a disappointing 2**1/2 stars.

Queenscliff

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

After the storms of last week and getting no swim in, Cousteau was pretty keen to get back in the water. She convinced her son to join her for an early morning dip at Queenscliff. The surf and waves were huge and despite a sign warning the presence of blue bottles they dived in for a refreshing dip, before heading around to the rock pool. The ocean surf was awesome!
Then disaster, quelle horreur!!!... Cousteau could only surmise that the previous weeks storms had closed the pool. The sigh tells the story and sad it was to see a muddy neglected pool. The pool was another 8 lane 50m lapping pool that was not really suitable for young children. On the positive end of the scale the pool is on the main bus route to Manly, however the metered parking is very restricted.The Splosh have no idea how long it will take to clean up this sorry sight!

Splosh rating - 2**1/2 will have to do:(