Our favourite ocean pool-Wollongong
Who is Ocean Rock Pool Consortium Australia?
Ocean pools. We love everything about them. My name is Vanessa and this is the story of how we came up with the idea for this site.
We’re the Maccas, from the Gong. The kids dig the lack of waves, and the chance of swimming with friendly sea creatures. The adults dig the chance to do laps in sea water without the slaps to the face and water up the nose that open water swimming can bring.
We’ve done a bit of cold water swimming through the Winter, and we like to keep track of what the temperature is like. Our trusty duck, Doris, goes with us everywhere and lets us know what we’re in for on any given day.
Living in the Illawarra means that we are spoilt for choice when it comes to ocean pools on our doorstep. Having already ticked a few of our local ocean pools off our list, we thought we should challenge ourselves and check them all out!
What are some of our favourite ocean pools so far? Of course, The Gentlemen’s Pool in our home town is our number one. In Sydney, it’s only early days, as there are so many we haven’t got to yet, but our faves so far are Bronte Baths and I loved Clovelly for the snorkelling. Up north, even though I haven’t been there yet, I am obsessed with Newcastle’s collection of ocean pools.
We can’t wait to swim in them all and make a beautiful resource along the way!
Why Ocean Rock Pool Consortium?
According to Oxford Dictionary, a consortium is an association, typically of several companies. We see ocean pools as the common ground (or water), that brings people together from all walks (or swims) of life.
I also read somewhere on the internet that the collective noun for a group of octopuses is a consortium. It just seems like a good fit. Over time we’d love to share stories from people who swim regularly at these little pockets of paradise, and tell the tales of why swimming in ocean rock pools is simply good for your soul!
What the duck?
You may have noticed our little feathered friend who often joins us on our adventures. This gender fluid name changing duck lets us know the temperature of the water in the ocean pool we are about to dive in to. I find that knowing the temp before getting in, particularly when it’s cold helps me mentally prepare for the challenge and then appreciate the win of conquering such icy temps so much more.
Initially, we couldn’t decide on a name of the duck, so we loosely drew inspiration from the Old El Paso kid who says “Why not have both?”, when faced with the age-old question of whether to choose hard or soft tacos. The same theory applies with the duck, except “why not have both” has translated to “why not have them all?” There are about 75 ocean pools Australia-wide, and we hope the duck will assume a new identity at all of them!
If you love the duck and you’d like to get your hands on one of your own, you can check them out on Amazon here.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases
Ocean Pools-Our Lap of every rock pool in Australia
Our lap of every ocean pool in Australia was inspired by a few things, including the beautiful coastline of the Illawarra. Because we live in such a beautiful place, we tend to visit the same spots over and over. Adventure and discovering new places makes you feel alive, so we’ve decided to broaden our horizons. Taking notes from a few aficionados on the subject, we consulted Simon’s blog at Ocean Pools NSW and the crew at All Into Ocean Pools. Setting off with no real timeline in mind, we’ll keep you up to date as we go.
Swimming with the Wollongong Bluetits Chill Swimmers
In the Spring of 2024 I joined local cold water swimming group, The Wollongong Bluetits. I was keen to add a social aspect to my cold water swims, and had heard of the Bluetits from my friend in England.
If you’re looking for a bunch of legends who love a good dip, you’ve found ’em! The Bluetits Chill Swimmers are an awesome global community all about the pure joy, peace, and sometimes a bit of silliness, that comes with a cold water swim.
The Bluetit movement started in Wales, but it’s spread like wildfire, with groups (or ‘flocks’ as they are known) popping up everywhere, including right here in Wollongong. It’s not about how far or fast you can swim; it’s just about getting in the water, having a laugh, and enjoying the incredible mental and physical benefits of a refreshing splash.
No fees, no pressure, just good vibes and a whole lot of supportive folks keen to share the magic of the ocean. So, if you love a bit of salty air and a chill dip, the Bluetits are probably your kind of people!
If you’d like to join us you can join the Wollongong Bluetit Facebook here, or Instagram here. My hot tip is that if you simply Google Wollongong Bluetit, you might end up with a result that has little to do with swimming!
