Swimming Pools in Australia

The first split is money. Queensland and coastal Sydney have free, outdoor, lifeguarded swimming that parents rate highly: Streets Beach in South Brisbane sits a train ride from the CBD and has showers, lockers and BBQs at no charge, though shade on the sand is sparse. Settlement Cove Lagoon in Redcliffe and Orion Lagoon in Springfield Central both add BBQ facilities; Orion's graduated depth zones let toddlers and school-age swimmers use the water at the same time, and reviewers single out its lifeguard ratio, while warning that crows raid unattended food. Wynnum Wading Pool is natural saltwater with a playground alongside, clearest in the morning. Dee Why Rockpool separates a children's pool from the 50m lap pool. WetSide Water Park in Hervey Bay is free apart from a slide pass, but closed May to September.

Paid indoor centres trade that openness for warm water and rides. Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre runs rapids, slides and a splash park that opens later than the main pools; the 25 of the Best Indoor Swimming Pools in Sydney list names it their favourite indoor pool in the city. The same list notes Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Zetland is Sydney's first Olympic-sized pool since 2000, with a rock-pool-inspired outdoor design. Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre cycles its wave pool every 30 minutes on weekends. Adelaide Aquatic Centre puts each pool in its own room and keeps a sensory quiet room, useful for noise-sensitive children.

If lessons are the point, Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre in Seville Grove, Lane Cove Aquatic and Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre are praised for instructors, and Leichhardt has a crèche according to the Sydney list. State Sport Centres - MSAC in Albert Park suits competitive juniors. Hurstville Aquatic Leisure Centre draws repeated hygiene complaints, so inspect before you swim.