Fairy Bower 10 Jan 2013

The end of our excellent adventure : a four day walk from Palm Beach to Manly, and the final pool, the ever cute Fairy Bower between Manly and Shelley Beach.

Features Oceanid sculpture by Helen Leete.

Queenscliff Ocean Pool 10 January 2013

The last major pool on the journey between Palm Beach and Manly on our trek. The one before, Freshwater, was much more pleasant. Queenscliff, at the northern end of the bay that is Manly, could do with a bit of work. Seemed very much a "swimmer's pool" - ie some serious lapping going on...and why not when there is the vast expanse of beach to play on!

Pool postcard: Manly, NSW

Let's change continents for a while and have a look at some Australian pools. My collection of vintage Australian postcards is not as large, and I'd love more!

This harbourside pool was built in 1931 by the Port Jackson Steamship Company. It opened in December that year and was described as "the finest swimming pool in Australia." It was the largest.

I swam here once, in January 1967. The boardwalks still existed, but I think the diving boards and waterwheels had disappeared by then. Does anyone else have any memories of swimming here?

It was destroyed in a huge storm in 1974. Cost defeated a 1984 proposal to rebuild the boardwalks.