Summer essentials

A pair of thongs so comfy and supportive, you’ll never want to take them off your feet! Our whole family wear these and the kids are total thong snobs now. Archies or nothing! Coral Archies Arch Support Thongs $35. archiesfootwear.com.au

With a high SPF rating,

Invisible Zinc Face + Body

acts as a protective barrier between your skin and the sun, one of the main catalysts for skin ageing and wrinkles. Invisible Zinc Mineral Sunscreen, Available online: priceline.com.au RRP $31.99. Want to drink on a Monday without the guilt? Monday Non-Alcoholic G&T Pack is honestly just as good as the real deal, without the nasty sore head in the morning. Locally distilled Monday perfectly blends classic G&T ingredients and botanicals like juniper berries, lemon, lime and cinchona bark to create a delicious G&T base that is then bolstered with additional ingredients depending on the variety. Monday Classic Non-Alcoholic G&T sansdrinks.com.au

The ultimate pool float doesn’t need to be a flamingo or swan. Take like a duck to water with local brand Ahoy Floats’ Aussie Pacific Black Duck There is a gorgeous echidna swim ring available too! $29.95 ahoyfloats.com.au

For the kids this fab Tutu by You Summer Essentials Kit is perfect. TTbY quick dry and sand free beach towel, purple Summer visor and a rainbow pocket for just $39 (valed at $48). tutubyyou.com. Two separate compartments in this Feather and Noise Sprinkled Soiree Cooler Bag give you heaps of space for your favourite drinks and snacks. The insulated and water-resistant lining will keep everything cold, and the super strong handle means you won’t have to skimp on your favourite treats. $89. featherandnoise.com

The perfect Summer Spritz is most certainly on the cards and this local deliciousness from Batch & Co is an absolute winner. They also have yummy virgin cocktail sodas you can mix your own drinks with. batchandco.com.au

The ultimate pool float doesn’t need to be a flamingo or swan. Take like a duck to water with local brand Ahoy Floats’ Aussie Pacific Black Duck this year? There is a gorgeous echidna swim ring available too! The Cosmopolitan is back and you can grab 3 pre-mixed coktails from The Cocktail Shop for $45. How easy is that? A balance of sweet with the tartness of cranberry, the Cosmopolitan is a modern classic. Summer sips here we come. www.thecocktailshop.com.au

How stunning (and massive) is this Picnic Season Leopard Love Story Really Big Picnic Rug collab with artist Deb McNaughton? These rugs are 2.9m x 2.9m, fully waterproof and the prettiest things in the park! Mama’s already got an older design, but now she wants a new one! $199 picnicseason.com They say, ‘Things can only get better…’ and they have at Infamous Swim with a revamp of the much loved Candice one piece with wide straps for great support and a shelf bra with removable cups. Just what Mama’s girls need. We’re loving this Sun Leopard colourway. $138 www.infamousswim.com.au

Chill out and keep it fresh while travelling and picnicking, with the Kollab Summer Leaves Cooler Bag. Durable vegan leather look handles hold this insulated water-resistant beauty. $29.95 kollab.com.au

Nothing screams Summer louder than a hammock hung between two trees. Aptly named Two Trees Tribal hammock this beauty will provide the ultimate afternoon nanna nap! Made from lightweight breathable cotton and available in a range of vibrant colours and patterns from Bunnings. RRP $44.95

places we swIm

It’s not a coincidence that the most water-obsessed city in the world also has the highest concentration of ocean pools (aka rockpools and ocean baths). These outdoor family-friendly swimming spots are carved into the landscape at almost all parts of the city and form de facto public squares. They come in all shapes, sizes and depths. They can be rugged and natural bottomed like Mahon Pool or slick and angular like Bilgoa Rockpool. From Palm Beach to Cronulla, they are so interwoven into Sydney communities that it is hard to imagine the city without them. Of course we couldn’t feature them all but here is our pick from across the city.

City: Redleaf Pool, Double Bay

A hidden, harbourside tidal pool, with twin pontoons and lush garden surrounds.

Distance from CBD Address Cost of entry Kid friendly Ideal tide Open hours Facilities 4km/6 min drive 536 New South Head Rd, Double Bay Free Yes Mid to high 24 hours Outdoor showers, change rooms and toilets, cute outdoor cafe

Part of Redleaf’s magic is the secret of its location. The pool is hidden behind the Woollahra Council building on a busy stretch of New South Head Road in Double Bay. There is an undeniable feeling of discovery every time you descend from the road and pass through Blackburn Gardens. It’s the tingle of a secret whispered into your ear. A wall of jasmine washes the street off your body and Moreton Bay figs and jacarandas extend in an unbroken canopy above. Then the pool slowly comes into view. First, it’s just the wooden walkway around the perimeter. Then the enormous scale is revealed. The swimming enclosure is among the largest in Sydney, at about 90x65 metres, with twin pontoons floating along the centre. Finally, the sandy beach and tiered lawn lead up to a low-slung, old-school pavilion. Inside we find simple change rooms with hot showers on one side and the Redleaf Pool Cafe on the other.

A beloved netted community bath deep in Middle Harbour.

Distance from CBD Address Cost of entry Kid friendly Ideal tide Open hours Facilities 10km/18 min drive 2 Widgiewa Rd, Northbridge Free Yes, as friendly as they come. High tide feels cleanest and looks best. 24 hours Changerooms, showers, barbecues, basic kiosk on weekends.

This tidal harbour pool is the perfect excuse to explore Middle Harbour and its surrounding suburbs. Enveloped in a dense backdrop of Sydney red gums, the netted swimming enclosure sits at the base of Forsyth Park in Sailors Bay, surrounded by the bobbing masts of boats bigger than our Bondi apartment. Houses cling to the steep hillsides, thanks to incredible feats of engineering.

A sign on entry suggests that if the water smells funky, it probably is, but the only aroma we inhale is the sweet scent of the bush in the salty, humid December air. Being so deep into Middle Harbour, the calm water acts like an estuary, and is often a couple of degrees warmer than the ocean. Like most harbour pools, it’s best to avoid swimming here within 48 hours of heavy rain, when water can be contaminated by the recent run-off.

Eastern Beaches: Mc Iver’s Ladies Baths, Coogee

The last women’s only swimming pool in Australia

Distance from CBD Address Cost of entry Kid friendly Ideal tide Open hours Facilities 10km/22 min drive 145–149 Beach Rd, Coogee $2 Women and children only Low to mid 7am - 7pm Brick sunbathing area, change rooms, amenities block and small clubhouse

There is some kind of unspoken sisterhood established between swimmers at the sanctuary that is McIvers Ladies Bath – the last women’s only swimming pool in Australia. It might be a nod, eye contact in the water or a gentle smile as you arrive. Tucked into the cliffs between Coogee Beach and Wylie’s Baths, this is a meditative space to escape and relax. Throw a $2 coin into the donation basket and follow the cream-coloured balustrade as it winds down the hill, leading you to the sunlit pool overlooking Coogee Bay. Since 1876, ladies have swum laps and read books in the sun here, with the company of others, giving women of all swimming abilities and cultural backgrounds a safe way to experience the ocean. It is the last remaining women’s-only seawater pool in Australia and has been in continuous use since its establishment. The State Government granted the pool an exemption from the New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Act in 1995.

A 50-metre ocean pool in a hidden valley below Bilgola’s high-rise plateau.

Distance from CBD Address Cost of entry Kid friendly Ideal tide Open hours Facilities 33km/50 min drive 1 The Serpentine, Bilgola Beach Free Yes All tides 24 hours, but it closes for cleaning Tuesdays. Change rooms, toilets, picnic area

At the base of a steep coastal valley studded with cabbage palms, Bilgola is usually a quiet place and one of the Northern Beaches’ most concealed 50-metre swims. We’re sure if you didn’t know it was here, you’d easily drive right past this coastal enclave. In fact, it’s hard to see Bilgola from almost anywhere else. The land rises steeply behind the beach to Bilgola Plateau and then descends to Clareville on the western side of the peninsula. Houses pepper the valley walls, with 3000+ residents united by a love of the precipitous waterfront location. From the pool, you can look down the length of the 500-metre beach, where waves roll and crumble over sandbars, making it a mellow place for beginner surfers, and those escaping the crowds at popular neighbouring breaks. Weekdays are leisurely here, with regular lappers before work.

South: Mahon Pool, Maroubra

A hidden ocean pool for the ultimate saltwater hydrotherapy session.

Distance from CBD Address Cost of entry Kid friendly Ideal tide Open hours Facilities 11km/30 min drive 15R Marine Parade, Maroubra Free Yes Any 24 hours Toilets, showers and change rooms

For people who love the water, there is truly no better place to live than Sydney. For people who love AFL football, the same cannot be said. Our inner-Melburnian will always associate winter with footy season, and our weekend quests for new Sydney swimming holes often overlap with searches for pubs that will play an AFL match with the sound on (see our favourite footy pub, The Lord Dudley Hotel). Winter is, in our opinion, also the best time to swim in Sydney. It’s the time of year for true ocean lovers. The tourists have left and the locals get the beaches and pools all to themselves. While the water never gets too cold, the ocean can get wild, which is why Mahon Pool is one of our winter favourites. It provides protection from large swells, but also catches precious winter sun all day long.

The quintessential entry point for Blue Mountains fresh water swimming.

Distance from CBD Address

Cost of entry Kid friendly Open hours

Facilities 63km/1 hour drive 77 Bruce Rd, Glenbrook. Blue Mountains Nat. Park Glenbrook Entrance. Free (but parking in the NP is $8 a day) Yes National Park gates open Mon–Sun 8.30am–7pm (Oct–Apr), 8.30am–6pm (May–Sep) but you can park outside the gates outside these hours. Toilets and water up at the national park information centre, but nothing at the pool.

Obviously there are no ocean baths in the West as there is no ocean, but this is a great fresh water favourite. At the south-east corner of the Blue Mountains is this natural pool named for its shape and sweetness. It’s just past the town of Glenbrook, aka the gateway to the vast Blue Mountains National Park, and because of its city-side access point, we almost always start our mountain missions here. The intersection of Park and Ross streets is a welcome cluster of small shops, foodstores, cafes and bakeries, but just beyond the main strip is the Glenbrook Visitor Information Centre, perched above the Glenbrook Gorge – a spot with abundant places to walk and swim. Our pick is the aptly named Jellybean Pool.

Looking for something a little closer to home. Perhaps these ring a bell.

Avalon Pool Balmoral Baths Bronte Baths Chowder Bay Baths Clontarf Baths Collaroy Rockpool Dawn Frazer Baths Dee Why Pool Fairy Bower Pool Fairylight Baths Forty Baskets Freshwater Rockpool Geoff James Pool Giles Baths Greenwich Baths Gymea Baths Little Manly Cove Baths Maccallum Pool Malabar Rockpool Monavale Pool Newport Beach Pool North Cronulla Beach Rockpool North Curl Curl Pool North Narrabeen Rockpool Oak Park Rockpool Palm Bach Rockpool Parsley Bay Sreserve Queenscliff Pool Ross Jones Rockpool Shark Beach Baths Shelley Beach Rockpool South Cronulla Beach Rockpool South Curl Curl Pool Sunnamatt Bay Baths Wally Weeks Pool What Beach Pool Woolwich baths Wylie’s Baths

This is an edited extract from Places We Swim Sydney by Caroline Clements & Dillon Seitchik-Reardon published by Hardie Grant Travel, RRP $39.99, and is available in stores nationally.