The Two Pools of Cronulla

Where: Between North Cronulla beach and Cronulla beach, Sydney NSW.

Pools of the Sea number: 13/100

Tips: Parking can be pretty tough at the best of times, so be prepared for a walk if the suns is out as you’ll find parking easier in the backstreets.

Cronulla Ocean Pools

Located between Cronulla beach and North Cronulla beach lies two similar but different ocean pools in Sydney’s southern suburbs.

Simply known as the big pool/Cronulla Rock Pool and the little pool or also known as the North Cronulla Rock Pool, they both sit along the footpath within 50 meters of each other. As close as they are together, but also far enough apart that it can be tricky to get them both in a single picture.

So they are both shown here separately, but given the right angle you’d be able to shoot both, but I’ll have to add that shot to my list for another day.

Both pools are quite popular with the locals as they both get their fair use, but with the bigger pool more suited to swimming laps it’s often the busier of the two.

And if you follow social media it’s most likely the most photographed too. I’d say it’s because the bigger pool just gives the photographer just a little more to work with.

But they both are beautiful looking pools and whether you’re taking a dip or some pictures you can’t go wrong either way.

Cronulla Rock Pool

North Cronulla Rock Pool

They are both great pools to photograph and they also happen to be the closest pools to my house, so not too many weeks go by that I don’t swing past and shoot some pictures here.

With so many great beaches and cafes close by it’s definitely worth a visit.

Til next time!

Chris

Winter Solace in the Covid Years of 2021

Winter Solace

As we are running out of road in 2021 it might be time for some of my favourites from the year.

I’ll start with this one, Winter Solace in the Royal National Park Sydney. One of my favourite subjects are natures trees.

There’s something about the changing seasons and mixed in with changing light of those seasons that makes for a special picture if you find the right tree.

It’s also a pretty fair representation of the times we were living in during the Covid year of 2021.

The main thing I remember of shooting this was it freezing cold and I couldn’t feel my hands as I was trying to fire away in the gully of Audley pre sunrise, in the heart of the Royal National Park. But it’s a pretty cool pic and I like it.

It was shot in the Winter of 2021 and in the middle of the city’s Covid lockdown. Where there wasn’t much to do and we were pretty much relegated to a walk in our own areas as our only form of exercise.

It was a pretty weird time in our history, and with the cases hanging around the 1000 per day, we weren’t too sure how long it lasted for. But after around 3 months of a Sydney lockdown and as our vaccinations hit the 90% mark we returned to some normalcy in October of 2021.

At the time too not knowing that by late December we’d have a new Premier in NSW and that case numbers were up to 5000-10000 per day and climbing.

So it feels a little strange that we went into lockdown with case numbers at 100 earlier in the year but now with case numbers in the thousands we are out of lockdown.

Granted most people are double if not triple vaccinated. But it all seems kind of strange.

But in these Covid years what isn’t.

This is my last post for 2021 and I’d like to thank everyone who has read and supported this little photography blog of mine. It’s been awesome and I hope it has been informative.

Happy New Year to you all 🥳🙌🏻

Til next time (year)

Chris Lane

The Iconic North Sydney Olympic Pool

Name: North Sydney Olympic Pool

Where: 4 Alfred Street South
Milsons Point, just near Luna Park.

Pool length: 50 meters

Year of construction: 1936 on the 4th of April

Pools of the Sea number: 12/100

North Sydney Olympic Pool

Even tho it’s technically not a Ocean pool, I’m still including the North Sydney Olympic pool in my Pools of the Sea project.

My reasoning is that it’s right on Sydney’s beautiful Harbour and there is views of the salt water. And it’s also too good to not add in.

It has to be the best view of any pool in Australia, and I’m happy to be proven wrong as well. But if you’re lucky enough to have visited the awesome pool you’d probably agree too.

It’s also home to 86 World records that have been set in the 50 meter pool and the North Sydney council website has a full list of the records if your looking to dive in.

Unfortunately at the moment the iconic pool is closed for a redevelopment which started in February 2020 and will take two years to be completed. It will be great to see what they do with upgrades, as the original Art Deco wall will remain which is great to hear as it’s one of the aspects that make it a great view.

On my trip here I was lucky enough to punch out a few laps too, which was on my bucket list for the longest time. That was before I knew of the redevelopment too so it will be great to go again when it’s all completed in 2022.

As you can see, the view is just amazing and if you get the chance to visit the North Sydney Olympic Pool I’d definitely recommend it. And you should also consider adding it to your own bucket list of things to do in Sydney. I’ll also add the beautiful Maccallum Pool which is pretty close by and you can see it here

A special place and I’ll be back again when it’s reopened soon.

Til next time!

Chris Lane