Macquarie University Sports and Aquatic Centre…read more Like many things at Macquarie University, it's sporting and athletics complex has been recently renovated. Although universally refered to as «the gym» by students, the Macquarie University Sports and Aquatic Centre is actually so much more. The complex's facilities are extremely impressive; no matter what time of day or night you find yourself there, you rarely need to wait to use your chosen piece of equipment; a pleasant contrast to many gyms around the 6pm mark. The centre also offers its members free use of its multiple squash, tennis, basketball and netball courts, as well as its indoor and outdoor pools. Swimming lessons for all ages are available here, as well as squads and the ability to leisurely push yourself up and down the pool for as long as humanely possible. The cafe attached to the gym is widely considered to produce the best coffee on campus, and - bonus! - there's never a line. In case you've committed the rookie error of coming for a swim and forgotten your swimmers, the Sports and Aquatic Centre stocks a full range of swimming costumes and goggles, plus a formidable range of other affiliated gym gear. Plus, there is a carpark with two hours of free parking - happy days! The centrex also has an impressive range of classes, at a range of times deeply convenient to uni students on campus for the day. Wanna try Tai Chi? Now's your chance! Pilates? Body Attack? Body Pump? Spin? All the old favourites - plus some newcomers on the gym class scene, the most obvious being Zumba - are avaiable. Plus, they come at student (and working-professional, obviously) friendly prices; for the non-member, classes are only $10 a pop! Compare that with the Fitness First's of the world.... If team sport is your thing, then you're also covered; the Sports and Aquatic Centre's mind blowingly popular social netball is offered three nights per week, while social touch football and soccer are on twice weekly. For the less traditional, you can partake in weekly competitive badminton. (I'm not joking). The centre's staff are also always friendly and courteous, the bathrooms clean and the lockers available. Plus, the value is astonishingly good. A membership with the Sports and Aquatic Centre feautres no lock-in contract, no joining fee and a getting-started session with a personal trainer. Students, staff and alumni of Macquarie University are lucky to receive a discounted rate, but others will still find this membership won't break the bank!

It's as good as Fitness First, but cheaper. A lot cheaper, especially if you're a Macquarie…read morestudent. There's a wide choice of group fitness classes with knowledgeable instructors. Gym is well-equipped with fairly new weights & cardio equipments. Other facilities include outdoor & indoor pools, squash courts, basketball / badminton courts.

I used to live on Annangrove Road at Kenthurst so I was able to watch the pool as it was being…read morebuilt. A good idea in this area because if the properties don't have pools then they have dams. Classes soon filled up as there were a lot of young children being driven past everyday - Marian College and St Madeleine's schools are next door. They specialise in young children, their philosophy is to start them as babies. They are totally independent and both the owners are hands on so you know that the staff don't slack off. Depending upon the day of the week, classes start at 8am and they close again depending upon the day, at 6pm. They run classes for babies, toddlers, young school age and they also have training squads for young children preparing them competition. A large car park, an enclosed pool and a cafe for the mums and dads rounds out the complex.

A fantastic swimming learning centre. From the novice to the more competitive up to the elite. This…read moreis a centre that builds friendships. You don't just come to swimming, you become part of the Hills family!

If you grew up in the region, you would've spent countless swimming carnivals here - walking past…read morethe canteen area brings vivid flashbacks to me. Swimming carnivals of my youth aside, the Warringah Aquatic Centre is a swimming complex located at Frenchs Forest. It's impressive facilities include a 50m pool, a diving pool with several diving boards of different heights, a few outdoor pools that are constantly too cold to swim in, and of course, the canteen. There's always something happening at the Aquatic Centre - swimming lessons for little ones, squads and development training for the older kids, Aqua Aerobics for the realllly old ones, and a bunch of people who just want to swim. The centre has great - and free -parking available, although it's a bit of a walk to the car when you're dripping wet and it's freezing outside. A better option would be taking advantage of the free hot showers, and storing something warm for afterwards in a free (deposit required) locker. The Center has impressive, stadium-style seating for parents to cheer on their little ones in the race, and also has a range of swimming-related paraphernalia if you've forgotten the all-important goggles or floaties.

One of the only indoor pools on the beaches! Easy parking, get a lane to myself half the time,…read moreacceptable price. Hot showers afterwards should be free though, currently they're cold and too short for me!

We have not had a swimming pool in the area for a few years so it was with bated breath we waited…read morefor our pool to reopen. Hmmmm. The good bits are that things are new but the not so good bits are .... There are not enough life savers or staff on duty to open both the 50m and 25m outdoor pools. When they go back to having school carnivals there is even less space to sit than before. The playgrounds on the other side of the pool are nice to look at but not practical. They have even surrounded them with a picket fence. The little kids water play area is not open all the time..again lack of staff The indoor pool area can get a bit funky but you can't open the windows to doors as there are a couple of shear drops without steps. Cancellations of classes for spin etc can catch you out. There is no sign in the vestibule to tell you what is still running. Sadly, and up to this point, many of us have been going to nearby council pools where it is cheaper and the "passport" is accepted. No discount for the local rate payers or services (ie teachers, fire, police, ambulance etc). It is looking like a white elephant.

What more could you need on a summer's day than an outdoor pool, a shady tree and a good book? Not…read morea lot. If you're in the Hills area this is a great aquatic centre for a lazy summer swim, although I will say most of the people in the area have that same idea. There are three pools here, the outdoor 50m Olympic size pool, there's an indoor pool for learning to swim and a kids play pool. There's heaps of grass and trees around the pool if you want to relax in the shade too. On a really hot summer day there are heaps of kids swimming in the designated play lane but there's always at least 4 lap lanes open, especially in the middle of the day. This goes down to one at around 3pm when squads start. Another great thing about this place is they open at 5:30am so if you are really keen (I will never be this keen) you can come for an early morning swim. Waves is pretty affordable as well, they have heaps of membership options available but a great value is the $30 for 30 days trial membership which gives you access to the pool and also the classes at the fitness centre. The fitness centre isn't huge but they have a good range of classes for everyone from Pilates to Boxing and Aqua Aerobics (super fun!). There's also a host of personal trainers you can book to train you up! The newest venture at waves is the trampoline ground. Basically the length of the pool there are trampolines imbedded in the ground that you can jump your heart away on! It looks really fun but try and fight the kids for the chance to jump! The most disappointing thing about Waves is their so called "tuckshop" which is basically an ice-cream stand. They have a wide range of sugary snacks, hot chips and questionable coffee but don't think you'll find a museli bar or piece of fruit. They would do well to stock some healthier options.

Finally settled into my new home so there was no excuse to delay getting back to my fitness…read moreroutine. The guys at the reception are lovely but does get chaotic when it's busy. But they remain friendly and apologetic. Signed up for the February special which is pay 6months get 6 free. Who ever came up with the deal must have not been a math wiz. Either way it's a 1 year pay up front membership. Which gives you access to the pools, steam room, sauna, gym and a wide variety of classes. Comes out to $13.50 a week. Otherwise they have other packages. If you don't wanna be locked in its $22 a week. This morning I went for a swim and used the outdoor Olympic pool which was bliss. The changing rooms and facilities all good. Next week will try out a assortment of classes to see how I go.

For those of us living in the Inner West, sometimes Dawn Fraser Baths is the closest thing we can…read moreto the beach. For you East/North/South shore folk this may seem ridiculous. But, despite the lack of sand, waves and seagulls, it is still the ocean and sometimes you've got to take what you can get. In the middle of summer Dawn Fraser ocean pool is packed with kids, water-polo teams, pregnant mums, big groups of teens, lap swimmers and anyone wanting to escape the city heat. The pool rises and falls with the tides, and we can kid ourselves that there's some surf if a ferry goes past creating a minuscule swell. Yes the beach may be free and Dawn Frasers may not be, but Dawn Frasers also has free parking, whereas many beaches do not. What's more, Dawny allows for jumps into the pool, it is shark-free and with timber boards instead of sand, you can make your way to the kiosk and back without sand being blown all over your icecream. Whilst I have some friends that won't come back here due to the occasional jellyfish, this is a standard ocean-related risk not specific to poor Dawny. And besides, this just makes it all the more of a genuine beachy experience. OPENING HOURS Oct - Nov 7.15am - 6.30pm Dec - Feb 6.45am - 7.00pm Mar - Apr 7.15am - 6.30pm Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday

I've been going to Dawny since I was a tot, and thankfully it hasn't changed much! It's a fabulous…read morespot for people watching: a lot of old Balmain characters still hang out there, leathery skin and Speedos .... you can also watch local teams play water-polo. When I lived in Balmain, Dawn Fraser Pool was the next best thing to a beach, and a whole lot closer. There isn't any sand (unless the tide is super low, I guess), but what you get is wooden boards to lie upon, which is actually really, really nice. You can stare down through the cracks at the water below. There's a mix of sun and shade, and a little canteen where you can buy hot chips and ice cream. You will probably see clear jellyfish, sea-weed, and little schools of fish in the water - it's a harbour pool so it comes with the territory. Sea lice can be a problem, though that's never happened to me. Dawny is generally nicer at high tide than during low tide, although at low tide you get to see the holes in the wooden slats: some big enough to let sharks in! Don't worry, there are no sharks, and they fixed the hole. I think. This pool is great for kids, and there are life savers hanging around watching everyone. As with Sydney beaches, it's best not to swim here after a heavy rain, as the run-off can contaminate the water.

Maccallum Pool, on the western side of Cremorne Point, is a unique harbourside pool with heritage…read morecharacter and superb views. Its waterside timber deck is an unparalleled sun bathing spot. It was originally just a rock pool created by local residents to form a safe harbour swimming hole. You need to work out the timing of the cleaning of the pool which is once a week and varies. When its closed for cleaning it will be up for 9 hours. The days leading up to the clean the pool can be very dirty. Take a picnic blanket, a wine, cheese, crackers and really indulge in one of Sydney's free attractions.

There is nothing better than finding a spot near the pool on Australia Day and hopping in to cool…read moreoff as you enjoy the park, the views of the harbour and bridge, and digest your prawns and sausages. The rock pool is a nice safe swimming area with some of the best views of Sydney. What makes this such a great place is that it is free.

Seems like a really nice pool. Friendly staff, good facilities…read more We came for the Christmas party event so it was quite crowded, but based on the location and car park size I would assume it is not normally very busy. There was an Olympic pool, a smaller indoor pool, and another shaded kids pool if I recall correctly. It's a bit of a hilly walk from the car park to the entrance

The location of this pool is so beautiful - surrounded by bush and bird songs. The pools are a…read morelittle out of date, but clean and well-maintained. There are four pools altogether, so adults down to children are well catered for. I enjoy regular lap swimming in the 50m pool and then sometimes bring my grandson to play in the baby pool, which is fully shaded. Plenty of hot water is provided after your swim.

Clean, friendly helpful staff and a fab choice of three pools…read more I attended the premises in the afternoon with my son who is under two and as we had arrived at an off peak time our swim was only $2.20! The toddler pool has a cover with four fountains and the depth is just right for toddlers. We will def be going back, a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon!