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.

El Dorado, the Lost City of Gold, exists, and it's right there in plain sight, right next to…read moreCentral station and just down the road from every damned hipster bar and coffee shop worth caring about. What the hell am I talking about? Prince Alfred Pool is what I'm talking about. No, not talking. Gushing, in strictly the non-chatroom sense. I always thought this was a scummy hobo park littered with needles and broken dreams. But I took a punt on a friends advice and hit this pool up for an afternoon swim and I stand before you a changed man. Firstly, it's free until November. Nada, nix, bupkiss. Secondly, it's a hella nice pool, with clean, clear water, lotsa lanes, and - the best - a huge slope of grassy wonderland for sunbaking and, sure, perving, because why not? There's a big wooden deck under a tree, umbrellas, a cafe, and state of the art changerooms. We even smuggled a bottle of wine in and got a little sozzled in the sun. Fine a lot sozzled. What a day though. I particularly enjoyed the city workers who busted out the budgie smugglers and were sprawling out in the sun while getting through a fat stack of reports. Now that's how you read, son. That's how you read.

They've finished building it, and it's beautiful. This is an outdoor Council pool set within the…read morelandscape at Prince Alfred Park, near Central Station. It's a great design: grassy hills, big yellow sun umbrellas, with detailing in dark wood and swimming-pool blue. There's not that much to it: a 50m pool and a cafe, change rooms, lockers, and little fountain thing for toddlers to run around in. It's highly green rated : sustainable materials, tri-gen energy, water recycling. The pool is clean and heated (though not too too hot). Suitable for wintertime laps, though getting out of the pool is the unpleasant bit. Today I was a bit unimpressed with people's pool etiquette (the slow lane is not for standing around in with your boyfriend, it's for swimming, morons - and a few stray legs from the play lane heading into the lap lanes, hmph), but I guess that's life in a public pool. It has the standard fast, medium, slow, and leisure lanes and mostly people understand what that means. I'm pretty thrilled that I had a swim in late May, and lay around in the sun. Go Sydney. Go Prince Alfred Park. And the best bit: it's free for the first 6 months! (Until some time in November 2013...)

Tucked in at the foot of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, North Sydney Olympic Pool has a pretty…read morespectacular setting with panoramic views of Sydney Harbor, Sydney City, The Opera House and Mrs Macquarie's Chair. The views alone are enough to warrant a visit to this magical place, but inside is just as special. The historic art deco inspired 50m salt water pool is a favorite with locals. The pool is the perfect place for a couple of laps whether you're a fast, slow or even leisurely swimmer - my tip is to try backstroke for an incredible close up of Sydney Harbor Bridge. The facility has expanded over the years to include a 25m indoor pool, spa, sauna, gym and café, so there is plenty of ways to make the most of this place. The best feature may actually be the sun deck which on a sunny day is a beautiful place to relax with a book. Entry prices to the pool vary depending what facilities you choose to use. Basic access to the pool for an adult costs $6.70.

I think this pool could well win some award for most scenic public swimming pool in the world. You…read morewon't need a yacht and an offshore bank account to win entry to this pool, just a paltry $6.50. Although there's tonnes of room I'd recommend coming here at quieter parts of the day so you can really laze around on your back and gaze at the views. And by views, I'm not just talking about the bridge, there are some rather dashing specimens of lifeguards...who hopefully don;t judge my terrible swimming.

This is a community swimming pool inside the botanical gardens. We passed through in November, it…read morewas 70 degrees and too cool for swimming. The location along the harbor is perfect.

Generally, Sydney is a swimmer's paradise. I'm visiting from California and cannot believe the…read moreoptions for pool and open water swimming. ABC Pool hasn't disappointed. Awesome location and views, always plenty of lane/circling space and a solid post-swim cafe experience.

A great location, right near St Mary's Cathedral; The Domain; Hyde Park and the Australian Museum…read more If you want to give the Boy Charlton Pool a bit of a break (and great swimming in winter here) then come and swim your laps here. A great, fast pool (like the Homebush aquatic centre) with great aqua classes for toning and shaping your body; especially if you want to give the traditional gym machines a miss. And it is extremely close to Kings Cross. Local residents living in Kings Cross, Darlinghurst and Elizabeth Bay normally come to this gym, or to City Gym on Crown Street. It is the type of establishment that you want to come back for more, and more. Gym junkies and fitness fanatics rejoice. I have mainly been a causal visitor, although I have friends and business associates who are on memberships here; and once they have left the chain gyms behind; they become addicted to adrenaline here in addition to using the swimming pool. It is bliss to also be surrounded by an abundance of greenery; and an inspiring way to workout. Their fitness trainers are also quite professional, and it is the type of health club where you don't feel like your left out or forgotten weeks after joining up.

Australia and Sydney has some of the best swimming pools in the world in my opinion. When I lived…read morein Australia I used to go here every time I visited Sydney. The facilities are outstanding and it opens up in summer, it has nice wall art and it's a full 50M pool with lots of lanes open for lap swimming. When I think about the best pools I've been to this is the one that I think of. If I lived in Sydney I'd go here every day. The price is quite honestly cheap for what you get. Seriously, just go here and enjoy an excellent facility.

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.

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!

They told us that they don't have any available swimming class for the current level of our…read moredaughter and we were asked to take our daughter this morning 8:30 to the pool to be assessed to see if she can move to the next level. When we got there, the swimming lesson coordinator lady asked us to do the paperwork in which we were asked to pay the full semester fee without even being assessed to see if she can move up to the next level. Before even given the chance to explain that we are here for the assessment test, she lashed out at us and yelled that it's the only time available and you need to take it or not because we have a long waiting list. This kind of behaviour under any circumstances is not acceptable. We don't know if they treat adults like this, how they treat our kids in the water. We left and decided never go back to leave our daughter in their hand.