A tour of the northern beaches’ rock pools and a film extolling their virtues is shining a light on these special public places, hoping to bring more Sydneysiders to play freely and safely in their seawater.
Bathing beauties: Ten of Australia s best sea baths
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They are an intrinsic part of the Australia psyche and as iconic as the Opera House and Uluru. Strung along the NSW coastline like emerald and turquoise gems, Australia s sea baths were first built in the nineteenth century to protect bathers from surf, sharks and dangerous rips. Many were built during the Great Depression as competition swimming grew in popularity.
Sydney architect Nicole Larkin, who advocates for the conservation and revival of ocean pools, says they are a much-loved part of Australia s coastline. Roughly 100 of these bathing beauties exist from Eden in the south to Yamba in the north, with only a handful found outside of NSW. Here s where to find 10 of Australia s best sea baths – other than Bondi Icebergs, our most famous and Instagrammed ocean pool, that is.