The Best Places to Swim in Australia

Swimming is a natural access point to understanding the Australian experience, and remains a critical part of our identity. On a hot day, any swimming hole in the country will provide a cross section of people. Although the environment in which we swim differs so much from state to state, our obsession with water hardly wavers. Whether it’s the beach, an ocean pool, a lake, river, gorge, dam, waterfall, hot spring or billabong, these bodies of water and the surrounding landscapes reveal a uniquely Australian experience.  

Here is a snapshot of favourite swims in each state:

VIC – Little Waterloo Bay, Wilsons Promontory

Type of swim – Beach

Best time to visit – February to May

Local knowledge – Wilsons Prom is like a little piece of Tassie, and likely where it broke off from the mainland.

The Prom is a masterpiece that people travel across the world to experience. While the casual daytripper can have a great time visiting the Prom’s easily accessible western shores, such as Norman’s Beach and Picnic Bay, the best and most sheltered swims are all on the east coast. Even during frequent winter squalls, Little Waterloo Bay tends to be an oasis of calm.

It’s hard to get to, which is one thing that makes it so special. The only way to arrive is by foot. It’s a multi-day backpacking trip (15-20kms one way, depending which way you go) that offers protected coves, camp sites, flawless white sand and turquoise ocean as a daily reward. While Little Waterloo is our favourite place, it’s as much about the journey as the destination.

SA – Dalhousie Springs, Witjira National Park

Type of Swim – Thermal spring

Best time to visit – Open year-round, but the cooler Dry season (April to October) is best.

Local knowledge – Take a dip early in the morning to see mist rising from the pool’s surface.

Located in Witjira National Park on the western fringe of the Simpson Desert, Dalhousie Springs is probably one of the most remote places that any of us will ever swim (or drive to). This group of 60 springs represents only a tiny fraction of the Great Artesian Basin, the world’s largest and deepest artesian system. After hours and maybe days of driving through the hot, dry desert on corrugated, unsealed roads, the thermal pool makes for welcome respite.

Main Pool is a large thermal spring and the only designated swimming hole in the area. Though it is surrounded by dense, wetland vegetation, it can be easily accessed via stairs on the water’s edge. The temperature sits at a reliable 38°C year-round, making it hospitable for all – most notably the six species of native fish, five of which are endemic to these springs. If you sit still long enough they will give you the full spa treatment, nibbling dead skin from any exposed part of your body. You’ll emerge from the water feeling rejuvenated and ready for the next leg of your journey.

WA – Greens Pool & Elephant Rocks, William Bay

Type of swim – Rock pool, beach

Best time to visit – Summer (December to Easter) when the weather is hot and winds are light.

Local knowledge – Tips for keeping warm in cold water? Thermal caps (or wearing two) can protect your ears and head from an ice-cream headache while swimming.

When people ask us about our favourite place to swim, our minds start racing through soggy, sweaty, sun-soaked memories, which almost always land at Greens Pool. Located on the edge of William Bay National Park and just outside the coastal town of Denmark, Greens is the community’s public pool. School swimming classes, bronze medallion training and games of Marco Polo happen here – it’s a beloved natural asset. Giant granite stones act as a protective boundary around this sprawling, reefy pool, which is almost entirely closed off from the wild oceanic waters beyond.

Just over the hill from Greens Pool is Elephant Rocks, a sheltered cove with granite boulders 20-times bigger than their namesake. Another glorious white-sand beach, the water here is clear and icy, and often all you can hear is the shrieking of other swimmers as they jump off the backs of the smaller ‘elephants’. On calm days, when the tide is high and the swell is mild, you can swim between Greens and the cove. Or you can make the short journey over the headland, peering down from the backs of the herd.

QLD – Arthur Bay, Magnetic Island

Type of swim – Beach

Best time to visit – May to October

Local knowledge – Magnetic Island is surrounded by several known shipwrecks, making it a popular place to dive, even at night.

We love finding places that are easy to access, yet still retain their wild beauty. Magnetic Island perfectly meets the brief. A 25-minute ferry from Townsville will land you on this relaxed, mountainous and secluded island. What a relief to be in the ‘dry tropics’. Sunshine and 30C is what most people expect around here, and you are pretty much guaranteed to get it.

Despite the island being such a popular destination, there are so many spots to swim that you rarely share a beach with a more than a handful of people. A short walk takes you through open eucalyptus forests, past grunting koalas, down to Arthur Bay. To set the scene, the bay is bounded on both sides by granite headlands, where tall hoop pines find their footing among rounded boulders. A semi-permanent creek makes a natural wading pool at the back of the bay, shaded by pandanus trees. The main attraction, however, is the intense blue-green water of the beach. You’ll be stinging for it by the time you reached the shore and your clothes will have never come off so quickly. Underwater visibility is excellent here and you can spend much of the day swimming around to the fringing reef on the north end of the bay.

TAS – Binalong Bay, Bay of Fires

Type of swim – Beach

Best time to visit – February and March, when the water is at its warmest.

Local knowledge – This region is home to some of the freshest, most abundant crustaceans in the state. Make sure you tap into this bounty while you’re here.

We are of the opinion that Tasmania is home to the best beaches in Australia, and though it might be hard for some to reconcile, going north isn’t always the answer to our sandy desires.

Binalong Beach is arguably one of the country’s most beautiful town beaches. We wonder how locals could ever be impressed by another stretch of sand. This water is comparable to iconic beaches in Queensland and WA, but has none of the scary sea creatures. It does have a chill though, something that motions swimmers into wetsuits for most of the year.  

Swimmers can take the opportunity to plunge into refreshing, clear water, and relish in the magnificence of the surrounds. In our minds, this is something you cannot miss. Encounters with sea life are possible too. This region is home to Australia’s best seafood – think crayfish, crabs and scallops in abundance just off the rocks. And with water temperatures usually a few degrees warmer than neighbouring Freycinet, we’d be surprised if it wasn’t also the swimming capital of Tasmania.

NSW – Merewether Ocean Baths, Newcastle

Type of swim – Ocean pool 

Best time to visit – You cannot beat the morning vibes around here. Water is warmest from December to May.

Local knowledge – The stairs around the pools, known as the Steps of Knowledge, are rumoured to be the place for enlightenment after a swim, or perhaps just a place to meet for a chat.

Newcastle has a long history of popular swimming spots, but Merewether Baths is our favourite. There is something about this coastline that fosters a healthy lifestyle and strong community. The neighbourhood wakes up at first light, and on any day of the week, rain or shine, you can find people running, swimming, pramming, surfing, training or latte-ing. Merewether Baths is the nucleus of it all, with beaches and cafes radiating outwards. Even as a visitor you can’t help but be drawn into the spirit of it. We often find ourselves swimming those extra few laps, secretly competing with the 70-year-old marathon swimmers in the next lane.

The complex is the largest in the country and consists of two pools: the main pool is 50 metres long by 100 metres wide, with 10 un-roped lap lanes. The adjacent sand-bottomed wading pool is 27 metres by 100 metres. A wide concrete walkway separates them. Most remarkably, the baths are completely free and open 24 hours a day, year-round.

NT – Maguk Gorge, Kakadu National Park

Type of swim – Gorge

Best time to visit – Dry season (May to September)

Local knowledge – If you can find the track to the top of the falls, there are some great pools hiding up there.

The Top End holds its cards closely, seldom revealing anything until the very last moment. Unless places are highly celebrated, you are lucky to hear about them at all, especially in the uncrowded field of Kakadu swims. Maguk, with its huge, deep pool and sheer walls is just far enough off the beaten track that it slips under the radar of most visitors. The walk is a kilometre of damp (sometimes submerged) track that runs beside a creek.

Once you arrive at the gorge, the water’s edge is shallow at first, but quickly drops into a dark abyss, which is a long lap across to a waterfall at the far end. People perch on the rocky ledges that fringe the pool, eagerly soaking up the morning sunlight that bathes the western cliff-face. In our opinion, Maguk is the jewel in Kakadu’s crown – it’s dramatic, super-swimmable, and delights up with its variety of experiences.