Blowhole Point Pool is the Kiama rock pool everyone stumbles on after visiting the famous blowhole: a hand-cut pool on the headland with a natural rock floor, depths that change as you swim, and a shallow side pool for kids. It's free, ten minutes' walk from town, and a fine reason to stay longer than the blowhole photo.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Facilities and access
- Near the town centre and the Kiama blowhole
- Cost
- Free
- Depth
- Varies; shallow side pool for children
- Lifeguards
- No
- Parking
- On Blowhole Point
- Public transport
- About 10 minutes' walk from Kiama station
- Best time to go
- Calm days, mid to high tide
- Water quality
- GoodSurf Beach Kiama, 1.0 km away. Sampled 24 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Town
- Kiama, NSW
What it's like
Nothing here is a neat rectangle. The pool follows the shape of the rock on the north side of Blowhole Point, the floor is natural stone, and you swim from shallow to deep and back again, with the lighthouse just up the slope. A smaller pool to one side is shallow enough for young children to paddle in safety. It began as a small men's bathing place carved out of the platform and was enlarged in the 1880s. For about 40 years it stayed men only, while women swam across the harbour at Pheasant Point.
When to go
Calm days at mid to high tide give the best swim. Early mornings are peaceful, while summer days fill with families who've come to see the blowhole. Big seas can wash into the pool.
Getting there and facilities
Drive up Blowhole Point Road from the harbour, or walk from Kiama town centre and station in about ten minutes. There's plenty of parking on the point, with toilets and change rooms near the pool. A path and a set of steps lead down to the water.
Good to know
The steps make it hard going for anyone with limited mobility. There are no lifeguards, and the rock floor can be slippery.