Malabar Ocean Pool is the quiet achiever of the eastern suburbs: a free ocean pool on the edge of Long Bay, below the fairways of Randwick Golf Club. It suits swimmers who want salt water without the Coogee crush, and families who'd rather take a ramp than a scramble.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Managed by
- Randwick City Council
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- Not at the pool
- Parking
- Small car park on Bay Parade and street parking
- Public transport
- Buses on Anzac Parade to Malabar shops
- Best time to go
- Calm mornings, not Thursdays
- Water quality
- BadMalabar Beach, 0.5 km away. Sampled 28 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Cleaning
- Cleaned weekly, mostly Thursdays
- Town
- Malabar, NSW
What it's like
Long Bay is deep and sheltered, and the pool sits on its rocks with a wide view across the water to the Malabar headland. The swim itself is simple: calm salt water, room for a few laps and rarely more than a handful of people. That calm has a back story. For decades sewage from the Malabar outfall kept swimmers out of the bay, until the deep ocean outfall opened in 1990 and the water cleared. The pool was upgraded and reopened in March 1997.
When to go
A still morning is the time to come, with the sun on the bay and golfers teeing off above you. The pool is cleaned about once a week, usually on a Thursday. Lifeguards patrol Malabar Beach in season, but not the pool itself.
Getting there and facilities
Head for Bay Parade, where a small car park sits in front of Randwick Golf Club, with more parking in the nearby streets. A short set of stairs leads down, and a ramp also reaches the pool deck. Buses run along Anzac Parade to the Malabar shops, a short walk away. Facilities at the pool are limited, so come prepared.
Good to know
The rocks around the pool are slippery. Malabar Headland National Park is next door, and its coastal walk makes a good add-on before or after a swim.