Swimming culture in Australia

Hey Mo'! :wave: I see you're from Long Beach! :applaud: I was born and raised there, and my mom has lived in the same house near LBCC since 1963. I went to Lakewood H.S., and spent every summer at a rented beach house on the Penninsula. There are a couple of other Forumites from your area. Do you know Bill Sive? He swims at pools around L.B. regularly. Debaru is also from Long Beach; however, she now lives in Arizona. OK, now for your question. I spent six months in Australia in 1984 and have returned several times since. DEFINITELY check out the Sydney Opera House and take a tour. It is an amazing architectural masterpiece! My favorite thing to do in Sydney is ride the ferries and see the various towns around Sydney Harbour. Purchase a day pass and go ferry hopping! For a great view of Sydney, walk the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Make sure to visit the Harbour at night, too, because the Opera House and bridge are gorgeous at night! Check out Sydney attractions at www.tripadvisor.com . Just out of curiosity, I looked to see what the highly-rated attractions were on the site. They are spot-on. I have walked all of those recommended walks, and I agree with the reviews. I hope you have a blast in Sydney! It's a great city; one of my favorites. :agree:

I am going to Sydney Australia the first week of November and have googled swim clubs. . There is a group called Swimfit. I think there is a group at the Ian Thorpe Centre. There is also a North Sydney masters group. Depending on my sightseeing schedule I am hoping to try one or 2 swim workouts when I get there. I have never been to Australia. I also will be hiking for 2 weeks in New Zealand! I did get a very nice email from Cook Phillip Masters with suggested workout places. Feel free to PM me. I will be back before THanksgiving. Elaine, I will be in ATL early Oct, but will miss Southside meet. Will swim at Swim ATl at Sugarloaf.

Elaine, I will be in ATL early Oct, but will miss Southside meet. Will swim at Swim ATl at Sugarloaf. The Southside Seals Pentathlon was September 13 this year, so you missed it either way! The Ironman is now behind me-- until next year! :banana:

There are some awesome, awesome pools in Sydney beyond the Olympic pool (which is a must visit). Check out - Bondi icebergs - http://icebergs.com.au/ North Sydney pool underneath the Harbour bridge Other pools listed here - sydney.concreteplayground.com.au/.../the-ten-best-outdoor-pools-in-sydney.htm If you can do the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and time it (they can tell you at the ticket office which time to go up) to be at the top during the sunset, that is simply awesome.

Are you on Facebook? If so, there's a fun, open group called "Did You Swim Today" and it has folks from all over the world on it. It's a lot of fun to live vicariously through those who are on great vacations or those who get to swim in great locations. Anyway, you should join and ask the same question there. There are a lot of Aussies on that page.

You might want to check out the swimmersguide.com, which lists pools all over the world, and typically notes if there is a masters group active at a particular pool. And if you're headed down towards Melbourne (and perhaps they have affiliates in the Sydney area), check out SwimSmooth.com; they have lots of workouts and seem welcoming. Jack

Masters Swimming Australia. www.mastersswimming.org.au/

Hi moddiddle, i get to Sydney every few months on business. Definitely swim in the Sydney Olympic pool, right at the base of the Bridge. There is a very active masters group there with a pretty aggressive workout schedule. Great people, great swimming and a world class location. "North Sydney Masters" Cheers