For the faithful multitudes who follow this epic quest, can I begin by saying, ‘Children, the hard years are behind us.’ It seems the wretched COVID has swum offshore (drowned, I hope) because borders are open, international travel is back on, and, most importantly for us here, The Quest is back in full flight. I’m…
I’ve just found out it’s August. Every year it’s the same. Too much AA (Aquatic Action) and not enough S&M (Social Messaging). Those of you who know me have the privilege (and the pleasure, if I can be so bold) to be free to ask me how The Quest is going. But for the sweeping…
The dream continues (despite COVID). 2020 was meant to be, in the words of the 45th president of the United States, “Great. Really great.’ I turned 50 so set myself the poetic target of 50 new pools-an inspiringly, dizzyingly ambitious goal when you remember 37 is the most I’ve ever conquered in a single year…
Once again, it’s been 12 months of far-flung swimming adventures and zero (yes, zero) blogging. My profuse apologies. In fact, avid followers of the WAPQ (the World’s Awesomest Pool Quest) would note that not only did I fail to make a single update in 2019, but 2018 too. Rest assured aquatic friends, all is well.…
It hasn’t escaped my notice that the pool conquering aqua hero is an individual bound by circumstances. Like the vegan in a food court. Or the bald man in the shampoo section of the supermarket. Or the bird that can only fly 100 kms finding itself somehow 110 kms from the nearest port of land…
Three milestones in one post. Shake your head in disbelief if you will, but read on. It’s all true. (As always, click on every image to see in full) Firstly, Pool Of The Year (otherwise known as, POTY). Pool #446 – QUT, Garden Point We’re only in September, but I’m sure I’ve already found it.…
2016 was the best pool-conquering year since this Great Challenge began over 20 years ago. 37 new pool scalps hanging from my Speedos, 13 ahead of target. Indeed, so quickly did they fall that at one point the dizzying, tantalising thought entered my head: could I possibly reach 48 pools in one year, ie double…
2015 was another good year. 28 new pools were conquered which is 4 ahead of target (as the 2nd fascinating chart shows) and I’m well on the way to 40% of The Quest being complete. Passing through Europe on the way home from New York opened up a slew of opportunities, but now we’re back…
The final four pools for the year, bringing the total to 28 (4 ahead of target). Above is Kiama South ocean pool, looking up the coast. Click (and re-click too) the image to see the full beauty of this magical spot. $383 – Kiama South, ocean pool Following on from my previous post (where I…
Summer is here and that means swimming, swimming, swimming. Of course, I was swimming throughout winter – what Hard Core Pool Conquering Tragic wouldn’t be? – but now all the hibernating pools are open again. And the ocean’s well and truly warming up. (And if you think I should be swimming in the ocean all…
Driving from Sydney to Queensland brought a whole slew of unconquered pools into my sights. I didn’t waste the opportunity. #371 – Yamba Ocean Pool, NSW The sea was wild the day I headed – with the kids – to Yamba. But the city beach is about as well-sheltered as a beach can be with…
#366 – Murray Rose Pool, NSW This is really touch and go as to whether it counts as a pool (according to my own very tight guidelines). But I reckoned the two fixed floating platforms provided enough of a hard surface from which to do laps, and the location is stunning, so off I went. Nestled…
In late December, 2014, we flew out of New York to return to Australia. We had a month’s holiday in Europe and I made sure to conquer a pool in each country we visited. Anything else would just be disrespectful to The Quest. #358 – Eriksdalsbadet, Stockholm A beautiful facility with two indoor 50m pools, plus…
New York, New York. With a deep, deep sadness, these are the last pools I swum in this fabulous city. I’ll be back. Rest assured, I’ll be back. #352 – Highbridge, New York City This place is enormous. One large pool and one simply massive one. I estimate it to be 70m across, at least.…
Part 2 of our Great American Roadtrip for 2014 took us from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, across five states to New Orleans. It was the height of summer, so swimming was always going to be a full family affair. #347 – Sea Crest Resort, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is the home of Mini-Golf.…
Part 1 of our Great American Roadtrip for 2014 began in Albany, New York, then swung north to Toronto, then west through Detroit to Chicago. And there were pools every step of the way. #342 – Gus Ryder, Sunnyside, Toronto, Canada My first Canadian pool and it’s a beauty. Gus Ryder is nestled between the Queen Elizabeth…
#336 – Chevy Chase YMCA, Maryland There are 50 states in America – everyone knows that. But on my previous visit to Washington, I swam a pool. Good for you, I hear you say. But this pool was in DC, i.e. the District of Columbia which really isn’t in any state. It was carved out of…
Within this group of pools, is an historic achievement: Pool #333 Yes, The Quest is one third complete. It has taken 20 years to get to this point. If I continue at this rate, I’ll reach 1000 pools when I am 83. That sounds like a risky strategy to me, as I reckon I’ll barely…
Last year – 2013 – was the best year for The Quest in a long, long time. A ‘no-nonsense, let’s-do-this-thing, c’mon! focus!’ kind of year that put the train back on the tracks and the target firmly in sight and a host of other mindless cliches too. Let’s see what 2014 will bring. Yes, let’s.…
And on and on it goes. The size of the lockers, the state of the change-rooms, the smiles (or lack of) on the dials of the lifeguards, the number of police officers – such are but a few of the variables one encounters on Pool Quest. And in a city like New York, one feels…
I’ve been busy – swimming not blogging – and that’s how it should be. Mind you, I should do better than this. 9 months between posts is a little slack particularly when I’m knocking over new pools like gnomes before a cannonball. (I can hear some of you now muttering, ‘You’re the most worstest pool-conquering-blogger…
Finally, the quest goes international big time! I’m playing catch-up here. These five pools cover my first 3 months stateside. Riverside State Park – pool #291 Built on reclaimed land in the Hudson River, this is a large complex surrounded by sporting fields with a good view of the George Washington Bridge and New…
Dear Aqua-lovers, One of the delights of The Quest is it takes you places you’d otherwise avoid otherwise not have the pleasure of seeing. Bear in mind that the smallest town in NSW with a public pool has only 500 people, I get to see a lot of towns. And then there are pools living under…
Dear Aquatically-motived friends, I’m sure that in a couple of months from now, holed up in a Manhattan shoebox in a winter the likes of which I can barely imagine, I’ll remember today. It was glorious. Perfect weather, both pools 50m long (they look pretty much identical in the photos below), and full of brisk,…