2021 – the Year in Review

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…

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2020 – the Year in Review

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…

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2019 – The Year in Review

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.…

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2016 – The Year in Review (albeit quite late)

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…

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2015 – The Year in Review

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…

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USA pools – #306 – #315

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…

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USA – pools #296-#305 (2013 in review Part 1)

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…

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USA!! – pools #291, #292, #293, #294 & #295

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…

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Wollongong – pools #286 and 287

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,…

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Bathurst & Orange – pools #279 and #280

Dear All Season Swimmers, Winter in Bathurst. Not an obvious choice for a 4 day break when there’s no skiing, or ice-skating or any winter activities of note. But, no matter. The kids had a good time looking at the frost and buying shoes and staying warm. Oh, and swimming of course. For country towns,…

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