Five ocean rock pools to explore on your next day trip
While starfish, sea anemones and the occasional flathead had Australia’s coastal rock pools to themselves for, ooh, about the last 200 million years, they’ve had to make room for homosapiens more recently.Yes, there’s something about a tidal pool refreshed by seawater every 12 hours that makes us want to clamber, jump or dive right in. So if the weather’s nice, the waves aren’t dangerous and you’re not afraid of crabs, try out some of these favourites on your next weekend day trip.
Bogey Hole, Newcastle, NSW
The Bogey Hole isn’t just a nice place for a swim, it’s also shrouded in history. Dug out of a solid rock shelf at the base of Newcastle’s Shepherds Hill by convicts in around 1820, it has since been enlarged to around 10 metres long. It’s about 1.5 metres deep, so probably best for adult swimmers but on a calm summer’s day it’s a lovely place to be. The name "bogey" is said to come from the local Dharawal language meaning "bathing place".
Champagne Pools, Fraser Island, Queensland
Fraser Island is paradise for off-roaders – the only way to explore the world’s biggest island made of sand is by 4WD – and the drive along 75 Mile Beach is exhilarating. Feel like stopping for a swim? Try the Champagne Pools, so-named for the bubbling sea water that comes and goes. The average size is swimming-pool dimensions, the water is clear and the rock-life abundant. Just don’t forget to leave your vehicle above the high-tide mark before going in.
Cape Paterson, Victoria
Cape Paterson is a quiet coastal village about two hours south-east of Melbourne and for those who like a peaceful beach, it’s a great find. The surf beach has waves, but the so-called bay beach is safer for families – and right in the middle on a rocky shelf is a shallow rock pool great for paddling, exploring or wallowing. The pool was made by coal miners in the 1960s, presumably to wash off the dust, so it’s easy to access and the kids will love it.
Indijup Natural Spa, Yallingup, Western Australia
The Yallingup part of the Margaret River region has a beautiful coastline where waves have carved granite into all sort of unusual shapes. Nature has even built a kind of spa bath: a rock pool separated from the sea by a shelf, over which waves regularly bubble and froth to give a Jacuzzi-like bathing experience. The Indijup "spa" is the stuff of Instagram posts so be prepared for plenty of selfie-stars, but the remote location means you might get it to yourself.
Second Valley, Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia
This isn’t really a rock pool, it being open to the ocean on one side, but the waters of the Fleurieu Peninsula are so placid, and this rocky cliff-side location so spectacular we couldn’t leave it out. It’s a bit of a rocky scramble to reach from the Second Valley caravan park, but the result is worth it. Daring teenagers plunge off ledges of various heights into the waters below while less adventurous (perhaps wiser?) swimmers bob around the transparent sea. Busier than the municipal pool on hot weekends, but worth discovering.
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