The Bronte Bogey Hole is a sheltered natural rock pool on the rock shelf at the southern end of Bronte Beach, made safer for women and children from 1916. It is free, shallow in parts and good for a calm dip.
Key facts
- Type
- Natural pool
- Good to know
- Kids area
- Facilities and access
- Beside Bronte Beach; the other, older bogey hole sits beside the baths
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- Not at the pool; Bronte Beach patrolled in season
- Public transport
- Buses from Bondi Junction
- Best time to go
- Low to mid tide, small swell
- Water quality
- GoodBronte Beach, 0.2 km away. Sampled 21 Oct. Source: NSW Beachwatch.
- Town
- Bronte, NSW
What it's like
The bogey hole is a pocket of calm water on the rock shelf beside Bronte Beach, protected by a line of rocks from the open sea. Water flows in and out with the tide, so it feels like a big natural rock pool rather than a built swimming pool. It is a place to cool off when the surf is too big.
Bronte actually has two bogey holes. The older men's bogey hole beside Bronte Baths was enlarged by clearing rocks in the early 1900s. This one followed a 1916 request from the Bronte Progress Association for a safe place for women and children to bathe, made by removing rocks from a natural shelf.
When to go
Low to mid tide on a small swell gives the calmest water. On big days wave surge pushes through the rocks and it can be rough. Weekday mornings are quiet; summer weekends are busy with Bronte's picnic crowds.
Getting there and facilities
The bogey hole is at the southern end of Bronte Beach, below Bronte Park. Toilets, showers, barbecues, a playground and cafes are in and around the park. Parking along Bronte Road and in the park fills early in summer. Buses run from Bondi Junction to Bronte Beach.
Good to know
There are no lifeguards at the bogey hole, though Bronte Beach is patrolled in season. Rocks are sharp and slippery.