Malabar Ocean Pool is a free ocean pool at the edge of Long Bay, directly below Randwick Golf Club, reopened in 1997 after the bay was cleaned up. It is quieter than the pools further north on the coast.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Managed by
- Randwick City Council
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- Not at the pool
- Parking
- Small car park on Bay Parade and street parking
- Public transport
- Buses on Anzac Parade to Malabar shops
- Best time to go
- Calm mornings, not Thursdays
- Water quality
- GoodMalabar Beach, 0.5 km away. Sampled 21 Oct. Source: NSW Beachwatch.
- Cleaning
- Cleaned weekly, mostly Thursdays
- Town
- Malabar, NSW
What it's like
The pool sits on the rocks at the northern side of Long Bay, with views across the bay to the Malabar headland. It is a straightforward ocean pool for a swim or a float, usually much less crowded than Coogee or Bondi.
For decades the Malabar sewage outfall polluted the bay, and the pool and beach were closed to swimmers. After the deep ocean outfall opened in 1990 the water cleared, and the pool was upgraded and reopened in March 1997, funded by Randwick Council, Sydney Water and the state government.
When to go
Calm mornings are best. Council cleans the pool about once a week, usually on a Thursday, though that can change. The beach in front is patrolled in season; the pool is not.
Getting there and facilities
The pool is reached from Bay Parade, Malabar, with a small car park in front of Randwick Golf Club and street parking nearby, then a short set of stairs down to the pool. There is a ramp to the pool deck. Facilities at the pool are limited; council has been building a new accessible amenities block for pool and coastal walk users. Buses run along Anzac Parade to the Malabar shops, a short walk away.
Good to know
Rocks around the pool are slippery. Malabar Headland National Park and its coastal walk start nearby.