Friday 23 January 2009

Hot In The City. Bronte baths - Skywatch Friday


Photos taken 9:33 am today. Air temp 30.4 degrees celsius. Sea temp approx 22 deg.

As I mentioned yesterday, it's hot in Sydney at the moment. At 7am it was 26 degrees. So this morning I took myself off to the eastern suburb of Bronte for a swim in Bronte Baths. Mind you, it was an expensive excursion. There is very limited parking anywhere near the beach - maximum one hour. I overstayed by 15 minutes and got pinged $81 for the privilege. That's the problem with those automatic machines - they send a message to the parking inspector as soon as they expire!

The skies are uninterrupted blue, at least until the afternoon, when, typically, it gets cloudy, and there might be a thunderstorm, as there has been the last couple of days.

I'm going to stick around Bronte for the next few bloggy days at least, and there'll be even more pics on my Swimming blog when I get them uploaded.

It' magical swimming in the cool sea (about 22 deg?) looking at the sandstone overhang above.

Bronte Baths were opened in 1887. In late 1887, after complaints to Council about bathing during prohibited hours, Council adopted regulations for the conduct of the Bondi and Bronte Baths. The Bronte Baths 1887 Regulations stated 'gentlemen could bathe between daylight and 10am and from 4pm 'till dark each day. Ladies were welcomed from 10am to 4pm daily' except on Sundays and Public Holidays, when the baths were reserved exclusively for men 'from daylight to dark' and that 'each person using the baths shall wear an appropriate bathing dress'. Baths entry cost fourpence for adult and tuppence for children. Monthly tickets were available and towels could be hired.

In 2003 Waverley Council refused permission for QANTAS to film an advertisement in its I Still Call Australia Home campaign at the Bronte Pool. Council felt the area, which already attracted five million visitors a year, did not need the international publicity, nor an enforced three-day closure of the pool at the busiest time of the year.

Information from NSW Ocean baths website


17 comments:

  1. Wow! Tough parking meter system. I hope we don't catch on to that idea!

    The water is so amazingly clear.

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  2. Ouch. That's an expensive swim. This weather is really starting to get to me. Beautiful pool.

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  3. What interesting cliffs. The Baths look very cooling and relaxing.

    Cheers!

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  4. Wow what a beautiful location, I would love to spend a day or 2 there. Great shots.

    Cheers!
    Regina In Pictures

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  5. that great location! have nice& relaxing week end!
    ciao, Luis

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  6. Oh niiiiceee... still looks so wonderful despite the parking system.
    Mountain Retreat

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  7. Fabulous place. but the parking. Still it does look gorgeous.

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  8. What a beautiful place to be on a hot summer day!

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  9. The baths are beautiful! I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures.

    $81 parking fine... that's pretty steep! How much does it cost to get into the baths themselves these days?

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  10. Fabulous shot - I can just see you swimming in this amazing pool. Am astounded tho that the parking metres ping to let the attendants know and then they come and fine you. I hope to God that doesn't come to France! Here they are pretty good. If you've paid and you've run over by half an hour they let it go. And $81 - goodness...

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  11. Halcyon: fortunatley the baths themselves are free.

    Jilly: And the $81 is on top of the $4.50 for the hour! Local councils are more dependent on parking revenue than ever. LOts of councils now have them. They also take credit cards, which is abonus I guess if you haven't got change. But I hate parking meters any way!

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  12. Looks so refreshing. Perfect relief for this heatwave that we're having.

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  13. Fabulous place...
    Great shots!
    Thanks for sharing...

    Greetings from Portugal

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  14. I've walked along Bronte beach and under the sandstone rocks, but never been to the baths area. Thanks for the visit and history there.

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  15. What a beautiful place to swim! I'm envious.

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  16. Pricey penalty for overstaying your visit. Lovely spot, and I'm sure welcome in the heat. But I'll bet you were "hot" when you saw your citation. Not fair for a machine to tell on you -:) Actually quite clever on the part of the authorities ... glad that hasn't happened here in the states yet!

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