Manly Swimming

Named for one of Australia’s great athletes, the Manly Andrew «Boy» Charlton Swim Centre hopes to inspire its swimmers to go on to such greatness. The home of swimming carnivals for both primary and secondary schools in the area, the pool has a good range of facilities. It has an eight-​lane 50m pool, a five-​lane 25m pool and several warm paddling pools for toddlers. I’m a fan of the outdoor pool — you can see the sky when you turn around, and the chlorine isn’t so overpowering. I’m a smiley swimmer. In addition to these pools, the Swim Centre has a grassy hill area — perfect for sitting in the sun while your companions swim. If you’re sunsmart, then sit under the giant sun shade, if it’s not populated with primary school children. There’s also a canteen with a huge allotment of lollies, drinks and hot chips, as well as coffee for the parents of the lolly-​eaters. The changerooms are big, with free (cold, argh) showers, but beware — there’s no roof over the top, and it gets mighty chilly inside in winter!