Following five years of closure, the harbourside North Sydney Olympic Pool finally has a reopening date.
North Sydney Olympic Pool is officially back on the itinerary, with local council Mayor Zoë Baker announcing that the facility will reopen to the public on 7 August 2026. After years of delays and budget blowouts, Sydneysiders will be forgiven for waiting until they’re poolside to believe the news. Yet this time around, there’s a renewed goggles-on optimism around the opening date.
Originally opened in 1936 and famed for its unparalleled views of the Harbour Bridge, the North Sydney Olympic Pool has long held cult status among Sydney swimmers and splashers. It closed in February 2021 after the council determined a major redevelopment was needed to overhaul its aging facilities.
Since then, the reopening timeline has shifted several times, resulting in a five-year saga that has tested locals’ patience and cost the council $94 million over the original construction budget. Back in 2023, Baker stated that the expected completion date, originally slated for November 2023, had been pushed to April 2024.
What’s changing?
The pool’s restoration will feature new and upgraded facilities. (Credit: Destination NSW)
For all its trouble, the new pool promises to emerge from its hiatus stronger than ever. Tapping into Sydneysiders’ demand for wellness experiences, the facility will feature a steam room, sauna and warm water therapy pool alongside its stunning-as-ever Harbour Bridge views. The original 50-metre and 25-metre pools have been upgraded, while the 1936 Art Deco sundeck, heritage stair tower and harbourside wall have been preserved.
In addition, visitors can expect an expanded gym area offering separate spin and exercise rooms overlooking the harbour. Meanwhile, budding swimmers can play at the new children’s splash pad or in the larger creche, which has indoor and outdoor areas.
A new 970-person grandstand with permanent shade will host sun-safe school swimming carnivals, while new water polo competition facilities will delight watersports enthusiasts.
Refreshed changing facilities are also part of the upgrade, with family and accessible change rooms on the way, and lifts and ramps providing easier access.
Preparing to open
North Sydney Olympic Pool finally has an opening date. (Credit: Getty/Kokkai Ng)
The facility has officially been handed over from the construction contractor to the North Sydney council as it wraps up its practical completion.
Over the coming months, the council will complete the final stages of the redevelopment, including fit-outs, furnishings, staff recruitment and training, and the implementation of tech systems.
Entry fees have not yet been announced, but visitors can keep up to date by heading to the North Sydney Olympic Pool redevelopment page or joining one of the council’s guided community tours ahead of the official opening day.
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
Bate Bay’s sweep of beaches has been crowned Australia’s best for 2026, placing Sutherland Shire in the spotlight as a top coastal destination just south of Sydney’s CBD.
The beaches fringing Bate Bay – Cronulla, North Cronulla, Wanda, Elouera and Greenhills – have topped Tourism Australia’s 2026 list of best Australian beaches (as curated by Beach Ambassador Brad Farmer). For locals, it’s less revelation, more recognition.
The mood shifts from the moment you step off the T4 train service from Central to Cronulla and catch a glimpse of the ocean. At dawn, the Esplanade is already buzzing with regulars, and by mid-morning, parents have staked out a toasty spot on Cronulla Beach where excited toddlers clamber over rocks, and the Jellybean swim squad at Oak Park have donned their bright pink caps while singing Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.
By the afternoon, towels are being collected from across the sand as visitors wander back to Cronulla in loose formation.
Dive into the world’s best beaches.
That’s the thing about Bate Bay beaches. This isn’t a story about a single beach. This long, uninterrupted sweep of sand and sea, where you can walk for kilometres without breaking stride, is not just enjoyed over summer; it’s a year-round destination. Here, Cronulla’s buzz gives way to Wanda’s wild edges, before stretching out to the quieter reaches of Greenhills.
But while Bate Bay’s beaches may have taken top honours in the 2026 Best Australian Beaches list, they’re only part of the drawcard. Sutherland Shire stacks up as a full-spectrum coastal escape, where good food, national park adventures and on-the-water experiences sit within easy reach of the shoreline. Whether you’re planning a long weekend or stretching out a stay, here’s how to make the most of Cronulla beyond the sand, sea and surf.
Beyond the beaches
Dining
Enjoy a sundowner by the sea at Pippis Cronulla.
The Sutherland Shire dining scene delivers from early morning to late at night with a mix of vibrant cafes, bars and pubs. Start your day at Grind Espresso, where the coffee comes strong and fast. From there, drift towards HAM for pastries, best eaten buttery warm.
By midday, locals linger across sun-lit tables. Loaf and Next Door appeal to the surfers who come in for snacks after chasing waves. Blackwood’s Pantry and The Press are also popular for breakfast and lunch, while Pilgrim’s continues to hold a special place in the hearts of vegans.
Newer arrivals signal where Cronulla is heading: Homer Rogue Taverna is being hailed as one of the best restaurants in Cronulla, with the confidence that comes from understanding what locals want. Ask a local to reveal their favourite restaurant for a special occasion, and it’ll likely be Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare, Yalla Sawa or Alphabet Street. Summer Salt, Sealevel, Benny’s, Bobbys and Pippis are a few of the best waterfront restaurants in the Shire.
A short ferry ride from Cronulla, Bundeena offers a counterpoint to Cronulla’s mighty surf beaches. If Cronulla is the Shire’s social heart, Bundeena – or Bundenesia, as it’s affectionately known – is the place to go to exhale and unwind.
Hop on the ferry from Cronulla, and within 30 minutes, you’ll be inhaling the eucalyptus-scented air. Check the creative pulse of the local community by timing your visit with the Bundeena Maianbar Art Trail on the first Sunday of every month.
One of the best things to do in Bundeena is paddle into Cabbage Tree Basin with Bundeena Kayaks. Follow the five-kilometre Jibbon Beach Loop Track that leads past quiet coves to ancient Indigenous rock art, or simply find a stretch of pearl-white sand to relax on.
Pristine walking trails
Cool off with a coastal stroll.
Beyond the coastline, Sutherland Shire offers myriad ways to shift gears. Royal National Park – the oldest national park in Australia – sits just minutes from the surf. Clifftop walks trace the edge of the continent, the rugged bushland is threaded with creeks and hidden waterfalls, and a network of tracks rewards those willing to go a little further.
Take the Coast Track, where the land drops cleanly into the ocean over sheer cliffs that have been stacked together like giant Jenga. Or veer inland, where pockets of forest cool the air and filter the light. It’s a reminder of how close nature sits to the bustle of suburbs in the Sutherland Shire.
Enjoy whale watching
Spot whales from May to October. (Credit: The Edit Suite)
Twist your binoculars until the ocean is in focus, stretched like a creased blue sheet all around.Come May, the East Coast becomes the humpback highway. Thousands of whales migrate along this stretch of coastline each year, their movements tracked by keen eyes from vantage points like the Cape Solander platform in Kamay Botany Bay National Park, one of the best places for whale watching in Australia. There’s something quietly thrilling about seeing that first telltale spout or the arc of a breaching body against the vastness of the sea. From June to October, whale-watching cruises depart from Cronulla, offering a closer look at the migration.
Awards come and go. But places like Cronulla endure because they belong as much to the visitors as they do the early-morning swimmers, walkers and surfers.
