2SER Breakfast

Dre is here to talk about travel on a Tuesday to get you planning for the weekend and get you exploring the outdoors. Dre has some water holes across Sydney and the ACT worth visiting to help you beat the heat.

Image credit: weekendnotes.com

Uriarra Crossing, Canberra

A pleasant, dog friendly swimming spot along the Murrumbidgee River. You’ll be spoilt with not one, but three picnic areas on either side of Uriarra Crossing – Uriarra East, Uriarra West and the Swamp Creek picnic area.

It’s a great place to relax, swim and just chill for a picnic for the entire day, but there’s a also walking trails you can dry off on:

• 2km Uriarra Loop. Starts and ends at the Uriarra East Picnic Area – taking you near the Molonglo River junction with the Murrumbidgee.
• 6.5km Uriarra Loop and Shepherds Lookout. 4 hours. From the lookout you get excellent views of the Murrimbidgee River and awesome views of Canberra’s bush vista.

This area has poor phone reception so be sure to let other knows before you go.

Image credit: walkmyworld.com

Lower Gledhill Falls, Ku-Ring-Gai National Park

Unlike the more popular Upper Gledhill Falls, Lower Gledhills Falls draws less crowds but is a gorgeous large, deep swimming hole with clear green water. It’s surrounded by canyon-like tall cliffs making it feel like a hidden pool.

Getting there is a 1.3km return walk. To get there, drive and park at the Duckholes picnic area to find the trailhead. The good news is the walk to the falls is a mostly flat, well formed track so you can carry some picnic gear and floaties.

Feeling adventurous? You can take a different route which involves climbing down a bit of cliff wall with fixed ropes already there for you.

Image credit: hikingtheworldblog.com

Olympic Pool, Royal National Park

Not called Olympic Pool for nothing. This is a giant waterhole you can swim laps in. Named so because of it’s rectangular shape on a map. 

It’s a fabulous looking swimming hole surrounded by bushland and small cascades. Much like Lower Gledhills Falls, Olympic Pool is the downstream off the more popular Karloo Pool and a bit harder to get to so you’ll find way less people. 

To get there you have a choice of 2 ways:

• 7.8km return walk from Heathcote train station. Follow the Karloo trail to Karloo Pool, then continue down to Kangaroo Creek. Stay on the left hand side of the creek for the trail.
• 18.4km one-way from Waterfall train station to Engadine train station via Karloo Pool. A cool station-to-station trail. Die hard hiking fans would probably opt for this. It combines the Uloola Firetail, Karloo Trail and Engadine Trail – The Olympic Pool is a short detour.

Image credit: visitwollondilly.com.au

Little River, Thirlmere

In the Wollondilly area, you’ll find a wonderous little swimming hole!

Little River is beautiful! Super clear water meets lush green bushland. When you’re there, it has an enchanting vibe to the place. The water is warm making it super relaxing that you don’t want to leave the water.

It’s a 17.6km walk to get there but it’s all on firetrail so the terrain is not hard and plesantly shady. To get there you take the Couridjah Corridor Trail via Blue Gum Creek in Thirlmere Lakes National Park

Tips for a pleasant dip:

• These swiming holes are still wild areas so you won’t find rubbish bins. Take your rubbish with you and leave no trace.
• Always check the water quality before you go. The general rule is to not go a few days after it’s been raining due to agricultural runoffs from upstream areas (you wouldn’t want to be swimming in poop, fertilisers and pesticides would you?). You can check the water quality online.
• Check with the managing authority on changing current conditions