Parnell Baths
This past Wednesday was Waitangi Day here in New Zealand. This is a big, national holiday on February 6 that commemorates the signing of a treaty between the British and the Maori chiefs in 1840. It’s a little bit of a mix between the 4th of July and Thanksgiving. In one respect, it celebrates the signing of a founding document, and in another respect it is between the indigenous people and British colonizers. As you can imagine, there is some backlash now as some people consider the treaty a giant land grab on the part of the British. Others, however, just look at it as a fabulous public holiday in the middle of the summer. And what does that mean? Obviously it means you go swimming, probably at the beach, but maybe in a pool.
When we left our big house in Austin, we left behind an incredible backyard pool that the kids swam in practically every day from March through November. This was our go-to activity, and something we hope to get back to. In the mean time, we visit the Parnell Baths to get our swimming fix.
If you drive to the pools, I suggest parking on Tamaki Drive. There is a bridge walkway over the busy road and train tracks that deposit you right at the pool, and there is much more parking here than in the small lot GPS will take you to. As long as you’re not parked in a bus zone, you shouldn’t have any problems swimming for hours. Plus, walking across the bridge is just a cool thing to do. There’s a great view of both the Parnell Baths and the incredible bay on the other side.
For a drop in visit, it’s only NZ$6 per adult, and kids under 16 are FREE. It’s a very inexpensive outing, but I’d recommend getting there early-ish. I try to arrive by 10 - before the teenagers are up and flooding the pool. If the pool is overcrowded, they’ll stop letting people in, and long lines will form at the check-in counter.
There’s something for everyone at Parnell Baths. For tiny babies, there’s a heated, shaded pool with about 8 inches of water in it. For toddlers, there are several shallow pools with just a little heat to take the edge off. There’s also a family spa that feel like slipping into a bath. One end is shaded for a truly pleasant break from the madness. There is a huge zero entry young child pool that gradually increases in depth to about 3 feet at the deepest. And it is a very gradual slope - about sixty feet of it. In the first third of this slope is a water playscape with a tube slide for the kids. My five year old could do this all day, but my three year old is a little intimidated by it still.
For older kids and adults, there is a large, 25m pool just beyond the younger children’s area. A peninsula juts out about halfway down the pool, and older kids love to cannonball off of it if the line for the diving board is too long. On the very far side of the pool, there are three lap lanes for slow, medium, and fast swimmers. One day, there was even a large inflatable obstacle course in one corner near the slide!
Lots and lots of lifeguards dot the perimeter of all of the pools. Unlike in the States, they don’t sit on elevated platforms. They stand on the side of the pool and watch a very small patch of the water. My kids are very good swimmers, especially the five year old, and after he demonstrated he could swim the entire 25m length of the pool, I don’t hesitate letting him go off as he pleases. There are so many lifeguards that in the off chance he did get in trouble, someone would see him.
There’s a small swim shop near the check in counter if you’re in need of goggles, togs (that’s Kiwi for bathing suit) or other basic swim gear. There’s also a small cafe to the side of the pools that serves both hot and cold food and drinks. I must admit to a weakness for their hot chips (Kiwi for French fries) when getting out of the water when it is a little bit chilly. Something about that hot, greasy food tastes great after a swim!
The only downside to the pools is the high salt and chlorine content. It makes my skin feel gross and it burns if you get it in your eyes. Definitely bring goggles if you plan on submerging yourself underwater. The plus side to all of the chemicals is that I have no fear of all the pee all of the kids are undoubtedly depositing in the water.
