Exploration
7 of Melbourne's dreamiest wild swimming spots
Road-trippable, unmissable, toe-dippable: here's where to cool off in Victoria when it's heating up.
Can you feel it? Warm sun on skin, the Vitamin D surging back into the bloodstream? It’s finally heating up again in Melbourne and not a moment too soon. After a brisk winter, the city mood shifts, and the course of action is simple: throw on the togs, jump in the kombi, hit the bush and find yourself some sweet, cooling waters to dive into.
A classic beach jaunt makes for a solid summer session – but it can get pretty hairy in the whitewash (to say nothing of the chafe-inducing sands). This summer, take a leafy jaunt instead to some of Melbourne’s wildest natural swimming holes: here’s our list of eight of the best, all within easy road-tripping distance.
Pound Bend, Warrandyte
A smooth 24km jaunt out to Warrandyte State Park takes the summertime dip-seeker into the heart of Pound Bend, a freshwater swimming nook in the Yarra River, by the mouth of the Pound Bend Tunnel. The Tunnel was constructed in 1870 to help divert water, and facilitate gold mining, from a looped section of the Yarra – you can thank our gold digging forebears for carving out such a sweet, quick-water pond.
Find it: Yarra River Ct, North Warrandyte
Laughing Waters, Eltham
Point your compass for Eltham, enjoy a ride down a few dusty roads and past a paddock or two, and with luck you’ll land square in the hold of Laughing Waters. Here you'll find a cosy net of pools separated by miniature rapids – another of the Yarra’s rare non-toxic stretches, which, in its less swim-friendly spots, suffers from the trifecta of being an irrigation drain, storm water drain, and discharge point for septic tanks. Coddled by native bush, and the odd picnic area, Laughing Waters is the perfect place for a lazy, secluded dip under sun and bush.
This article sources information, with permission, from the Guide to Freshwater Swimming Holes in Victoria, as published online at Swimming Hole Heaven in Victoria.
Find it: Laughing Waters Rd, Eltham
Croajingolong National Park, Wingan River
You’ll need to load the petrol tank up for this one, but the trip’ll be worth it. At the doorstep of the coastal Mallacoota inlet in far East Gippsland, the 88,355-hectare Croajingolong National Park remains one of Victoria’s most spectacular oases. Swimming holes and billabongs abound throughout this 100km stretch of eucalypt forest and heathland, none better than stunning Wingan River Rapids, and the compellingly titled Elusive Lake.
Find it: Gales Hill Track, Wingan River
Polly McQuinns, Strathbogie
A half hour drive out of Euroa, by way of sunny Strathbogie and the Seven Creeks, Polly McQuinns is a tight swimming hole with more than a few urban legends behind it. One, most notably, involves an early settler who was named Polly because he couldn’t grow a beard. Allegedly, Polly drowned in these very waters after stacking his horse and jinker off the adjacent bridge. It’s also said that the waterhole is bottomless, hence why Polly’s body was never found. Remember all that when you’re swimming here after dark.
Find it: 355 Polly Mcquinns Rd, Strathbogie
Fairy Cove, Wilsons Promontory National Park
For those in the know, Wilson’s Prom is an absolute bucket list endeavour for any outdoor beauty-seeker, and its swimming options are some of the best in the state. A decent day trip to say the least, you might be better off making this one a dedicated weekender. Once there, take a trundle from Darby Saddle to Tongue Point and slip down to the majestic, and largely secluded, Fairy Cove: an oasis of postcard-perfect calm amidst the dramatic Promontory coast.
Find it: Bass Strait, Victoria
Turpin Falls, Langley
Twelve clicks out of Kyneton, an hour or so from the CBD, you’ll relish in the hard- and high-rock coddled Turpin Falls, a striking swimming spot on the Campaspe River known for its passive-aggressive snakes and cliff-diving exploits. The latter, not so much anymore, as it’s now prohibited thanks to the spate of injuries in recent years. Still, the rock ledge, rushing falls and cool billabong waters make Turpin one of the most inspiring spots to quell the heat.
Find it: 155 Shillidays Rd, Langley
Lysterfield Lake, Narre Warren
Despite the odd breakout of blue-green algae, Lysterfield Lake – a personal childhood favourite – offers one of the cleanest, if not exactly ‘wild’ freshwater swimming experiences in the metro region. Built in the ‘30s to supply drinking water to the Mornington Peninsula, Lysterfield remains one of the premier canoeing, picnicking, and all round water-sport-friendly hubs in the state. Big ups!
Find it: Reservoir Rd, Narre Warren North
