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Iconic North Sydney pool to reopen this August after five years 

Credit: Getty Images/Kokkai Ng

Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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?

North Sydney Olympic Pool
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 pool reopening
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
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.
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The secret Sydney suite life: a luxury under-the-radar stay right on the harbour

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    This winter, these secret Sydney harbour suites are the staycation we’ve been looking for.

    Whether it’s the crisscrossing ferries or the white sails of the Opera House rising out of blue depths, Australia’s biggest city lives for its harbour. But while locals might glance at that watery expanse on their daily commute across the Bridge, it can still be hard to truly connect with Sydney’s maritime soul. The secret: seeing the harbour eye-to-eye, right at water level. And what better place to submerge yourself in that energy than sleeping there? That’s where Pier One Sydney Harbour comes in (and with new all-inclusive bed and breakfast benefits, there’s even more to love).

    All-inclusive VIP benefits

    Who Is Elijah Amenities at Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Book in for the all-inclusive VIP treatment.

    The hard truth is that it will be very difficult to tear yourself away from your ultra-luxurious harbour home-away-from-home to explore the city. If you want to make leaving even harder, opt for Pier One’s all-inclusive VIP treatment.

    The Bed and Breakfast with Suite Benefits package turns up the volume on what is already the ultimate staycation, with complimentary valet parking, daily breakfast for two and turndown service. The biggest perk? Enjoy a bottle of French champagne every day during your whole stay

    Pier One Sydney Harbour

    Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Step into a piece of history with all the modern comforts. (Credit: Dave Wheeler)

    The five-star Pier One Sydney Harbour is quite literally old Sydney through and through. Built on what was once a working cargo wharf and the passenger terminal for those heading to the North Shore before the bridge was constructed, the heritage building sits right between the tangle of cobblestones, pubs and alleyways of The Rocks and the historic docking zone of Walsh Bay – at the centre of the city’s old sea trade.

    If knowing the hotel’s history isn’t enough to get your sea-longing going, the interior design certainly will. As soon as you step up to the concierge desk in the lobby of the restored building – which underwent a $15 million redevelopment in 2019 – you’re immersed in Sydney’s seafaring tale. Weathered wood panelling and white marble floors surround you, while loop lighting installations hover above the bar island just beyond, ringed with stools ready for intimate, martini-tinted conversations. Steel rivets and timber beams speak to its past, and glass-walled views anchor you firmly in the present-day life on the harbour.

    Pier One Suites

    Pier One Sydney Harbour admiral suite
    Enjoy incredible views from your suite.

    Across the 189 rooms and suites built on and over the water, the maritime theme continues. Sculptural aged brass fittings, exposed girders, colour schemes that evoke shifting currents, and mirrors that reflect ripples that – depending on your booking – sit just metres from your pillow.

    United on theme yet unique in set-up, each room or suite is different. On the ground floor, dog-friendly rooms with direct access to the pier are all prepped for pampered pups, while others have views and even balconies overlooking Walsh Bay, the Bridge and the Harbour.

    But the 19 suites step things up even more. Gaze out through floor-to-ceiling windows, or get even closer. Your private balcony is made for sipping a Nespresso coffee on as the sun comes up – or soaking in the bathtub of the Admiral Suite on the deck, a drink from the locally stocked mini bar in hand. This mini bar was recently completely transformed, so you have more Aussie favourites to choose from, including alcohol and snacks.

    Dining at Pier One

    Pier Bar Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Settle in for an afternoon of good drinks and views.

    Once you’re checked in, start your afternoon with a spritz at PIER BAR – or arrive by boat via the private pontoon if the occasion calls for it – and settle into one of the cabanas. Weekdays bring Happy Hour (or ‘sunset hour’ at Pier One); weekends bring the DJs. After an even sweeter experience? The Everyday Creamery and Matcha Kiosk is slinging mango and vanilla soft serve – classic and those spiked with Midori and gin alike.

    PIER Dining is an ode to contemporary Australian flavours across the terrace, pier and dining room. On its seafood-leaning menu are Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula, potato scallops with salmon roe and crème fraîche, chicken with melting sundried tomato butter, vodka rigatoni with Shark Bay prawns. And the ‘Pierlova’ – that’s pavlova with chocolate, dulce de leche and banana is worth saving room for. Make sure to ask for the wine list – it’s 100 per cent Australian drops.

    Around town

    luna park, sydney opera house and sydney harbour bridge
    Explore the neighbourhood during your stay. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    If you’re strong enough to polish off just one last pastry from the breakfast buffet and walk out the door, we applaud you. Luna Park across the harbour beckons with its wide grin, while a glance upward might spur you to climb the Bridge’s famous iron arches. The Opera House – just across Circular Quay from the Museum of Contemporary Art – sings out for a concert.

    You’ll want to book ahead for those hot-ticket performances at Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Dance Company, just a few minutes’ walk south of the hotel. Ten minutes further brings you to the waterfront bars, restaurants and clubs of Barangaroo, or the karaoke, gardens and dim sum of Chinatown further afield.

    Keep the mellow of your weekend getaway going with a stop at Barangaroo Reserve, watching the yachts go by – all before returning for that Sydney sundowner at Pier One.

    Ready to make that Pier One stay a reality? Book the ultimate Sydney staycation at pieronesydneyharbour.com.au