Located about a five-hour drive south of Sydney, The Blue Pool at Bermagui will require you to book an overnight stay — but the road trip will be well worth it. 

Created in the 1920s, the Coalcliff Rock Pool is tucked away on the coast of Leeder Park, set on the southern tip of Coalcliff Beach. The pool is a go-to for local swimmers all year round, but you can expect it to be a little busier (and warmer) during summer.

The vast rocky landscape down at Coledale Beach gives the spot a real 'edge of the word' vibe — so much so that its deeply carved rock pool just looks like part of the landscape at high tide. 

Newcastle's Commandant's Baths is one of NSW's oldest human-made ocean baths. The heritage-listed ocean pool was cut into the sandstone rocks by convict labour in 1819 — yes, a whopping 200 years ago.

The Central Coast is home to its own heritage-listed ocean pool dubbed The Entrance, and it includes a 50-metre, seven lane Olympic-sized lap pool — plus a separate 22-metre pool for more casual swimming and a wading pool to boot. 

The Newcastle Ocean Baths particularly stands out because of its art deco-style pavilion and striking water's-edge setting, sat high above the rocky coast. 

Located at the southern end of Whale Beach, this 25-metre-long rock pool fills at high tide. It's the less crowded southern cousin to Palm Beach, so you'll have much more space for splashing about.