The St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool offers that much sought after mix of hot and cold therapy, salt water, fresh air and a splash of sunshine. Although, when they say “hot”, they use it rather loosely. Sure it’s heated to an equatorial 28 degrees, but throw in a sea breeze from the roaring forties and it’s more of a warm salt water pool... and that's the way we like it (Dunedin-ites like to complain when they get too warm - go figure).
The St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool is the last remaining survivor of several saltwater pools that once dotted Dunedin’s coast in the late 1800’s. How or why that trend kicked off is anyone’s guess, but we’re thankful it did. Back then, the ‘baths’ weren’t heated, but that didn’t stop hundreds of hardy souls from flocking to them in search of safe waters. These days, the St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool is all about doing wellbeing your way, and here, there’s plenty of ways to do it.
At one end of the pool, dedicated swimmers cut through the water with determination, focused on their laps as though they're competing for an Olympic medal with the person beside them (without them knowing it). Nothing can distract them - not even the occasional manu being launched by the local teens, with all the grace of a seal clambering over the rocks.
Families frolic in the designated toddler pool, though whether that’s a space for the little ones or exhausted parents looking for refuge is up for debate, with one eye on their kids, the other half-closed, imagining they are somewhere tropical.
Out beyond the walls, surfers brave water more than half the temperature found in the pool, bobbing up and down as they wait for the perfect wave to wrap around the point.
For the rest of us, a casual dip in the heated, therapeutic saltwater is the perfect way to melt away the week’s stress, aided by the soothing sounds of the Pacific playing on repeat. Sometimes a cheeky wave crashes over the wall and onto unsuspecting swimmers - a thrill and a reminder that Mother Nature is always ready to pour cold water on things.
Even sea lions appreciate a bit of wellness, too. They have been known to casually waltz in through the cafe doors and crash your pool party, such is the allure of warmth in these parts. Only in #wilddunedin. Keep a pool noodle close by in the unlikely event it happens again.
After a few laps you’ll be feeling like you’ve earned a treat. The adjoining Long Dog Café offers great coffee and all things savoury and sweet. Enjoy your spoils on the outdoor tables overlooking the pool, as seagulls circle overhead.
The St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool is about as far away from a tropical paradise as you can get - yet somehow, it feels like exactly that.
