Black Dog Swimming Hole

Central Bucca, New South Wales

Shake off your black dog with a life-affirming dip in Bucca Bucca Creek at this unassuming swimming hole next to Bruxner Park Road. It has a small shallow pond for playing in the sun and a broader deeper pool for swimming in the shade under the bridge. Above: The deeper hole under the bridge at Black Dog Swimming Hole (Order this image)

On my visit the water was running swiftly over the stony river bed, with crystal clear water in the shallows and a turquoise hue obscuring the creek bed in the deeper water downstream. The shallow pool is not more than shin deep, with water backed up behind a makeshift stone wall dam across the creek. Wade down the middle of the creek for a few metres to wander into the deeper pool, which is half covered by the road bridge overhead and half in sunlight. The narrow reeds reach out from the banks and sway in the current on the edge of your swim with a welcoming wave. Surprisingly, the passing cars on Bruxner Park Road, a moderately busy country road, did not bother me in the water, but it might be offputting to anyone who highly values privacy when swimming or picnicking. Above: The stone wall and shallow pond at Black Dog Swimming Hole (Order this image)

There is only a one lane access road down to the water's edge, with a maximum of two parking spots before the road will start to be jammed up. You can however park up the hill next to Bruxner Park Road and walk the twenty or so metres down to the water. The space both in and out of the water is quite small, so if other people are already here, you will be sharing that space up close with them. Above: The concrete slab for parking your car and storing your gear while in the water (Order this image)

There are no facilities here, so as the stump in the ground here wisely says, leave nothing but footprints (i.e. take your rubbish home with you) in this currently pristine little swimming spot.

Here is a video of my swim at Black Dog Swimming Hole, taken when the creek was flowing well.

Before you head out, make sure to read the swimming safety information. The marker indicates the approximate location of the swimming hole. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can sometimes occur when loading, simply click or tap on "View Larger Map" below.
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