Lake Eildon at Pinniger Road

Swimming Hole Heaven in Victoria

I visited this swimming spot on Pinniger Rd (since renamed Embankment Road) with a group of friends in the late 1980s and again in the early 2000s, but unfortunately it is now a relic of the past because when I visited in 2014 it was gone. It seems “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot”, in this case for boats launching from a newly constructed boat ramp. Above: A beautiful boat free vista from the former swimming spot on Pinniger Rd (Order this image)

In the process, all of the towering pines that provided shade up to the water’s edge have been chopped down, half of the hill has been removed and in its place is a field of bitumen with nothing but the drone of 4WDs going back and forth, unloading and collecting noisy motorboats. It is a sober reminder that no swimming hole is permanent in this world.

The best way to swim in Lake Eildon is to hire a houseboat, when you are free to wander around the various arms of the lake to find a spot that suits. If you don't have a boat, swimming options are poor around Lake Eildon. Eildon pondage is off limits, Bonnie Doon is a barren wasteland, and the Fraser Camping Area is too shallow for swimming.

I suggest heading south to Jerusalem Creek and further east into the Lake Eildon National Park to get as far away from the boats as you can. As with most irrigation storages, best swimming occurs before New Year when water levels are higher. Swimming here is best after a wet winter, when the lake is more likely to be closer to full. In dry times the lake can get very low. I can still remember Lake Eildon being no more than a puddle in the 1982/83 drought, and having to walk hundreds of metres from the boat jetties down to the water's edge.

Before you go, check out The Castle movie for the “Bonnie Doon song”, and Houseboat Horror (18+) set on Lake Eildon, it is so bad it's good due to its abrupt plot discontinuities.

This swimming hole did not make it into my top 50 in Victoria. The main reason being the bulldozers and steamrollers who covered it over with asphalt. One of my favourite swimming holes nearby did make it into the top 50, so if you are looking for a swimming hole in this area and want to try it out before it becomes roadworks, grab a copy of the guide to Freshwater Swimming Holes in Victoria. Before you head out, make sure to read the swimming safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions. The marker indicates the approximate location of this former swimming spot. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can occur with some browsers, simply click or tap on "View Larger Map" below.
View Larger Map If you can remember swimming here before the boat ramp was built, or if you have any other favourite swimming spots elsewhere around Lake Eildon, I would love to hear about it. Please fill in the comment box below. All fields are required if you would like your comments published on this website.

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