Yarra River at Pound Bend

Swimming Hole Heaven in Melbourne

Pound Bend Tunnel was constructed through a loop in the Yarra River in the late 19th century to change the course of the river and dredge the exposed horseshoe bend for gold. The tunnel itself is just under 150 m in length and more than 4 m high. The rock pool at the tunnel outlet is a popular spot for relaxing in the water. Above: Water rushing from the tunnel outlet, with the light at the tunnel inlet visible in the distance (Order this image)

You can lay yourself down in this natural spa, wedge your feet against a rock ledge and let the rushing water wash over you while the main stream of the Yarra meanders below. Well recommended for sports recovery Sundays. Beyond the rock ledges, a shallow pool rings the outlet for a calmer swim.

This stretch of the Yarra River is generally of better quality than upstream and downstream reaches, however for the most part the river suffers from the triple whammy of being an irrigation drain, a discharge point for leaky septic tanks, and an urban stormwater drain. For this reason, it is not my preferred swimming location in Melbourne, but it is nevertheless a popular spot for people in Melbourne. Above: The wading area downstream of the Pound Bend tunnel outlet (Order this image)

The EPA provides daily forecasts of whether water is suitable for swimming. Note however that this is only a forecast using only one indicator of water quality. My advice when swimming in the Yarra is to never ever swim within 48 hours after rain (very high risk of water being contaminated), never put your head under, never swim with any open cuts or skin abrasions, and bring an extra bottle of tap water to wash your hands before eating after swimming.

This suburban nature park has an extensive lawned picnic area (although it tends to go brown in summer) and there are gentle nature walks and cycling paths in and around the park. The park hosts a variety of native plants and animals.

Here is a video that I took when visiting Pound Bend over a few separate occasions, including a spa at the tunnel outlet and dangling my feet in the shallow pool. If you watch closely, you will notice the different river depth at different times of the year.

Before you head out, make sure to read the swimming safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions. Specific to this swim, according to local Warrandyte resident Norma Wall (2/2/2017), snakes are active in the area in the warmer months of the year, so take care when walking or swimming. The marker indicates the approximate location of the tunnel outlet. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can occur with some browsers, simply click or tap on "View Larger Map" below.
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