Making a Splash

It is three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and there is a seventh birthday celebration in full swing at Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre.

A pool party in the learners’ pool – inflatable toys and all.

The place is buzzing.

Brooke Marks is playing in the water with her daughter Alia and says she can “see and hear joy” all around her.

“Kids are smiling and laughing, splashing, and calling out for parents to watch them do handstands or count how long they can go underwater for,” Brooke says, taking in the scene.

She says Alia is having a great time. One of her favourite pool toys is the Octo Ring – an eight-sided floating donut that she can cling on to, her legs dangling in the water below as she bobs around the pool.

Meanwhile, some of the other kids are finding fun by jumping into the water with their arms outstretched, throwing up peace signs and making funny faces. Others are climbing over a floating horse and gecko, trying to keep their balance as more and more friends scramble onto the inflatable pool toys.

Lifeguards and waving parents watch on closely nearby.

Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is somewhat of a hidden community gem, tucked away on a quiet suburban street in central Tauranga, down the road from the Carlisle Street Dairy, next to Morland Fox Park.

When you think of destination aquatic facilities in Tauranga, Baywave in Mount Maunganui is often the first port of call for many residents and visitors.

In the summertime, the outdoor pool at Memorial Park is also well used and recommended.

Well, Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is now giving those fellow Bay Venues facilities some serious competition.

After a series of recent upgrades and improvements, including a fresh lick of paint and brand new changing room facilities, Greerton is becoming an increasingly popular choice for not only lap swimmers, AquaFit attendees and Clubfit gym-goers, but also parents and families who want to enrol their kids in swimming lessons, or bring them along to play in the pool after school, on the weekend, or over the school holidays.

The inflatable pool toys and obstacle course always draw a crowd when they come out for Friday Night Fun Night, and a new water play feature is being installed over the learners’ pool this year – bringing another attraction to this much-loved community facility.

There is also a courtyard where people can have BBQs, eat their lunch, or play outside after their swim.

For Eli Yoo, Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is “a blessing”.

It is just a short drive from his home in The Avenues and the 65-year-old has been a regular for the past 10 years.

He swims laps at least four days a week, and then brings his three grandchildren to the pool several more times a week on top of that for BaySwim lessons and free play.

Eli says taking his grandkids to the pool in Greerton is an easy and safe way to look after them, while also using up some of their energy.

They always sleep well after a visit to the pool, he notes with a smile.

“When we come to the swimming pool, they don't want to leave. They’re asking me, ‘10 minutes more, 15 minutes more, Granddaddy, please, please,’” he adds with a laugh.

Eli says the sense of community he gets at Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is also important to him. It gives him a “warm feeling” and sets the venue apart from others where there isn’t that same connection.

“I know most of the staff here and even the people who are swimming here,” he says.

“Whenever I come here, a minimum of five or six people call my name and say hello, smile, and that feels better. And then my exercise is better.”

Sarah O’Connor is a lifeguard at the Greerton pool and she also has a special connection to the venue.

It holds a lot of good memories for her.

“I would meet my buddies here when I was a kid. I've always liked the wooden features and its casual vibe.”

That vibe is created by the people who use the facility and those who work here, she says.

“There’s camaraderie, routine, space to do your thing. There is a lot of banter and laughter.”

Sarah says the staff genuinely care about and enjoy the company of their customers.

“Our hydrotherapy pool is a healing space where no one cares what you look like, we just have support and kindness for each other's journey. The community shows respect to each other, and it is a safe and welcoming place.”

Abby Chung would agree.

Her 9-year-old twin boys, Jun and Evan Kim, regularly walk the 600m or so between Greenpark School and Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre, leaving straight after the bell and meeting their mum at the pool.

They are enrolled in BaySwim learn to swim classes and Abby says the teachers are brilliant. The boys also enjoy Friday Night Fun Night and meeting friends at the pool over the weekend to play (access is free for BaySwim students).

“They have good times all the time here,” Abby says.

“During the holidays, we came here nearly every day. The lifeguards are great, they're very friendly, and we come here so often that we have become friends with them. Today my boys gave lollies out to the lifeguards.”

As for Brooke and her daughter Alia, Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is a relatively new discovery.

Alia started her first term of BaySwim lessons this year.

“We live in The Lakes so it is very easy to get here,” Brooke says.

“She looks forward to the lessons every week and is excited to get here, which is all a parent can ask for.”

Now Alia can also add a Greerton pool party to her list of experiences, as the popularity of this hidden community gem continues to climb.

Learn to swim

BaySwim learn to swim lessons focus on swimming technique and water safety, catering for students from three months old, right up to adults. There are group and private lessons available. BaySwim also offers award-winning sensory lessons. 

Enrol online at bayswim.co.nz or email bayswim@bayvenues.co.nz to book a free assessment.