The Thousands

Everything’s a goddamn pop-up nowadays. I had a pop-up restaurant in my lounge room last night watching Parks and Recreation.

Every summer in Sydney various ‘pop-up pools’ open their doors. And I, for one, partake in as many of these seasonal delights as I can. Andrew (Boy) Charlton just re-opened, and IMHO – it’s one of the best.

Hugging a cliffside opposite Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, the structure itself and the views from on board are absolutely awesome. Like everything in Sydney, the pool has a cafe attached. And unlike the cafe-cum-car wash or cafe-cum-laundromat, this cafe has terrific views that won’t put you off your meal. The food’s pretty tasty, and best of all there’s a kiosk attached that you can pitter patter up to in bare feet and dripping togs to order a Campos coffee and a Pat And Sticks.

The crowd can be a little overly fabulous (a yoga ad in the change room advising you to ‘be self-centered’ always made me chuckle ‘these dickheads don’t need encouragement!’). Between 1 and 2 weekdays, Alpha Male joggers swarm the place. Last year I saw one man climb the bleacher seats and vault himself over the chest high fence atop, lest he lose a valuable 90 seconds exiting via the roundabout steps. And weekend arvos the snooty gay crowd convenes – see if you can pick who has the least body hair or the tackiest $400 swimsuit.

But the occasionally cringe-worthy crowd needn’t scare you away. The heated, Olympic-size saltwater pool, sunbathing area, and spectacular scenery are easily worth the trip.