Parnell Baths is a seasonal outdoor swimming complex on Judges Bay Road in Parnell, Auckland. It has a 4.3 rating from 945 Google reviews. Its website describes a 60-metre salt water lane pool, which it calls the largest of its kind in New Zealand, along with a spa pool, an interactive aqua playground, a toddlers pool and a heated lido pool. It reopens each summer, with casual entry or a season pass. Reviewers mention lifeguards, a tuck shop, seating, changing rooms and showers, and basins at different temperatures, with the smaller ones warmer.
Outdoor pools reward good timing and good preparation. Fine, warm weekends are the busiest, so early mornings and weekday afternoons are better if you want to swim lengths in peace. Salt water pools are gentler on skin and eyes than heavily chlorinated ones, but still bring sunscreen, a hat and a towel, since there is little shade at some outdoor pools. Families with toddlers usually prefer the warmer, shallower basins. Check the season dates before you go, as outdoor pools close over winter.
For a summer swim in central Auckland, Parnell Baths is a much-loved local spot.