Wharenui Sports Centre on Elizabeth Street in Riccarton is one of Christchurch's great sporting institutions, built around three heated indoor pools and a heritage that stretches back to 1911. It's a family-friendly place where toddlers take their first kicks in a learn-to-swim class, early risers clock laps in dedicated lanes, and the Wharenui Swimming Club — one of New Zealand's oldest and most successful, with Commonwealth Champions and Olympic representatives among its alumni — trains the next generation.The swim school welcomes all ages, from preschoolers through to adults, with a comprehensive programme taught in a safe, warm and fun environment; new swimmers can book a free assessment to find their level. For those who want to go further, the club's squad pathway, led by Director of Coaching Carl Gordon, runs from Junior and Fitness squads up through Regional, National and Performance level.It isn't all swimming, either. The indoor stadium hosts casual basketball with no booking required, Boxfit Brothers runs a 12-station, 45-minute boxing workout suitable for every fitness level, and individual lanes, the pool complex, stadium and meeting rooms are all available for hire. Public swimming runs 6am–2.30pm on weekdays and 9am–1pm on weekends.
Some places feel like they've always been part of a city. Wharenui Sports Centre is one of them. On Elizabeth Street in Riccarton, this family-friendly centre pairs three heated indoor pools with an indoor sports stadium and a boxing gym, all in one spot. It's where Christchurch kids learn to swim, early risers put in laps before work, casual ballers shoot hoops without a booking, and one of New Zealand's oldest and most successful swimming clubs trains its next champions.
The story starts in December 1911, when the Wharenui Coronation Baths opened as a memorial to the coronation of King George V. The original bath measured 75 feet by 30 feet and reached 7ft 8in at its deepest, and the Wharenui Amateur Swimming Club was founded alongside it on 1 December 1911, opening with 60 members. The club folded and was reinstated several times over the following decades, including through the war years, before settling into its current form in 1944. Two years later it produced its first provincial champion, Roger Gibbs, who went on to swim for New Zealand in the 110 yards backstroke at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland.
A new open-air pool arrived in 1961 and was covered in 1968, and the appointment of coach Pic Parkhouse kick-started the club's golden era. It peaked on home water at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, where five Wharenui swimmers made the New Zealand team. On a single January day, Mark Treffers won 400m individual medley gold, Jaynie Parkhouse took gold in the 800m freestyle ahead of an all-star Australian line-up, and Susan Hunter claimed bronze in the 400m IM — with Treffers and Parkhouse adding silver and bronze later in the meet. Hunter, Treffers and Parkhouse had already swum at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and Lynne Rowe joined Hunter and Treffers at Montreal in 1976.
The honours board keeps growing. Most recently, Taiko Torepe-Ormsby represented New Zealand at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Lili-Fox Mason raced at two World Championships and the 2024 Paralympics. A new wave of national champions and record-holders trains in the same water that has produced them for over a century.
Today the centre runs a comprehensive Learn to Swim programme in its three heated indoor pools — a safe, warm and fun environment where children learn what the team calls an important life skill. Lessons start at preschool level and continue through school age, with free assessments available to place new swimmers in the right class. Mini-Squads bridge the gap between lessons and club training, and private lessons offer one-to-one coaching. Adults haven't been forgotten either: swimming lessons are offered for all ages, because — as the centre puts it — everyone deserves the confidence and joy of swimming.
For swimmers who catch the bug, the Wharenui Swimming Club provides a structured competitive pathway under Director of Coaching Carl Gordon, moving from Junior and Fitness squads through Regional, National and Performance programmes. Squad life is a genuine commitment: sessions run from 5.30am starts through to evening trainings, plus Saturday mornings and strength-and-conditioning work. The club's swimmers are annually achieving success as regional and national champions, and are breaking regional and national records along the way.
Wharenui isn't only for swimmers. The indoor stadium welcomes casual basketball — come down and shoot some hoops, no booking required. Boxfit Brothers runs a boxing workout built for all levels of fitness: twelve stations, three-minute rounds, and a fun full-body session wrapped up in just 45 minutes. Meanwhile, casual swimmers can relax into warm, crystal-clear water in a dedicated lane environment, with public swimming from 6.00am to 2.30pm on weekdays and 9.00am to 1.00pm on weekends. For groups and clubs, individual lanes, the whole pool complex, the indoor sports stadium and the meeting rooms are all available for hire.
You'll find the centre at 73 Elizabeth Street, Riccarton, Christchurch — phone 03 348 6488. Arrive early for a quiet weekday lane swim, bring the kids along for a lesson or a weekend morning splash, or drop in for hoops and a boxing circuit. Either way, you'll be moving in the wake of more than 110 years of New Zealand swimming history, from a coronation memorial bath to the Paris Olympics.