Karanga Plaza Pool: Downtown Auckland pool a hit after Mayor Wayne Brown commissions it

The Karanga Plaza Pool, affectionately known as “Brownie’s Pool” after Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, opened on Friday and is already proving a hit with swimmers young and old taking advantage of the new facilities and clean water.

Brown commissioned the pool to be constructed on the site of the Karanga Plaza tidal steps, already a popular unofficial place for a dip, earlier this year. He asked Eke Panuku, the council development arm, to develop a safer dedicated jumping platform with an additional investment of $500,000, to include a swimming pool and changing facilities.

The pool is an examples of building better, faster, and cheaper, says Mayor Wayne Brown. Photo / Alex Burton

He also came up with the idea of adding swimming lanes to the pool.

“The idea was to develop a safe, affordable, lightweight structure to test the appeal of lap swimming in the city centre harbour,” Brown explained. “Utilising existing pontoons helped keep the costs down, and it’s a good example of doing things better, faster, and cheaper.”

Te Ara Tukutuku, the name gifted to the regeneration of Wynyard Point, was allocated $119 million in Auckland Council’s long-term plan (10-year budget) 2024-34 including lifting, restoring, and enhancing the mauri (life essence) of the moana (harbour) and the whenua (land), before bringing tāngata (the people) back to the area.

“This is another significant step toward delivering the most beautiful and loved publicly-owned waterfront of any harbour city in the world,” Brown added.

Bart Van Werkhooven enjoying the new pool. Photo / Alex Burton

Bart Van Werkhooven, an Auckland Uber driver, was cooling off in the pool when the Herald photographer visited on Sunday.

“It’s nice to have the swimming pool in the middle of town,” said Van Werkhooven in between jumps from the platform. “I’m a driver and I have to take a break and sitting down all day – now I can get some exercise in the middle of town. Great!”

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