Trials at Tropicana

I really would like to take the boys swimming again as we haven’t been since the last term finished in NZ, quite some months ago now. They really enjoy the water and I feel I am depriving them. I have found a couple of swimming pools that have kids pools from what I understand but haven’t seen them. There are special times for babies etc so I will have to call and find out.

When we arrived it was extremely hot and muggy, we had just come from winter so the change in temperature and humidity was a shock to both the boys. Oliver suffered from heat rash, Benjamin also but to a lesser extent. I found there was a swimming complex about 10 mins from the apartment so decided to check it out one day – on my own, a huge mistake on all fronts. It is more like a fun park with water, it is huge but very baby unfriendly, maybe in about four years or so it will be better.

There are no ramps to enter the building from the street just 12 steep steps up then narrow doors, which the buggy didn’t fit through. You are not allowed to take buggies into the building but to leave at the reception area the worst part was the price for all the inconvenience NZD25.00 and that was just for me. After getting through the turnstyle there was about 30 steps down into the changing area, which was unisex. Once you were done you made your way through the changing area and up 36 steps to the pool complex. I found a kiddies pool, which was small, boring and very unsafe. The tiles were slippery and they had these large animals in the pool that were painted in glossy, slippery paint. The boys kept falling over. Time to go. In true dutch style, nobody helps you out, they just watch or ignore you completely.