William Birch Pools
William Birch Pools
3.5
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3.5
15 reviews
Excellent
2
Very good
7
Average
4
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Susanne C
Brisbane, Australia190 contributions
Feb 2018 • Solo
Spotted this in the Trip Advisor reviews and just had to add mine in too.
Years ago, in the 1950's, I was a student at Maxwell School near Birch Pools.
This place was built in the 1930's and I remember my father telling me how he and his siblings used to ride their horses all the way to Birch Pools once it was opened.
As our school did not have a swimming pool, until the 1960's, all the students who wished to swim went down the road to the Birch Pools. It was in much better condition back then because it was maintained by the community.
I can still remember as a 6 year old, walking all the way (its about a couple of kilometres from Maxwell) along the main road in the summer heat just to go swimming. It was fine walking along the main road and and down the hill and hearing the teacher call..."Get Off The Road" each time a car or truck went by, because we were excited to be cooling off in the summer heat.
However, when the swimming was finished, we all had to trudge back up the hill and all the way back along the main road to Maxwell School and by the time we'd climbed the first hill from the pools to the road, we were already very hot again.
Eventually the parents decided it was not good enough for their kids to be walking all the way along the main road so after a lot of fundraising Maxwell School finally had a brand new swimming pool....no more trudging along the main road to the Birch Pools.
We still went there on a rare occasion during the summer holidays...but that was few and far between. It was a lot less hassle for us just to go to the farm stream for a dip.
The pools were always used to for annual community picnics and were very popular, although vehicles were not allowed down the driveway. That was restricted to medics.
I looked up the photos of Birch Pools recently and was so saddened to see this wonderful place which had been gifted to the community, in such dire straits, and wondered why a place which had always been so popular with the locals for decades, had been left to ruin.
I found that it is now run by the Wanganui council! Shame on the council for allowing this place to become so rundown and unusable!
However the council is now into restoring this place for public use again, and has been since 2011.
I hope it has been restored by now because it was always a peaceful and lovely place to go.
Years ago, in the 1950's, I was a student at Maxwell School near Birch Pools.
This place was built in the 1930's and I remember my father telling me how he and his siblings used to ride their horses all the way to Birch Pools once it was opened.
As our school did not have a swimming pool, until the 1960's, all the students who wished to swim went down the road to the Birch Pools. It was in much better condition back then because it was maintained by the community.
I can still remember as a 6 year old, walking all the way (its about a couple of kilometres from Maxwell) along the main road in the summer heat just to go swimming. It was fine walking along the main road and and down the hill and hearing the teacher call..."Get Off The Road" each time a car or truck went by, because we were excited to be cooling off in the summer heat.
However, when the swimming was finished, we all had to trudge back up the hill and all the way back along the main road to Maxwell School and by the time we'd climbed the first hill from the pools to the road, we were already very hot again.
Eventually the parents decided it was not good enough for their kids to be walking all the way along the main road so after a lot of fundraising Maxwell School finally had a brand new swimming pool....no more trudging along the main road to the Birch Pools.
We still went there on a rare occasion during the summer holidays...but that was few and far between. It was a lot less hassle for us just to go to the farm stream for a dip.
The pools were always used to for annual community picnics and were very popular, although vehicles were not allowed down the driveway. That was restricted to medics.
I looked up the photos of Birch Pools recently and was so saddened to see this wonderful place which had been gifted to the community, in such dire straits, and wondered why a place which had always been so popular with the locals for decades, had been left to ruin.
I found that it is now run by the Wanganui council! Shame on the council for allowing this place to become so rundown and unusable!
However the council is now into restoring this place for public use again, and has been since 2011.
I hope it has been restored by now because it was always a peaceful and lovely place to go.
Written 24 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Exploration608678
9 contributions
Jan 2019 • Friends
In it's time this would have been a real delight. One can imagine families coming here for picnics and swimming in a charming complex of pools. Now it is a sad relic of the past. The pools have been allowed to deteriorate and the water quality is poor. Enough remains to show what would have been.
Written 13 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pauline M
Otaki, New Zealand25 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
I have not been to this pool in years my children were only young when we visited last .I have asked lots of people if it was still there but no one seemed to remember it .Today we found it again sorry to say it was pouring down with rain and we nearly missed it i was so disappointed it was so neglected and my grown up daughter could not remember it and i am not surprised it did not look anything like it used to be on the other hand it could be made beautiful again with a bit of looking after and its in a lovely setting.
Written 22 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
carol j
Palmerston North, New Zealand1,673 contributions
Jan 2020
Built in the 1930,s this was once a pool for a school.However it was badly damaged during a storm in 2004 and has since been neglected.
The pools were excavated revealing the handrails and steps and pools. But the water is not good for swimming.
There are toilets on site and a rubbish bin.
Really just a place to stretch the legs and give kids and dog a run round.
No play equipment.
The pools were excavated revealing the handrails and steps and pools. But the water is not good for swimming.
There are toilets on site and a rubbish bin.
Really just a place to stretch the legs and give kids and dog a run round.
No play equipment.
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
slrnz
Whanganui, New Zealand708 contributions
Feb 2020
I went back to the pools today as I try to help clear up the Munzee map. Unfortunately my GPS still refuses to work there (but I managed to find 1 by remembering the clue and using the offline mode) and even my camera didn't want to work properly there. I am giving this a lower rating than last time as it is deteriorating and apart from having a toilet, there really is little going for it.
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ah62
Rotorua, New Zealand658 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
My partner stopped here on the way to Taranaki. He had been before but I didn't know it existed. It is not well signposted and it just looks like a picnic area, but the stop is well worth it. This is a historic site and was used as a picnic and swimming hole in the 1930's. It is a short walk of about 200m to the pools where you can see the remnants of the swimming holes. A lovely place to stop for a picnic or a rest on the road.
Bonus of a bunch of wild chickens that we encountered and fed left over bread to. They were all sorts of colours and quite friendly. They almost took food out of my hand. Kids would love this stop and would give them a chance to have a run around after being cooped up in the car.
Bonus of a bunch of wild chickens that we encountered and fed left over bread to. They were all sorts of colours and quite friendly. They almost took food out of my hand. Kids would love this stop and would give them a chance to have a run around after being cooped up in the car.
Written 23 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy J
Whanganui, New Zealand57 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
Wonderful spot for the kids to explore, bird life galore including chicken. Would be fantastic if it was cleaned up, pools full of silt from flooding.
Written 28 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Duigan2013
Whanganui, New Zealand2 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
The Unemployed workers that built it will be turning in there Graves
A very historic spot that needs a Clean up. The Fish jump on one side has not been cleaned for over 10 years.
If the PD workers are not allowed out there due to risk of them harming themselves what about the WINZ clean up crew. Some of them may actually have to get out of the Van and use a shovel. Water quality would improve by stopped the overflow of effluent ponds upstream. No use asking Horizons to help. They have not improved the state of the Stream in the last 15 years
A very historic spot that needs a Clean up. The Fish jump on one side has not been cleaned for over 10 years.
If the PD workers are not allowed out there due to risk of them harming themselves what about the WINZ clean up crew. Some of them may actually have to get out of the Van and use a shovel. Water quality would improve by stopped the overflow of effluent ponds upstream. No use asking Horizons to help. They have not improved the state of the Stream in the last 15 years
Written 17 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thorndon
Wellington New Zealand156 contributions
Jan 2016 • Solo
Swimming pools built many years ago in a stream valley close to the tiny village of Maxwelltown (now Maxwell). Edwardian style from the days when it was a trek to the sea coast to swim - you can get there now by car in fifteen minutes! You need some courage to tackle the water here!
Written 8 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jet66996719803
1 contribution
Mar 2023
Nice little spot. Don't take your dog down there. There is wondering dew all through the bush areas. It only takes 5mins of contact and takes about a day or so before a severe itch-scratch and dermatitis appear. I made the mistake of doing this twice on two separate occasions as I wasn't aware of wondering Dew. Pain in the butt as vet bills over 100 dollars and have to give a weekly course of antibiotics. Nice spot to have a picnic etc tho. Just thought I'd give you the heads up so you don't start thinking and wondering where your dog got an allergy from. My dog near scratched his nipples off. It not a dog friendly plant!
Written 27 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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