I finally had a chance today to visit the refurbished Brunswick Baths complex. I have been sick for a couple of weeks, and this in combination with the teaching semester has meant that going to the gym has been on the back burner lately. So because I'm still a bit sick I just went today to use the spa area, and to have a look around at all of the changes.
This is the newly renovated indoor pool area. The best thing about the changes that they've made is that there are a lot of new facilities for those with physical disabilities and for elderly citizens (a new ramp entrance into the pool, some lifting/lowering equipment for the spa area, etc). The spa, sauna and steam room are right at the back of the picture above, I didn't take any photos in that area because photography is not allowed there.
The fact that there is a sauna is great, in the old Brunswick Baths there was only a steam room. It's all brand new panelled wood, although the door is hard to open, which will probably freak out a few people who use it. The new steam room smells weird... it has a plasticky, new smell that I don't like at all (it reminds me of being inside a nebuliser), hopefully that odour will go away soon! The spa is not that great - the water temperature is quite cool, it's not really much bigger than the old one, and it does not have the great prominent raised position that the old one used to. Of course the spa was already filled with old male dudes! The spa jets are quite little and not that forceful. Also, what happened to all the old plants that used to be in the old spa area? I liked those! Everything is very clean and a little bit generic now.
There is one shower installed next to the sauna/steam room, but it is automatically set to warm so there is no way of having a non-chlorinated cold dip after the sauna. I find this very annoying - Brunswick Baths people, please add a cold setting! Even a cold shower in the absence of a plunge pool would be OK! Some of my friends are really into saunas and they would never expose their opened pores to chlorinated water after a session, and I don't want to either... although today because it was my first time there I did have a go on the kid's waterslide in the kiddy pool area, which was admittedly pretty fun. Next time I will actually check out the new gym area facilities, but I didn't go upstairs today. There are now auto card check-ins at the entrance and the locker area is very high-tech. The female change room is much better than the old indoor one (I just remember how cold the old one used to be with the high ceilings and open windows), albeit small. Everything is smaller than I expected! I guess I have been going to Northcote Aquatic Centre for too long.
The fact that there is a sauna is great, in the old Brunswick Baths there was only a steam room. It's all brand new panelled wood, although the door is hard to open, which will probably freak out a few people who use it. The new steam room smells weird... it has a plasticky, new smell that I don't like at all (it reminds me of being inside a nebuliser), hopefully that odour will go away soon! The spa is not that great - the water temperature is quite cool, it's not really much bigger than the old one, and it does not have the great prominent raised position that the old one used to. Of course the spa was already filled with old male dudes! The spa jets are quite little and not that forceful. Also, what happened to all the old plants that used to be in the old spa area? I liked those! Everything is very clean and a little bit generic now.
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