Kiwa Pools: Gisborne's Beachside Pool Complex
- Jul 13
- 3 min read
Kiwa Pools, Gisborne
Location: 45 Centennial Marine Drive, Awapuni, Gisborne 4010, New Zealand
(Directly opposite Midway Beach)
Phone: 06 867 6220
Entry Fee: Adult $7.50/2-16 years $5.50/0-2 years Free.
Hours: Mon - Thu 5:30am - 7:00pm
Fri - Sun 5:30am - 6:00pm
Highlights:
50-metre swimming pool
Leisure pool
Hydrotherapy pool
Learn-to-swim facilities
Seasonal outdoor pools
100-metre hydroslide
Dive pool
BBQ and picnic areas
Family-friendly facilities
Best For:
Families
Lap swimmers
Holidaymakers
Rainy-day activities
Fitness enthusiasts
Anyone wondering why Gisborne has a swimming pool beside the beach
Only in Gisborne would someone look across one of New Zealand's best swimming beaches and think:
"You know what this place needs?"
"A swimming pool."
And not just a swimming pool.
A state-of-the-art aquatic complex located directly opposite Midway Beach, where the Pacific Ocean has been providing free swimming facilities for thousands of years.
On paper, the idea sounds ridiculous.
In reality, it might be one of the smartest things Gisborne has ever built.
The Great Midway Beach Paradox
Standing outside Kiwa Pools, you can literally see Midway Beach across the road.
On one side sits a modern aquatic complex with heated pools, hydrotherapy facilities, splash zones and a hydroslide.
On the other side sits a magnificent stretch of Pacific coastline.
Visitors often ask the obvious question:
"Why would anyone swim in a pool when the beach is right there?"
The answer becomes clear the moment you have children, want to swim laps, dislike waves, prefer warm water, or simply don't enjoy being unexpectedly introduced to the ocean floor by a rogue breaker.
The beach and the pools aren't competitors.
They're teammates.
A World-Class Facility
Opened in 2023, Kiwa Pools replaced Gisborne's ageing swimming complex with a modern facility designed for the whole community.
The complex includes a 50-metre pool, leisure pool, hydrotherapy pool, learn-to-swim facilities, splash areas and seasonal outdoor pools.
During summer, the outdoor area comes alive with:
A 33-metre outdoor pool
A dive pool
A 100-metre hydroslide
Toddler pools
Picnic areas
BBQ facilities
It's the sort of place where children arrive excited and parents leave exhausted.
Which, according to parenting experts, is generally considered a successful day out.
Perfect For Families
While Midway Beach is fantastic, ocean swimming can sometimes require a degree of confidence.
Kiwa Pools provides a more controlled environment where younger children can safely enjoy the water while parents relax.
The heated toddler pools, splash zones and family facilities make it one of Gisborne's best attractions for families.
Unlike many holiday activities, there is something here for every age group.
Toddlers.
Teenagers.
Parents.
Grandparents.
Even adults who still secretly race strangers in adjacent swimming lanes.
For Serious Swimmers
The Pacific Ocean is wonderful.
It is not particularly interested in helping you swim a straight line.
Kiwa Pools solves that problem beautifully.
The 50-metre pool provides dedicated lane swimming for fitness swimmers, triathletes and anyone wanting to maintain their exercise routine while visiting Gisborne.
There are no waves.
No currents.
No seaweed.
And no awkward moment when a curious fish appears beside you and suddenly turns a leisurely swim into an Olympic sprint.
The Perfect Backup Plan
Every visitor to Gisborne imagines endless sunshine.
Most of the time they're right.
Occasionally, however, the weather decides to remind everyone that this is still New Zealand.
When strong winds arrive or ocean conditions become less inviting, Kiwa Pools becomes the perfect alternative.
You still get the coastal setting.
You still get the sea air.
You just avoid the sand blasting your legs at 40 kilometres per hour.
A Local Favourite
Perhaps the best endorsement comes from Gisborne locals themselves.
The facility is heavily used by families, schools, fitness swimmers, learn-to-swim programmes and community groups. Swim lessons, aqua fitness classes and rehabilitation programmes all operate from the complex throughout the year.
That's often the sign of a genuinely successful attraction.
Locals use it.
A lot.
Worth Visiting?
Absolutely.
The irony of building a swimming complex opposite one of New Zealand's best beaches is impossible to ignore.
But once you visit, it makes perfect sense.
Midway Beach offers waves, surf and the Pacific Ocean.
Kiwa Pools offers warm water, hydroslides, lap lanes and family-friendly facilities.
Together they create one of the best recreation precincts in Gisborne.
You don't have to choose.
In fact, the smartest option is to enjoy both.
That's exactly what the locals do.
