The most isolated pool in the world
Is this the most isolated swimming pool project in the world?
Aqua Technics Commercial was commissioned to install a 20 metre long fibreglass swimming pool on a deserted stretch of the Kimberley north coast in Western Australia for a luxury environmental resort.
The Berkeley River Lodge is one of the Kimberley Region’s newest and most remote coastal properties. Visitors come to enjoy the wide open spaces, fresh air and natural experience; and one of the key selling points is its isolation. It is more than 170 kilometres from the nearest town and has no access by land. The only way to get to the resort is by air or water: by seaplane out of Kununurra or by private vessel.
Not only was the isolation a challenge, but the location on top of a sand dune in an environmentally delicate area involved a great deal of innovative engineering and design.
The owners, Martin and Kim Peirson-Jones, wanted to minimise the impact of the swimming pool installation on the local environment.
Kim Peirson-Jones says they discussed a number of options with Aqua Technics Commercial – and all of them required transport to Wyndham and then a barge trip to the site.
“We also had to discuss how to physically handle the pool with only a 20 tonne excavator to move and place it,” she says.
The best option was a pre-fabricated, fibreglass pool that could be delivered to the site and installed quickly, without requiring major technical resources and materials. This method also required less disruption to the environment.
The plan involved shipping two 10 metre shells that would fold into each other for transport, to be joined on site by a flange moulded into the shells.
A barge brought the shells from the nearest town of Wyndham and at low tide, an excavator crossed sand flats and unloaded the shells. They were then carried individually via a track through the dunes to the installation site, where they were suspended on steel bars over the excavated pool hole.
A spillway spa was also installed adjacent to the swimming pool, the combination allowing the Berkeley River Lodge to offer guests both exercise and relaxation with uninterrupted views of the surrounding area.
Kim Peirson-Jones says they are very happy with the end result.
“The pool is a focal point of the entire development; something enjoyed by all guests and frequently commented upon,” she says.
Details:
Project: Berkeley River Lodge, Kimberley, WA
Builder: Aqua Technics Commercial
Contact: Neville Fenton (08) 9282 9006 or nevillef@atcommercial.com.au
