I'm told that the Narranderra pool is privately run, whilst the local pools are of course all Council operations. The telling thing about Narranderra was that all the staff multi-tasked. All of them appeared to be life savers, and apart from failing to tell kids to not run and fall over on the concrete and skin their knees, they also mowed the lawns, picked up rubbish, staffed the front counter and sold icecreams.
In Leichhardt, the pool appears to be a job creation scheme for those that like to gossip. The two or three people on the front counter just sit there and yak. The shop person never leaves the shop (although that might be a private concession). In Narranderra, the two functions share the same space and one person can let you in and sell you an icecream. Combining those two tasks in Leichhardt would probably lead to an MUA picket out the front.
But you want to know about the slide. So do I. I took a picture of it, but never got to ride it as it was never open whilst I was there. Apparently they only crank up the water pumps and pull out the slidy boogie boards when there are enough people there to make it worthwhile.
That's appropriately capitalist. If Leichhardt Council was running the show, the slide would run 16 hours a day, but no one would be allowed to go on it due to health and safety concerns. You might get water up your nose.
I'm told it is a very good slide. I might have to wait until 2009 to find out. The locals tell me the trick is to ride your board all the way to the other end of the pool. Only two kids did it in 2007, so they are famous throughout Narranderra for this feat.
The kid telling me had achieved this feat, and I could believe it as he does not fit the Narranderra stereotype, which is to have a body shape like a pumpkin.
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