“Splashes of Cinema: Australia’s Summer Nights Under the Stars at the Pool”

Imagine you’re reclining on an inflatable lilo, fingers and toes dangling in warm, undulating water. It’s nearly dusk, and the serene early evening is disrupted by a shrill scream. In an instant, a great white shark surfaces, jaws wide with gigantic, fearsome teeth. Nearby swimmers, who were quietly conversing just seconds ago, are now thrashing about in fright.

You find yourself at the Aquamoves pool in Shepparton, central Victoria, enjoying Jaws while you paddle in the water during their dive-in movie evening.

Dive-ins are a cherished tradition in Australia, where access to the coast or an air-conditioned cinema isn’t readily available on a scorching summer day. From Berridale in the Snowy Mountains to Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, for slightly more than the cost of a standard swim, locals can enjoy a film on a screen beside the pool while they splash about, bob or float.

Aquatic movie nights are a hit in areas of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, including regional university campuses and water theme parks. Frequently, as seen in Shepparton, the screened film relates to themes of the sea, water, or swimming. Titles like Penguins of Madagascar, Finding Dory, or Moana come to mind.

My initial dive-in experience as an adult occurred at Mount Druitt in western Sydney during the January school break. I had planned an evening reunion with old friends in the vicinity, and their children insisted we visit the local pool. As darkness enveloped the sky, Lightyear, the origin story of Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story series, was displayed on a large screen at the far end of the Olympic pool. For the following hour and 45 minutes, parents and kids lounged in inflatable unicorns, sat at the water’s edge enjoying picnics, or splashed around during the less engaging parts of the film.

The excitement of the children, much like mine, was shared between the pool and Lightyear, and we clapped enthusiastically with pruny fingers as the credits rolled.

Dive-ins encapsulate many of the delightful aspects of Australian summers: warm evenings, the refreshing relief of a cooling swim, and the novelty (for children) of being able to stay up later than usual due to the school holidays. Adding to the experience are icy poles, hot fries, and vibrant beach toys, making it an ideal evening for family entertainment.

Numerous Australians who encountered dive-ins as kids carry cherished memories into their adulthood. Thirtysomething Angus Roth, who grew up in Canberra, frequented the Big Splash water park dive-ins in the early 90s. He continued this legacy by bringing his two children to wet screenings. He links some of his beloved Pixar films with “the scent of chlorine” and reflects on how he “enjoyed the carefree atmosphere of the nights where the usual rules of ‘sit down and be quiet’ did not apply.”

A touch of rebellion permeates the best dive-in experiences. The operators of the Aquamoves pool in Shepparton acknowledged this and showcased brilliant creativity by featuring Jaws for a floating audience in 2019. It was such a success that swimmers dove back into the shark-infested cinematic waters a year later to witness Blake Lively being chased by a great white in The Shallows.

Bikash Randhawa, the chief operating officer at Village Roadshow Theme Parks, concurs that the finest dive-in evenings merge excitement with a feeling of significance. At the Wet’n’Wild water park in Oxenford, located on Queensland’s Gold Coast, the park’s “vast wave pool morphs into a floating cinema featuring a 45 square metre screen.” Patrons can watch major films from an inner tube, a lounge chair, or while hurtling down a slide. Is there a more enjoyable way to watch Aquaman?

Dive-ins are also a cherished institution at Waterworld Aquatic Centre in Ridgehaven, South Australia. They host one screening in January and another in February, frequently with a themed concept. When Barbie was screened, children and adults adorned vibrant pink swimsuits and eye-catching accessories to embody their inner Barbie and Ken, whereas their “Splash for a Cure” dive-in for The Incredibles encouraged staff and visitors to don spandex and capes to raise funds for the Leukemia Foundation.

Combining two beloved December Australian customs – carols by candlelight and a visit to the local pool – Waterworld live-streams carols from Civic Park each Christmas. Reindeer headbands are a must, and Santa makes a special appearance.

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Dive-in gatherings don’t always conclude when summer evenings finish. The University of Newcastle’s Students Association organizes a complimentary winter dive-in in July at the heated pool on its Callaghan campus in conjunction with its midyear welcome back week. The films take a backseat to selfies, mingling, and flirting, and unlike dive-ins at local pools, screenings don’t need to be family-appropriate. During a showing of Wonka, steam from the indoor pool clouded the screen, but no one appeared to be bothered.

Not to be outperformed, Griffith University in Queensland hosts its dive-in at the Mount Gravatt campus at the beginning of the academic term. A massive inflatable screen claims center stage; popcorn, fairy floss, and snow cones are complimentary, and students are invited to wear costumes or swimwear. Psychology major Abbie Chen remarks, “viewing a Hunger Games film while floating in an inflatable doughnut was enjoyable and quite surreal, and the silliness of the evening unites everyone.”

For Jen Curtis, a farmer residing in Victoria’s central highlands wine area, a film at the local swimming pool offers relief from the summer warmth and serves as a delightful diversion from manual labor. But more crucially, she states: “It’s about bonding, creating our own enjoyment, and caring for one another.”

Whether for nostalgia, community spirit, dressing up, or simply escaping the heat, there are countless reasons to dive in.