General News
18 March, 2026
‘Hoppo‘ dives in
BABINDA’s campaign to save its historic 50m town pool has gained a huge publicity boost – with the local community booking national TV personality Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins to conduct swimming lessons at the pool next week.
Probably Australia’s most famous lifeguard, the Bondi Rescue star will be at Babinda pool on Thursday 26 March conducting two of his ‘Float to Survive’ sessions – one for seniors and the other for kids aged seven and over.
Babinda pool has been earmarked for permanent closure as early as this year’s dry season, with Cairns Regional Council determining in its ‘Aquatic Facilities Strategy’ the pool is nearing its end of life.
The document suggests Babinda Boulders and Bramston Beach as alternatives to the pool but the community has largely rejected that concept, saying natural swimming spots are not safe enough and unsuitable to learn water skills in.
After a town meeting in early February to discuss the pool’s fate, one of the ‘save our pool’ campaign leaders, Rosanna Lennon, decided to reach out to a number of politicians and celebrities, calling on them for help.
Hoppo personally answered her plea.
“So I emailed, and I think it was only within a couple of days or so, because he’s a busy man, he got back to me with a phone call – I just about fell off the perch,” Ms Lennon told The Observer.
After quickly re-gathering her wits, Ms Lennon says she then explained to him Babinda pool’s plight.
“And it wasn’t me who suggested this, it was Hoppo: he just said, ‘Oh well, how about I fly in and I’ll see what I can do’ and I was gobsmacked, and he actually meant he was going to fly in and conduct a Float to Survive course, for us.”
That phone call resulted in Babinda Taskforce and Community Bank Babinda coming on board to help arrange Hoppo’s trip and lessons at the pool.
“These sessions are designed to give our community the tools to stay safe in any aquatic environment, whether it’s the pool, the creek or the ocean,” Babinda Taskforce said in a Facebook post.
“Most people who get into trouble in the water panic and exhaust themselves by trying to swim against the current. Hoppo’s mission is simple: If you’re in trouble, stop fighting the water and float,” it added.
“Floating conserves energy, keeps your airway clear and buys you vital time for help to arrive. It’s a skill that requires no equipment and can save a life in seconds.”
Ms Lennon said she had no doubt the high-profile water safety advocate’s visit would highlight why a public swimming pool needed to be retained in a community like Babinda.
“After all of the emails everywhere, someone was going to care and listen, and it just happened to be Hoppo, and we’re thrilled. The town is thrilled.”
The seniors’ session on 26 March will start at 2pm and the kids after school at 3.30pm.
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