An 80,000 litre pool on the back of a truck complete with water, swimmers, a rhythm band and members of an Aboriginal youth group finished a 19 day trip across the Nullabor promoting toddler water safety.

AGL Swim Across Australia is a unique event launched by Geraldton City Council to raise funds for Royal Life Saving Australia’s toddler drowning prevention campaign, KEEP WATCH and local charities.

After departing Geraldton, in the Mid West of Western Australia on April 3, Swim Across Australia has traveled through towns in Western Australia, Southern Australia, Victoria, Australia Capital Territory and New South Wales, clocking up 6,500 kilometres to arrive at their final destination of Sydney.

Geraldton City Councilor Chris Gabelish came up with the idea of a mobile 7.5 metre swimming pool traveling across Australia while swimmers, secured in a harness, swim in the pool for the length of the journey.

The Swim has been made possible by the generosity of engineers, businesses and communities thinking outside the square and ensuring that in 2004 there are still mad Aussies, trying to put smiles on people’s faces and raising awareness and money for something that they are passionate about – the prevention of toddler drownings, Mr Gabelish said.

Traveling with the truck was a 55 strong Swim Across Australia entourage, combining the youth band Cyclone, Indigenous Youth Council swimmers, support crew, medics and technicians.

The team named the pool Kaitlin’s Pool in memory of Kaitlin Gubanyi who drowned in a backyard pool five years ago. Kaitlin’s father Mark Gubanyi is traveling with the truck for the duration of its journey.

Having finished its marathon journey, the pool will now be utilised in remote Aboriginal communities of Western Australia to teach young children aquatic skills.